Mistletoe, Nandina, and Flying Pig in a setting of asparagus

Dave on the porch of the house in which James Thurber lived with his family while he attended Ohio State; the setting for The Night the Bed Fell and other hilarious stories.

Dave with the roots of shrubs and saplings which he has dug up and clipped off with the pick-mattock and loppers which he's holding. This process is the last stage of brush clearing--and this is a tiny fraction of the roots he's removed.

Dave and Red, who on the next day ate the harness he's wearing in this picture. He's from the pound; about two years old and at least partly Jack Russell.

Jo Drake and Val Lambshead at the rear of Chartwell, Churchill's house.

The Drakes and Lambsheads at Chartwell.

Lullingstone, a Roman headquarters expanded under Governor (and briefly Emperor) Pertinax in the 2nd century AD.

August 7, 2010: Hello from Rainham-- Dave is in Kent, seeing neat stuff. He hopes to get a newsletter off next month--after the novel is done. --Dave

THE BACK-UP BIKE: this is the 2009 Suzuki GS500F with less than one mile on the odometer which has replaced the 2000 Suzuki GS500E with almost 42K on it. The earlier bike was an excellent commuter machine; I hope and expect the new one to be equally satisfactory.

Beauvoir, Jeff Davis' final home and now the Shrine of the Confederacy.

Dave beneath a live oak, originally twin-trunked, under which Jeff Davis sat and read.

Dave, sitting on the foundation of a Biloxi motel destroyed by Katrina; enjoying sunshine and a lack of human contact.