6 March 2005 - Day Eighteen

(And if you think a picture of a collie puppy is cute, check out the video.)

The pups continue to grow very big and very fast. It's getting hard to do photos
of them, because they are always in motion. And if not in motion, too sleepy to be
really fun! Their eyes have opened a bit, and they see us when we come into the room.
They crowd over near the edge of the pool for a pat. If it's momma, they all crowd
around, and get rowdy waiting for a meal.

I weighed the biggest (Arrowhead), and smallest (Bitty Girl) yesterday, and the
range was about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds. That's not too bad. I thought the range was
probably more, as that boy's head is about twice the size of her's.

Personalities are definitely coming out. Blaze is a climber, Bitty Girl is a
growler, and all of them are little loves. They nuzzle up to our hands and lick us, and
try to suck our fingers.

The issue of names is also being worked on. Their eventual owners can name them as
they like, but we'll use our usual "spice" scheme in giving them some sort of names to
start with. What we've come up with so far, is something like this:

• 'Spiral' - Spiral Galaxy Star Anise ('Spiral' or 'Star')
  
• 'Big girl' - Nutmeg Custard ('Meggy')
  
• ''Bitty girl' - Ginger Snap ('Ginger')
  
• 'Arrowhead' - Sasparilla or Sweet Woodruff ('Woody')
  
• 'Island' - Something something Wasabi something ('Wasabi')
  
• 'Big Boy' - Something something Coriander something ('Cory')
  
• 'Short Stocking' - Something something Basil something ('Basil')
  
• 'Blaze' - Blazin' Hot Chipotle ("Blaze')

• 
  

What My Kid Is Up To

Damn that Global Warming!

It's just not safe to go outside anymore.

GILFORD, N.H. (AP) - Much of this week's winter carnival in Gilford has been canceled, due to too much winter.

Parks and Recreation Director Herb Greene notes that the cancellation of 2 events was due to poor road conditions and snow-filled parking lots.

Of the three events originally scheduled for Wednesday, the Cardboard Box Sled Derby has been rescheduled to Friday morning.

Cole Porter Got There First

A college education I should never propose,
A bachelor's degree won't even keep you in clo'es,
But millions you will win if you can spin on your nose.
Be a clown, be a clown, be a clown.

Obviously, this guy wasn't listening.

After James McGrath graduated from Christopher Newport University, he spent a year or two "working miscellaneous odd jobs here and there" while looking for the opportunity that would become his career.

He expected it to be some form of social work - that's what he had planned when he took his degree in psychology with a minor in religious studies - but instead, he would up turning a college hobby into a role in The Greatest Show on Earth. McGrath, 26, has returned to the Peninsula this week in character as Crickett, a spike-haired clown in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Well, I always wondered what people did with a Bachelor's in Psychology.

28 February 2005 - Day Twelve

It wasn't our imagination last night. The pups are wiggly. Today they are all, in effect, walking. Unsteady to be sure, but up on all fours, and bellies off the ground. Another day or two, and their eyes should open.

They are also getting very cuddly and cute. Yes, the cuteness factor is beginning to rise exponentially.

Cinny went to the vet today. They said her ear problem is a yeast infection. She has some ear drops to set her right. One of the techs was wondering if the pups are all spoken for yet. Her mom would like a collie.

We also started looking at other names for these guys. The plan was to give them spice, herb, or pepper related names. I also wanted to sneak in pastries there somewhere. So far it looks like Big Girl will become "Nutmeg" (Meg), Bitty Girl will be "Ginger Snap" (Ginger), and Spiral will become something like "Marjoram" (Margie) or Pennyroyal (Penny).

In jest I've suggested Arrowhead become "Arrowroot Biscuit". My other leading names for boys are Coriander (Cory) and Sweet Woodruff (Woody). Finally, maybe an Ancho or some such in there. I also suggested "Jalapeno Cornbread". Well, OK, maybe that is a little too silly.

27 February 2005 - Day Eleven

I had an e-mail from a lady in Arizona today. She has been looking at my page,
and wondered if I knew of collie rescues or breeders she could contact. I sent her
info for contacting rescues through the Collie Club of America, and breeders through
Collies Online.

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 35 ounces (+4)
  
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 36 ounces (+3)
  
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 28 ounces (+2)
  
• 'Arrowhead' - 41 ounces (+5)
  
• 'Island' - 34 ounces (+3)
  
• 'Big Boy' - 38 ounces (+4)
  
• 'Short Stocking' - 33 ounces (+1)
  
• 'Blaze' - 37 ounces (+2)
  

Well, I think this was the last night for the "weighing". They were all so
wiggly I could hardly get them in the sling long enough to check them.

Cinny is showing a new problem. I've noticed for a couple days she had a lot of
bloody crusts in her ears. It comes right out with a Q-tip, but we are concerned
she might have ear mites or some such thing.

Renewable energy, but not very reliable

Windmills sound great, but not so good in practice at times.

A drop in wind generation late on Tuesday, coupled with colder weather,
triggered an electric emergency that caused the Texas grid operator to cut
service to some large customers, the grid agency said on Wednesday.
Electric
Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said a decline in wind energy production in
west Texas occurred at the same time evening electric demand was building as
colder temperatures moved into the state.
The grid operator went directly to
the second stage of an emergency plan at 6:41 PM CST (0041 GMT), ERCOT said in a
statement.

Cosmic Convergence

I have to love it when these things all come together -

A York resident — who apparently wants his cremated ashes to be brewed into a special ale for his wake — was recently named "Beerdrinker of the Year" by a Colorado-based brewery.

Wynkoop Brewing Company named Matt Venzke the winner of its "12th annual search for America's ultimate beer fiend" last weekend in Denver. Along with the coveted title, Venzke wins "free beer for life" at Wynkoop Brewing Company, a $250 beer tab at his favorite bar, the Taphouse in Hampton, and the opportunity to create a special beer with Wynkoop's head brewer for next year's Beerdrinker of the Year" event, according to a Wynkoop statement.

My favorite place to go for a beer!

26 February 2005 - Day Ten

Not much to tell today. They just keep on growing like crazy, and keep getting cuter.

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 31 ounces (+1)
  
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 33 ounces (+2)
  
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 26 ounces (+1)
  
• 'Arrowhead' - 36 ounces (+2)
  
• 'Island' - 31 ounces (+3)
  
• 'Big Boy' - 34 ounces (+2)
  
• 'Short Stocking' - 32 ounces (+3)
  
• 'Blaze' - 35 ounces (+3)
  

Global Warming Kills

I t was just a matter of time, wasn't it? They've been warning us all along, and now it's happened.

Six people have been killed in three days by icicles falling from buildings in a central Russian region, ITAR-TASS news agency reported Tuesday.

Darwin Award - Almost

Didn't it used to be that people went crazy trying to steal gold? Is it just here in Virginia that the people are so low-rent that they go for copper?

A man Richmond police say was trying to steal copper from a Dominion Virginia Power substation was seriously burned Saturday night.

Richard Croker, 36, was taken to VCU Medical Center with burns over 65 percent of his body, authorities said. He was listed in stable condition this morning.

Richmond police said officers were on patrol just before 9 p.m. Saturday when they saw a large ball of fire and explosion at a Dominion substation in the 4300 block of Hull Street Road.

When they pulled up to the fenced-in substation, they found Croker inside with his clothes on fire.

Police said Croker had climbed over the fence and was trying to steal copper wiring.

Police have obtained warrants charging Croker with trespassing, felony destruction of property and larceny. He has not yet been served with the warrants, police spokeswoman Wendy Jenkins said.

25 February 2005 - Day Nine

OK, Cinny was more than a little ill last night. It was a full blown poop-a-thon. I discovered she had her first accident at about 10pm. Got that cleaned up and went to bed. Left Winnie a huge note. See, to get Cinnamon to eat her dinner we've been jazzing it up with cooked beef liver. I don't think that is agreeing with her tummy. So, the note said "No more liver!"

Anyway, for all the good that that did. I was up with her again at 11pm (another oops), and at midnight (oops, again). Finally got the procedure down then, and got her out at 1, 2, and 3 without further incidents. Except, of course, for my not getting to sleep. When I put her out at 3, I lay down on the couch and was out for an hour. When I got her back in, she finally slept until wake-up time at 5:30.

So, needless to say, I was more useless than usual at work on Friday.

She did get 1 1/2 cups of regular kibble for breakfast, but pooped indoors twice more during the day. This evening I've gotten 2+ cups of kibble into her, with no gross results. Hopefully laying off of the liver has fixed this.

The puppies, of course, are wonderful. Definitely pushing up on their legs now and trying to walk. Even the smallest is now a 1/2 pound larger than the biggest was at birth. The largest is over 2 pounds. They seem to be keeping a gap of around 8 ounces, or so, between the largest and the smallest among them.

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 30 ounces (+2)
  
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 31 ounces (+2)
  
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 25 ounces (+2)
  
• 'Arrowhead' - 34 ounces (+1)
  
• 'Island' - 28 ounces (+1)
  
• 'Big Boy' - 32 ounces (+2)
  
• 'Short Stocking' - 29 ounces (+2)
  
• 'Blaze' - 32 ounces (+2)
  

24 February 2005 - Day Eight

Sorry, no pictures today.

Cinny was a bit ill last night, and pooped on the floor around midnight. Then she did it again during the day.

The puppies all seem fine, though. Growing like crazy.

* Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 28 ounces (+3)
* Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 29 ounces (+3)
* Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 23 ounces (+2)
* 'Arrowhead' - 33 ounces (+4)
* 'Island' - 27 ounces (+3)
* 'Big Boy' - 30 ounces (+2)
* 'Short Stocking' - 27 ounces (+3)
* 'Blaze' - 30 ounces (+2)

23 February 2005 - Day Seven

Well, everybody is a week old tonight, and doing well. It seems to me that some of them can almost be called walking. Not stably, but they are up on their feet. It's getting so that Cinny can hardly get sat down before someone is trying to crawl into her lap. I'm going to have to start watching them very closely, as they might soon manage to get out of the wading pool. Then it's only a few feet to a staircase.

Our two problem children from yesterday, Island and Blaze, made up for no weight gain yesterday by putting on 3 and 4 ounces respectively.

I'm feeling a lot better about Bitty Girl, too, as she is now 5 ounces bigger than the biggest of the pups was when they were born. She's still down a half pound from the largest, but that's OK.

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 25 ounces (+2)
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 26 ounces (+2)
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 21 ounces (+2)
• 'Arrowhead' - 29 ounces (+2)
• 'Island' - 24 ounces (+3)
• 'Big Boy' - 28 ounces (+2)
• 'Short Stocking' - 24 ounces (+1)
• 'Blaze' - 28 ounces (+4)

Thank god for interested bystanders

That's what they said about this story over at Instapundit.

Colt Haugen, a 22-year-old student at the University of Colorado and waiter at Ruby Tuesday, was working at the restaurant last month when he saw a man pull a pill from his pocket and put it in his date's glass when the woman got up from the table. "I almost dropped the food I was holding. I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Haugen says. "I talked with the manager. I told her, I said, 'I saw this plain as day. And if we don't do something about this, something's going to happen to this woman.'" The police were called and when the drink was tested, it was found to contain Valium. Nancy McGrath, the woman at the table, was on a blind date and considers Haughen to be an "angel." "He saved my life," she says.

22 February 2005 - Day Six

More visitors today! Dave Gauthier and Erica Westcott came by. They aren't really looking for another dog, but are buying a house on a half acre up county, so if we need a temporary home for anybody...

These little guys are starting to push up and try to walk. It makes them look more clumsy than before, because they try to stand up, and then fall over. Before, they just scooted around on their bellies like seals.

* Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 23 ounces (+1)
* Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 24 ounces (+3, on top again)
* Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 19 ounces (+2)
* 'Arrowhead' - 27 ounces (+1)
* 'Island' - 21 ounces (no change - watch this)
* 'Big Boy' - 26 ounces (+2)
* 'Short Stocking' - 23 ounces (+2)
* 'Blaze' - 24 ounces (no change - watch this)

Big Whoop

OK, so they managed to blow up the spy satellite. The hit a known target, the size of a bus, in a stable, essentially circular orbit with highly precisely known ephemeris. How about hitting a missile, launched only seconds to minutes ago, dubious ephemeris available at most, under thrust, and potentially taking evasive action? This proved nothing about missile defense.

21 February 2005 - Day Five

Pups had a visitor tonight; Julie Herman came by to see them. Like us, she had never seen newborn pups. Only after they were a few weeks old.

Winnie has been concerned enough about how small Bitty Girl is, that she tried to give her a bottle of instant puppy formula today. "Ewww, what's that?" was the only response she got.

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 22 ounces (+2)
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 21 ounces (+1, no longer biggest)
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 17 ounces (+2)
• 'Arrowhead' - 26 ounces (+2)
• 'Island' - 21 ounces (+2)
• 'Big Boy' - 24 ounces (+2)
• 'Short Stocking' - 21 ounces (+2)
• 'Blaze' - 24 ounces (+2)

20 February 2005 - Day Four

They continue to grow by the hour. It's amazing how fast. Also, they are starting to show some personality. There are a couple, like spiral, that when whine and complain, even while they are eating. They've also begun to make sounds that are clearly dog whines and barks. It's little, but it's cute.

Here at 1pm Cinny is getting a nap. Thank goodness. She was nursing pups continuously last night for about 6 hours, as best as I was able to figure. It started around 11, and she didn't get them all off to sleep at once until about 5 am.

Here are pictures of five of the pups. Mouse over the photo for the name of each.


At the end of the day their weights were:

* Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 20 ounces (+3)
* Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 20 ounces (+3)
* Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 15 ounces (+1)
* 'Arrowhead' - 24 ounces (+4)
* 'Island' - 19 ounces (+2)
* 'Big Boy' - 22 ounces (+3)
* 'Short Stocking' - 19 ounces (+2)
* 'Blaze' - 22 ounces (+3)


The "ALT" tags don't seem to come across in Blogger. From the top, the pups pictured are Spiral, Short Stocking, Bitty Girl, Big Girl (vertical shot) and Arrowhead.

Another Puppy Story

I heard this story on the news this afternoon.

In late December, life looked grim for Amber, a very pregnant silver Labrador retriever that was either lost or dumped in a remote area near McGregor Lake.
Alone in the cold, she found shelter inside a burned-out log, where she gave birth to nine puppies. Somehow, Amber kept herself and her litter alive, for a week to 10 days.

Then her luck changed. The roar of snowmobiles caught her attention and she raced out for the companionship she craved and the help she needed from two compassionate young men.

It was just a coincidence that Joey Norris, 20, and Austin Lowe, 22, were in that area. Norris said it was his first ride on a snow machine and his first time in this particular area.

“There’s not much around there,” Norris said.

He said he and his buddy were enjoying their outing when the dog ran out to engage them in play. It was obvious that she was nursing puppies.

“We stopped and asked her where her puppies were,” Norris said.

Amazingly, she led them to the hollow log where she had kept all nine pups warm and fed.

“We couldn’t even see them, but we could hear them,” he said.

Amber had secreted the puppies deep down inside the log where neither predators nor good Samaritans could reach them. Even with the strength of youth, the men couldn’t break the log open enough to retrieve the tiny dogs.

They were forced to leave them overnight to return home for tools and a plastic tub.

THE NEXT day, they hiked back to the spot to initiate their rescue mission.

Norris said they first lured the mother lab away in case she became too protective. Then, the work began.

“We had a crow bar so we peeled the log back, piece by piece,” he said. “Then we put them in the Rubber Maid and drove them to the Humane Society.”

Norris said he was familiar with the shelter and its no-kill policy. They trusted the staff would take care of the mother dog and her litter.

Although the Humane Society of Northwest Montana has no quarantine facilities for puppies, shelter manager Marje Guest made room for the heroic mom who had gone to such lengths to save her babies.

“She’s a wonderful dog — somewhere between brown and silver,” Guest said.

The shelter settled on the name Amber for the dog, noting her color and honoring Norris’ girlfriend of the same name. An exhaustive search of lost-and-found ads and calls failed to turn up anyone looking for a dog of her description.

Although she had a collar, Amber had no tags or microchip to identify her owner. But her friendly manner and knowledge of commands indicates she once had a home.

“She was somebody’s dog,” Guest said. “But it was obvious she had been out there for some time.”

GUEST said Amber and the puppies were in decent condition for as long as they were on their own. It appeared that she had been living on carcasses while feeding her young.

“She wasn’t in terrible condition, a little on the thin side,” Guest said. “The puppies were in good shape, nice and chubby. She’s a very good mom.”

19 February 2005 - Day Three

Didn't take any pictures today. Cinny is definitely getting the hang of this. She nurses when she needs to, and then comes down and joins the rest of the family when she can. She was much happier as a result.

Here are today's weights. You can see how they are growing, some of them being up 2-3 ounces in just the past 24 hours.

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 17 ounces (+1)
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 17 ounces (+1)
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 14 ounces (+2)
• 'Arrowhead' - 20 ounces (+3)
• 'Island' - 17 ounces (+2)
• 'Big Boy' - 19 ounces (+1, no longer biggest)
• 'Short Stocking' - 17 ounces (+1)
• 'Blaze' - 19 ounces (+2)

18 February 2005 - Day Two

I got back to work this day, so didn't see them much. In the evening, we did take Curry in to see them for the first time. He was interested and quite gentle. Cinny was cautious but not aggressive. Very good, for them both!

We took advantage of the quiet evening to sort out and weight all the pups again. They now range from 12 to 17 ounces. So everybody has gained one to two ounces since birth. That's good news. All their little umbilici have now fallen off, too.

So that we can sort them out, we've started putting names on them. Mostly, they are based on patterns we notice in their ruff markings. These should stay constant as they grow up. They are:

• Pup #1 - 'Spiral' - 16 ounces
• Pup #2 - "Big girl' - 16 ounces
• Pup #5 - 'Bitty girl' - 12-13 ounces
• 'Arrowhead' - 17 ounces
• 'Island' - 15 ounces
• 'Big Boy' - 17-18 ounces
• 'Short Stocking' - 16 ounces
• 'Blaze' - 17 ounces

Confusing Cause and Effect

From the Rocky Mountain News -

Poor children in Denver have to travel farther to get to the city's highest-performing schools, a study to be released today shows.

Sigh! You don't suppose it's because children from poor families tend to have lower performance in school do you?

17 February 2005 - Day One

This was a day of getting adjusted for us all. The early morning hours had been real restless for us all. I can't believe how much they squeak and whine. Cinny was trying to figure out what she should be doing, and we were trying to make sure she didn't lay down and squash a baby. I only got 2 hours sleep, and so skipped going to work. We took mom and pups to the vet later that morning, and she pronounced them as all being fine.

We are spending lots of time in the room with Cinny. She seems to want the company.

Their little blue home you see here is a kids wading pool, lined with fake sheepskin material. Under one half of it I have a folded up electric mattress pad heater we've not needed here in VA. This is keeping the little guys plenty warm.

By evening, things had settled down a bit. Then, just at 10pm, we had company. Winnie and I had both sent out e-mails announcing the pups, and Chris Evans and Donna Grusha came by to see them.

Trying to figure which pup is which is a challenge. So, from the first night, the only three pups were are sure which is which of; the girls. The smallest pup is a girl (pup #5), her sister (pup #2) has a really dark coat, leaving pup #1, the other girl. The boys are all a mystery.

16 February 2005 - Happy Birthday!

Three years ago, today, we had quite a lot of excitement here.

Here are some photos from the evening the puppies were born. What a night that was. Cinny knew that things weren't quite right in her tummy. I found her hiding behind the bed in the small bedroom after dinner. I could smell something wasn't right. Literally. I got a hand behind her, and found a pup half delivered already. I backed her out of that spot, and we got her laid down on some towels.

Then for the next 5 hours we delivered puppies. The first couple worried us, as they weren't breathing properly as they came out. Winnie got their airways drained, though, and blew on their faces, and they started to squeak.

The fifth pup was a surprise. We had just delivered the fourth, and had the first three down to suck, when there was a squeak from behind Cinny. Now how did one of those pups get back there. But this one was all wet, having just come out unannounced and unnoticed. we'll be keeping a watch on her though, as she is the smallest in the litter.

The eighth was a surprise, too. The x-rays at the vet had only showed 7 pups, but we were unconvinced, so we waited. Sure enough, just after midnight on the morning of the 17th, we got an eight pup.

We were pretty happy she let us help. Some dogs don't want any interference, but she seemed happy to have us there to help get the amniotic sacks off, and to get them cleaned up. She also seemed happy to have someone there to tell her she was a good girl, and she was doing a good job.

In all, we got 3 girls and 5 boys. They ranged in weight that night from 11 to 16 ounces. we tried to keep track of them by marking them with strings around them. We were afraid to tie these too tight, though, and by morning they were all off.

Funny (or gross) moment of the night. - Dogs like to eat the afterbirth. Both as a hormonal thing, and to clean away the scent of blood from any predators. After the first two, we didn't want her eating any more of them, as they can also cause an upset tummy. So, I got a trash sack, and started dropping them in there. Of course, I didn't watch where I put it, and at a crucial moment sat down to help with a delivery, right on top of the sack. There was the ultimate POP-SQUISH sound as the garbage sack broke and the afterbirth exploded all over the seat of my pants. Eww!

Let's Shoot Down a Satellite!

No doubt you've heard of the satellite that's going to be shot down?

The military will try to shoot down a crippled spy satellite in the next two weeks, senior officials said Thursday. The officials laid out a high-tech plan to intercept the satellite over the Pacific just before it tumbles uncontrollably to Earth carrying toxic fuel.

The real reason is undoubtedly the one they are denying.

President Bush ordered the action to prevent any possible contamination from the hazardous rocket fuel on board, and not out of any concern that parts of the spacecraft might survive and reveal its secrets, the officials said.

Uh-huh. You think that the fuel tank will survive the fall intact, but not the electronics and/or imaging gear? Good lord, how dumb do you think we are?

Specialists in spy satellites have speculated that the problem satellite, managed by the National Reconnaissance Office, is an experimental imagery device built by Lockheed Martin and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Delta II rocket.

Well, doofus, is the satellite in an equatorial orbit, or a near-polar orbit? I could say more on the subject, but I think my former employers (see above) would still get a bit testy about that.

Gloat

Today, after exactly six years in the same cubicle, I moved to a new location.

Actually, I didn't move into another cubicle. Instead, I moved into a real office, with a door, eight feet of east-facing window, and twice the square footage of my old place.

The boss is calling it a "testing lab". I'm calling it a coup. No other consultant in the department has ever been given an office with a door, and this place is 50% consultants.

To keep it low key, when someone asks how I rated this, I tell them I was too important to fire, but too obnoxious to be allowed to mingle. The boss says that's about half right. Yes, but which half?

A Quiet Sunday Evening

I thought I'd write this sooner, from home, but here I am at work.

Sunday we had an amazing windstorm as a cold front came through. It blew for hours. First the TV and Internet went out. Then there was a big crack and out went the lights. It turned out that the next door neighbor's maple tree, in the front yard broke, and a section up to about 3 ft across came down across the power lines. The tree caught on fire, and it took three and a half hours to get the tree off the lines and the power back on.

Unfortunately, we must have missed an automated response step in reporting our other outage. I called the cable company last night, and my problem was news to them. They say it will probably be Friday before they can get anyone out to look at it.

So, no TV, no Internet, until then.

This hasn't been a good two weeks

First, two weeks ago tomorrow, I had to drive up to New York to help out as my Grandmother entered a nursing home. She lived alone for over 50 years, so I think this is coming as a major shock to her. Then, I also organized a lot of the packing up and cleaning out of her apartment.

Most of her furniture went to Salvation Army, and quite a bit of smaller stuff went to the SPCA thrift shop. Some of her smaller, nicer possessions went into storage. I brought all of her personal, non-financial papers home with me, and I'm slowly figuring out what is what. Boxes and boxes of photos and photo albums, diaries, correspondence, etc.

Then, en route home, a week ago Thursday, I began feeling 'weird'. By the next morning I felt distinctly bad. By the time I got to the doctor's office, at 2:30, I had a 103.4 fever. They did the test, pronounced it the flu, and gave me Tamiflu. That helped really fast, but I still worked from home on Monday, and dragged through the rest of the week. Today I napped for two hours. Now, I'm ready to eat and sleep again.

Hit and Run

Winnie was the victim of a hit and run last night. An older blue pickup truck hit her Rodeo from behind at a stoplight at the same intersection where a young woman was killed a couple of days ago.

Winnie pulled over to exchange information, and the truck took off. She called it in, and the State Police took as much info as she had, but it was dark when it happened and she didn't have a good description. Just a cracked bumper to replace from what we can see, but WTH?

Winnie says if she ever catches him, she'll kick his asshole out his mouth.

I believe her.

Darwin Award IX

When, oh when, will they learn that if you must steal copper wire, you need to turn the power off first.

Around 40,000 volts of electricity killed a 32-year-old would-be copper thief in Ajax on the weekend.

Durham Regional Police confirmed today that the man, found dead inside a hydro substation Saturday, was trying to steal copper wire.

Police said the man used bolt cutters to get into the fenced compound and came into contact with a large transformer, electrocuting himself.

Now, That's a "Bond Girl"

We've all seen the array of of woman who've appeared in the James Bond movies over the years. Generally little waifs, though often with big bosoms.

Pierce Brosnan shows somewhat more glorious taste. This is his wife.

On a winter holiday in Hawaii in the company of a curvaceous beauty is as fitting a location for any Bond - past or present.

Which is exactly where Pierce Brosnan, star of Die Another Day and Goldeneye is enjoying his winter break.

Joined by his wife, former journalist Keely Shaye-Smith, the pair splashed around happily in the ocean close to their holiday home on the island of Kauai.

Full-figured Keely exuded confidence as she joined her husband in the surf.

The 43-year-old has turned her back on the Hollywood size zero trend and is a pin-up for shapely women, even writing fashion tips for American Vogue.

Pierce, 54, recently declared his wife "stunning", adding: "I love my wife's curves!" in an American magazine.

Makes me want to go buy a movie.

Let it Snow!

Just like last April ,we are getting a snowstorm today. These coastal-raised collies aren't really quite sure what to make of it.

Every Home Should Have One

Ever needed a really comfy couch you can really lay back and relax in? How about this baby? I fact, babies would probably be quite comfortable here.

An Uncanny Resemblance

These two have an uncanny resemblance, don't you think?

Congratulations Cousin!

So, now I have a new little first cousin, once removed.

Do You Live Close to the Beach?

When we get together with family, and talk about living in Virginia, this is one subject that always seems to come up.

Yes, we do live close to the water, though our "beach" is along the York River, near where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. We do see tides here, and the water is brackish (partially salty), but I'd have to admit it's not nearly like being at Virginia Beach.

Even so, here's a video that shows how close we are to the water.

Vacation - Addendum

For any of my relatives that may ever consider visiting - do not be alarmed when you arrive at the security checkpoints in Dulles International. The swarm of Middle-Eastern and African people milling about the checkpoints, speaking in strange tongues and accents are actually TSA employees. They are there to protect you from bad people.

Uh-huh.

Coors Gets Around

Man, you find find Coors beer everywhere now. Not like the old Smokey and the Bandit days. Even on a Scottish beach.

The mystery of a huge container washed up on a beach in the Western Isles has been solved.

The 27m container has been identified as a beer fermentation tank belonging to the American brewery Coors.

I like the other ideas people had for it.

One reader thought the numbers 5580 written on the container could have meant the container was used to house the chemicals used in DTD 5580, a three-part paint scheme used for aircraft all over the world.

Another website user thought it could have been a rocket stage previously launched from the South Uist launch site.

Vacation, Part 6 - Home Again

Friday morning we thought it might be prudent to check flight status, given the snow, before going out to DIA. All showed normal.

Sucker! We got to check-in 2 1/2 hours before flight time, and the flight was showing delayed an hour and a half. (Eventually they told us the captain, coming in from San Francisco for this Denver-DC-Munich flight, had called in sick.) So we got a chance for a leisurely breakfast, and chance to wander the shops, and to deal with security without time pressure.

The flight was good though. A Boeing 777, nine seats across, 9 channels of video at each seat, etc. We got in at a quarter after five, and were in our car with bags by about 6:30. Fought the traffic for 90 minutes, and had dinner in Fredericksburg. From there it's 105 miles home. Too bad it rained the whole way, as that slowed us down a bit.

We got home just before 11, schlepped all of the bags inside, brought in a huge pile from the mailbox, and went to bed. I was asleep in about two minutes.

This morning we reclaimed the dog children from the kennel (oh, were they happy to see us!), got settled in, and opened presents. Ah, it's good to be home!

The final funny bit we discovered just as we got home. In our haste to get moving a week before, apparently the door to the house never got locked. Neither did the back door. Not that where we live is small town or anything...

Vacation, Part 5 - Denver

The morning of the 26th we were off to Denver. This trip was uneventful, after an easy drive back to LAX. Except, if DIA is supposed to be such a wonderful airport, why did it take 45 minutes before any of the baggage arrived at the claim area? We visited with my parents in the afternoon, and had dinner with them. All seemed peaceful.

In the night the snow started to fall. By breakfast time it was getting ugly, and I'm out of practice driving in this. We spent the morning on a couple of short stops. Winnie had found a job to apply for just a day before we left home, and had spent spare moments filling out the application. The last step was to stop at Kinkos and mail in her transcripts.

The second stop was at Sheplers. I had been looking at Stetsons for years. Traditionally, Colorado School of Mines students got one when they got to be seniors. The tradition had kind of died out in the 70's, which I attribute in part to one weird student that no one wanted to be "like". None the less I kept looking at them, especially now that I'm so bald and in constant need of using a hat.

So, I got a salesperson's attention and asked if they had the Open Road hat I wanted. No, it's a very popular model, but they didn't carry them in the store. Just as a matter of interest, how much would it be if special ordered? $164. So, I'm hedging when Winnie says

Shut up and order the damn hat. You've been whining about this for 25 years, and I'm tired of hearing about it.

So, under orders, I did. It should arrive in a couple of weeks.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at my parents, with my sister's kids, and new great-niece. Isn't she cute?

Later, all of the family in town, 14 in all, went out to dinner, and had a great time. I went over to my sister's house, after dinner, and visited for a couple more hours. Then, a perilous trip back to the hotel in the snow, and get ready to travel.

Vacation, Part 4 - Christmas Day

Christmas Day we went over to Mark and Erin's again, had breakfast, and opened our respective gifts. Then we all jumped in Mark's car, and he took us out to Malibu. We got a chance to see crazy CA drivers. There was a wreck on the Santa Monica Freeway, and cars were moving a right angles to the lane markings to get over onto the parallel collector road. Yikes!

We had coffee and snacks (since almost nothing else was open), and walked on the beach for a bit. It was pretty nice, but very windy. Good thing there were no fires that day! Beautiful setting for houses, but it looked very perilous.

Back we went to their place, where a trans-Atlantic call to Mark's family was used so each side could open their presents together. Later Erin made us another yummy dinner, we drank a lot of wine, and eventually said goodnight and goodbye to them. (Yes, we ate a lot in Pasadena.)

Vacation, Part 3 - Christmas Eve

This is what comes of being married to someone who was first a geologist. Our entertainment for Christmas Eve was to visit the La Brea Tar Pits. This is Pit 91, from which they have removed over 250,000 fossils. The most common large fossil recovered has been dire wolves.

In the evening, we went over to Mark and Erin's and had a yummy duck dinner, but tried to get out at a reasonable hour, so they could get a little sleep.

Vacation, Part 2 - Pasadena

On Sunday we got to see a little of the town. We met Erin and Mark over at the Paseo, and did a little shopping. Erin and Winnie looked for clothes, and I found a bookstore to amuse myself. When we finished there we walked the few blocks down to old town Pasadena, and had lunch.

After lunch, we went back to their apartment for a while, and met Buster. He is a rowdy little dog, but not the hell hound Erin sometimes makes him out to be.

Later on we to the Huntington Botanic Gardens. We stayed there wandering the grounds until the guards chased us out near sunset.

Later we had dinner at Porto Alegre, which is a Brazilian steakhouse place. This meant "meat on a sword" as Erin stated it. It also meant eating until I nearly popped. The deal is they come to your table with whatever is just off the grill, slice you off pieces, and go on. That along with the huge salad/sides bar constitutes more dinner than bears thinking about. I should have taken a second statin before bed.

Vacation, Part 1 - Arriving in Pasadena

A week ago tonight we left on vacation. Our first stop was to Pasadena to see Erin and Mark.

In order to keep to non-stop flights, we left via Dulles in DC, which meant a 175 mile drive after dropping the dogs off at the kennel. We got there in plenty of time, and the flight went off without a hitch. Well, except the usual part about being squashed in coach.

What I don't understand came at the other end. We get to Hertz at about 8 pm, 3 days before Christmas, and there are four agents on duty at LAX. It took an hour to get a car and get our of there.

The drive up to Pasadena was surprisingly easy, and we got in touch with Erin right away, informing her that daddy was hungry. They met us at our hotel, and we walked over to the Paseo Colorado for dinner, which is only a block away from the Sheraton.

They started out trying to take us to the Yard House, which we rejected when they told us it had a 45 minute wait (around 10 pm). That was fine with me. It was a screamingly loud club, which isn't what I really wanted then. Actually, it's not what I ever want.

Instead, we wound up at Islands, which was good, and what I needed at that time of night. Pork tacos, and a shared Kona Pie.

Christmas Carols

As Larry says, "now that there's funny, I don't care who you are."

Off the Grid

Toshiba has got it all set up so I can go off the grid. Maybe I can be the first on my block to own my own nuclear reactor.

Toshiba has developed a new class of micro size Nuclear Reactors that is designed to power individual apartment buildings or city blocks. The new reactor, which is only 20 feet by 6 feet, could change everything for small remote communities, small businesses or even a group of neighbors who are fed up with the power companies and want more control over their energy needs.

Collies at Play

And now, for something completely usual.

My Christmas Letter

I'll spare you the embedded photos, but this is the Christmas letter I sent in my Christmas cards this year.

Family and Friends,

It never seems like I have anything worth telling in these letters, but as I think this out for this past year, that’s not true. There has been quite a lot going on with us.

Winnie taught a couple of Sociology classes this year as an adjunct professor at a local community college. She has also been working with her old advisor on a number of projects over time, and this fall he was able to get her hired full time as a research scientist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (part of the College of William & Mary), where she specializes in the social effects of fishery regulations on coastal communities. She has also been asked to serve as a social scientist on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, evaluating the effects of new regulations for them.

I am still working as a consultant to the Virginia Department of Transportation where I’m the lead business analyst and head of testing for a statewide Geographic Information Systems project. The first portion of the project went “live” in September, but it’s still almost three more years until it will be complete. So, I gather software requirements, design the application look-and-feel, explain how it’s supposed to work to the developers, and then show them why it isn’t doing what it’s supposed to. Overall, it’s wonder they haven’t mugged me and tossed me in a dumpster, but we have an incredibly cohesive team. The boss also keeps me pretty busy as a mentor on software development methodology for subjects like requirements and software configuration management.

Erin has finished her class work at the University of Minnesota for her PhD in Astronomy. She is now working on her dissertation project which involves the detection of near-Earth asteroids using data from the NASA Spitzer infra-red space telescope, and the new Large Binocular Telescope on Mt. Graham in Arizona.

Erin was fortunate enough to be the very first observer to use the LBT for scientific observations, back in January. So far she has apparently found a couple dozen new asteroids, and is preparing a series of journal articles on her results. She’s also applying for (and receiving!) grant funds to continue the research. While she is completing her dissertation, she has returned to working with the Spitzer telescope at Jet Propulsion Lab, at CalTech in Pasadena. That helps, because that’s where a lot of her data comes from anyway, and it’s nice to get paid for work you wanted to do anyway.

Last Christmas, Erin announced her engagement to another JPL staff member, Mark Lacy. Mark is an astrophysicist, and is also working with the Spitzer telescope. As I understand it, he is mainly involved in studies of large scale galaxy formation. He was formerly a lecturer at Oxford University, in his native England. Erin and Mark plan to be married next summer in California.

At Christmas this year we are going out to California for a visit of a few days with them. Previously, we’ve only spent a couple of hours with Mark, and anyone that knows Erin understands that means that he got to speak very, very little. Maybe we’ll get a chance to find out what he’s really like this time. Maybe even check out the planned site for the wedding.

We are also going to swing through Denver for a couple of days to see my parents and other family. It’s been two years since we saw Erin or them. This will be a nice break for us, as our only non-business out of town trips this past year were a few days each in North Carolina at Nags Head and up near Shenandoah National Park.

Other than that, life is pretty peaceful for us here in Virginia. Winnie is the president for, and plays flute and piccolo with, the Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble.

I am serving as a Board of Trustees member for a ‘colony’ of my old college fraternity (Alpha Tau Omega) at the College of William and Mary. I am going to be advising them on fraternity ritual and membership education.

And, we continue to share our lives with four big loveable collie dogs.

We hope everyone has had a good year, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Merry Christmas!

My (Current) Nightmare

Seriously. I dream about this stuff.

The VDOT CIO has ordered we apply all required resources to get our roadway centerlines into tip-top shape for an application being developed for delivery in the spring. I could say "what do you think we been trying to do for the last 4 years?"

As probably the most experienced staff member in editing the centerlines, I got the charming task of fixing linear referencing system measures on US Highways. Meaning? Our records of how long the highway is between given intersections didn't seem to "add up" for some reason, throwing the whole system out of kilter by hundreds of miles.

So far, in 4 days, I've fixed about 30 miles of it. All of us, together, have until the end of January to finish the entire state. Cripe! I'm more afraid someone will want me to instruct others in how to do this. If so, I'll spend more time answering questions than actually working. This takes a lot of attention, as my office mates are noticing, and it can't be done by just anyone. It requires a real intuitive grasp of the relative geometry.

Let's take the simplest example. In the photo (click the photo to make it larger), the arrow points to where the road used to be before it got moved over to the right, aligning both of the secondary roads intersecting US-11, now at a single intersection. Thus, the measures between intersections didn't add up because one of the intersections no longer existed. So you add up both lengths, and apply it to the single section of road that does exist.

Like I said, this is the simplest case. Maybe I'll post one of the real spaghetti pieces later.

Global Warming

This is what happens when your global warming gets out of control.

Tuition Money

College students these days can have trouble coming up with their tuition money. Yes, indeed, it can be expensive.

A year of school at the University of Cincinnati costs roughly $9,400. It's less at Toledo, but still almost $7,000.

But Andrew Butler and Christopher Avery hit on a novel solution - rob a bank.

Avery, 22, of College Hill, and Butler, 20, of Milford, pleaded guilty Monday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to two charges of aggravated robbery and six charges of kidnapping.

What? You couldn't come up with the money some other way?

Butler said tuition went up so his scholarships and financial aid were not enough.

"I was stressed out," he said. "I needed more money for college."

Avery said an internship at Kroger fell through, leaving no money for summer classes.

"I was strapped for cash," he said. "I thought I had nothing to lose."

He was wrong. Both will soon be sentenced to not less than 20 years. That "Kroger" thing rings a bell though. Did you guys ever consider getting a job?

Europeans Are Clueless

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OCSE) has selected a country to chair the group in 2010, Kazakhstan.

The Central Asian country will be the first ex-Soviet republic to chair the human rights and defence watchdog.

The move has been criticised by Human Rights Watch (HRW), which says Kazakhstan's human rights record is not up to scratch.

Didn't the fact that this "European" country borders China give them any pause?

Ain't This Slick?

This story is worthy of being in a Blues Brothers movie. Or maybe a sequel to Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

We have huge chicken farms on the eastern shore, and somebody has got to truck away the waste from the processing plants.

Life along some Eastern Shore communities returned to normal today after a 20-mile stretch of U.S. 13 was stained with liquid chicken fat that leaked from a truck leaving a processing plant Tuesday.

The leak led to four accidents, including one with an injury, and several instances of vehicles sliding over the fat.

Crews from the Virginia Department of Transportation planned today to conclude a cleanup effort that included spreading tons of sand and some salt, and then sweeping it up with mechanical brooms.

Corporal Punishment

Massachusetts is considering a ban on spanking.

Parents who spank their kids - even in their own homes - would be slapped by the long arm of the law under an Arlington nurse’s proposal to make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to outlaw corporal punishment.

If signed into law, parents would be prohibited from forcefully laying a hand on any child under age 18 unless it was to wrest them from danger, lest they be charged with abuse or neglect.

"Age 18" being significant, as there is apparently no intent to outlaw such behavior among adults.

Snicker.

DWB

From Chicago -

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-7th District) said Wednesday he was the victim of racial profiling.

Oh?

The congressman said he was driving three friends home early Monday morning when two white Chicago police officers pulled him over and said he had swerved over the center line before making a left turn from Kedzie onto Douglas Boulevard.

May I translate? - "Sir, I have observed you driving erratically (down the wrong side of the road), tonight at a time (midnight? 2am?) when we find many drivers have been drinking. Have you had anything to drink tonight?"

"There was just no reason I could conjure up other than the fact that there were four black people in a car," he said.

Congressman, it was the wee hours of the morning. How did they know what color you were before pulling you over? And, again, they are looking for drunks. You prefer they wait until drunks hit something, or is driving on the wrong side of the center stripe enough to pull someone over and check it out? Also, we all know that white people find four old black people in a car suspicious, right?

He intends to fight the ticket he says was "simply wrong."

Translation - "I deny I was driving erratically, and even if I was, I'm black, I'm a Congressman, and I have certain rights you don't."

Davis is calling on city leaders to "bridge the gap" between police and the minority community.

Translation - "Fix this ticket, and we'll say no more about it."

Watch out for deer

It's that season.

Children's Choir

From John Hinderaker at Powerline.

The New Corn

A few months ago everyone seemed to be on the bandwagon to plant corn for ethanol production, including the little farms around here. Now, it's wheat instead.

A worldwide shortage of wheat caused by droughts and disease abroad is driving up the demand here, along with the price. By next summer, near harvest time for winter wheat – the only major Virginia grain crop that grows during the colder months – the price is expected to be more than $7 a bushel, said Chesapeake extension agent Watson Lawrence.

“The world inventory for wheat is the lowest it’s been in 30 years,” he said. “Last year, farmers were selling wheat for $4.20 a bushel, and they thought that was great.”

Advice from your public defender

Which would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

I’m a lawyer, not your fairy godmother. I probably won’t find a loophole or technicality for you, so don’t be pissed off. I didn’t beat up your girlfriend, steal that car, rob that liquor store, sell that crystal meth, or rape that 13 year old. By the time we meet, much of your fate has been sealed, so don’t be too surprised by your limited options and that I’m the one telling you about them.

Mason Willams, a man of the future

Little did Mason Williams realize back in the 60's when he performed "Them Toad Suckers" on the Smothers Brothers Show that he was, in fact, a bellwether of the future.

Attention Parents!

For all of you whose children must have an aquarium, scientists have found you a better guppy.

A tropical fish that lives in mangrove swamps across the Americas can survive out of water for months at a time, similar to how animals adapted to land millions of years ago, a new study shows.
The Mangrove Rivulus, a type of small tropical killifish, seeks refuge in shallow pools of water in crab burrows, coconut shells or even old beer cans in the tropical mangrove swamps of Belize, the United States and Brazil.

More than once I had fish flop out of my tank, so this would sure be convenient.

Colonial Williamsburg

I went over to visit yesterday, on my day off. Nothing important to say, just a chance to post a picture, and point you to a few others.

So what are you reading?

My current bedtime reading material is The Cousins' Wars: Religion, Politics, and the Triumph of Anglo-America by Kevin Phillips.

I'm only about 50 pages in (out of 700), but he seems to posit that the three internecine wars that Anglos have fought (the English Civil War, the American Revolution, and the American Civil War) were all based on core religious principles, and that out of each a deeper respect for the rights of man emerged.

Compact Flourescent Bulbs

Have you bought any of these? I got my first around twenty years ago to go in a fixture over the dining room table. It was pricey. Now you can get them for about two bucks at Walmart.

A lot of the touts I hear are about all the CO2 I'll prevent by using them. I was always more interested in these points that the Department of Energy makes about life time cost savings.

• ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
• Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
• Produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

So, I've done my bit:

• Two bulbs in the upstairs bathroom fixture.
• One bulb in the hall ceiling fixture.
• Two bulbs in table lamps in the bedroom.
• Four bulbs in fixtures in the living room.
• Two bulbs in the kitchen (including the stove hood, which is usually turned on about 16 hours a day).
• Two bulbs in the downstairs bathroom fixture.
• One (3-way) bulb in a floor lamp here in my office, along with my fluorescent desk lamp (the same bulb has been in this lamp for about 20 years now).

According to the cost calculator at that DOE website, my kitchen hood lamp pays for itself in about a month. That's good, because these bulbs aren't really intended to be used in damp environments like above steamy pots or near a shower. I replace the kitchen bulb about once a year. With incandescents it was about every 6 weeks.

Shenandoah Valley

I had said I'd report back about this. We got back last Sunday after three days in Luray, just west of Shenandoah National Park.

• We stopped in at Barboursville Vineyards. It was Thursday, the place was empty. Literally. Winnie and I were the only people there sampling most of the time. On Saturday I understand it was a fight to get up to the counter. It was nice to have the attention of the assistant manager during the tasting, but we both found the number of tattoos she had, the pierced tongue, etc, a bit distracting.
• Downtown Charlottesville, and Staunton are both greatly overrated. Hippies that take themselves seriously colliding with yuppieville. At least Boulder has a sense of humor about it.
  
• South Court Inn was great, at least as good as the web site makes it look.
• Luray Caverns was a disappointment. This was a largely "dead" cave, with little evidence of any growing formations. Worse, a lot of the stones near the paths had obviously been broken by busy passing hands.
• Much more entertaining was the Dayton Farmer's Market. The wasn't much in the way of produce there that day, but a lot of baked goods, basic groceries, and gifts. And, a lot of traditionally dressed Mennonite families.
• The Victorian Inn provided a very good dinner. (We both had rack of lamb.) I was mildly peeved though that they were out of the more moderately priced red wines. I wound up getting their most expensive bottle. It wasn't much compared to what you'd pay in a big city, but still...
• The park was nice to look at at, but it was cold and windy up there that day. Here's one photo, but nothing of iconic proportions.

Mmmmm, Chili

Tonight I am making beef chili. Not for us, but to take to work on Tuesday. We are having a "going away" for one of my coworkers. USA Major Carr has been called back for a second tour in Iraq. Last time he was gone for about 18 months, and I think he's only been back about 2 years.

I'm hoping this will come out pretty good. Winnie set out all of the spices for me before she went off to band practice tonight. So far it looks, smells, and tastes good.

It's bound to be better than the dinner I made Friday. I did a chicken pot pie, with lots of vegetables and white meat chicken. It looked great. It tasted awful. Mikey has a disturbing tendency to cook without tasting. Otherwise he would have known it needed about 4 times as much salt as I put in. The only salt you could taste, was where I sprinkled a little across the top of the crust. It could also have used some thyme or something.

And then there was the matter of the vegetables. I tried not to over cook them before it all went in the oven, and the result was the potatoes, parsnips and carrots were all hard.

But the dogs loved it.

Local Story

Personally, I fail to see the connection of this story to a handful of rural and exurban Virginia counties, but that's just me.

Well, Duh!

The Latest Buzz About Chinese Toys

Or, maybe the latest buzz from a Chinese toy.

A 19-month-old boy was in a Queensland hospital after ingesting a toy that was yesterday banned interstate.

Bindeez have been found to contain a chemical that converts into the toxic illegal drug GHB, also known as fantasy, when ingested.

Toasted Cheese Sandwich Anyone?

Normally, I'm not a big fan of such sandwiches, but under the right circumstances I could reconsider.

Le Petit Singly, spécialité fromagère à base de lait maternel de femme, peut se déguster en fin de repas accompagné d'un bon vin rouge, mais il peut également faire le régal des tout petits au goûter. Il apprécie aussi bien d'être savouré en quiche ou en salade, froid (mais jamais glacé) ou légèrement tiède, voire grillé sur des toasts.

Hmmm, 15 Euros for about 18 ounces. And, they ship.