I liked your story about the climb looking for bats. I am coming to respect the bravery and courage many of us find in some of the times like you describe. I've not had nearly enough physical challenges to be considered at all brave or courageous, but I do appreciate it in others.

The best professors I've ever had are those that actually spent body-time in their fields... I suppose that's where they got the real passion and love that leaked out even if they didn't mean to have it do so.

My husband taught Tax law for 30 years, and his students always said they "loved" his classes. What I came to understand, even though it was SUCH a foreign idea to me, is that he loves numbers and he sees life in terms of mathematics. Tax law (pre-Reagan) was a number-man's dream. Dense codes, terrifically interesting case law, and once the client came along there were those infernal numbers. He practiced the law as well as taught it, and I'm sure that's why it was an interesting class.

I bet yours are terrific.

Did you ever read "Life List" - the book by Olivia Gentile about Phoebe Snetsinger? She, the author, is coming to our town next week to give a talk. Should be neat, a real "big city" experience for our little backwater!