It has been awhile, yes? Why so long? Life, I suppose. Also feeling a little like, 'what the hell do I have to say that either someone else hasn't said well or that anyone cares to read?'. Honestly, it's all been said and done, right? But I am realizing there is a deep compulsion in me to shut that silly voice up, the voice of doubt, the cynical little self saboteur that lurks from time to time. Shut the hell up, doubter. Shut up cynicism. Shut up been there done that thoughts. Ok, now that that's out of the way, hello again! Hello from very very windy New Mexico, where, in the last week we've enjoyed mudstorms, winds gusting to 80 mph, downed power lines, fires in orchards that have destroyed ancient, magical fruit trees and habitat for local birds and bees and humans. I encountered, on my drive home from work last week during 50 mph crosswinds and a mudstorm the like of which I've never encountered, a tumbleweed as large as my car bouncing across the ro