Thank you Universe!

     I've been waking up in the morning with the feeling that my life has become very surreal indeed. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, my 7th with my wife, the love of my life. I am amazingly happy.

     We slept beneath a mosquito net for the first time and were pleasantly surprised to find out that mosquito nets work great! We are in the countryside in Thailand surrounded by cows and chickens and birds and lizards and funny Thai dogs and frogs on a farm where they make rice whiskey which is predictably delicious & strong. It's cool enough for a comforter at night but quite hot during the day, yet there is a fine, cool breeze fairly steadily. It is great. Here is our fab nest:
                            
     Speaking of first times, we went rafting on a bamboo raft on the Mae Wang river which was fun as hell and afterwards we went downriver to the waterfall for a swim in the cool water. There I met a girl with a T-shirt that said "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" Today! Lately it seems like it's everyday and that is beyond fantastic. That's me in the yellow:

     It's all very hard to believe. I spent my life in the Northeastern United States and while it has many things to recommend it the weather has never been one, never more so than now. I've always wanted to leave and not return but there was always school or work or some reason not to. Needless to say I'm very grateful indeed and trying to savor the moment. Nothing is constant in life but change so it's important to stop and notice when things are great and right now, just for today, they are truly wonderful. Thank you universe! I look around and I see swaying palm trees, stands of bamboo and rice fields with great purple mountains in the distance. Wow!