The ship is safest when it’s in port, but that’s not what ships were built for. ― Paulo Coelho Heat, Humidity & Sand Many people presume that all of Saudi Arabia is an arid desert. But Dammam is on the East coast of KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), across the water from Bahrain and northwest of Qatar, so it actually gets plenty of humidity. Today for example, I woke up to 78% humidity. But only 1% chance of rain! Extra humid my first morning here, after a cyclone in Oman! When I first arrived, temperatures were in the high 90s during the day, but they have already dropped down to low 90s, and will continue to drop for the next couple of months. I’m soooo happy that we didn’t get here in July, when the temperatures can get to 120. I was a bit nervous, as in Thailand two years ago the heat knocked me out for a couple of weeks. But I’m happy to report I’ve adapted pretty quickly, and I’m already calling 80 “nice and cool.” That said, I take my daily walks first thing in the morning,...

Quiet Moments In late August, Adrian finally got a departure date of mid-September. We moved our stuff into storage, flew to Maryland to visit his father, then took a few quiet days in Western Wyoming together, replacing Denver traffic with some bovine friends. Hitting the Road Back in Denver, Adrian packed the big bag on the right and headed to Saudi Arabia. I dropped him at the airport, then headed out on a 2000 mile road trip. The Badlands, Crazy Horse & Bear's Tipi This was my first trip to this part of the United States. The Badlands were awe-inspiring. (The photo at the very top of this email was taken there). Crazy Horse is very much still in progress. The museum of Native American art and history was wonderful. It was wonderful to see my friend Ellen, and celebrate 35 years of friendship! She enticed me with visions of the Badlands, and a visit to Bear's Tipi (which the European's dubbed "Devil's Tower"), the first National Monument in the U.S. Canada Those who know of my...