Folks,

It is a damp and rather quiet Sunday morning here in Lizard Lick. BTW there really is a town by that interesting and descriptive name and it is not very far from here. I don't really live in Lizard Lick but I do like the name so much that I use it here.

We have been battling high temps for 2 weeks and the lingering drought has begun to inch its way in our direction once more. A weak cold front passed through last night but other places got most of the rain. Cooler temps are predicted for us next week. In layman's terms that means temps that in April would have been considered intolerably hot are now considered to be cool in June.

The peat fire down east continues to smolder and slowly spread sending choking smoke 100s of miles inland when the wind shifts in this direction. 20,000 more acres were recently set ablaze on purpose as a fire break. We are told this 40,0000+ acre fire was started by lightening and may smolder for up to a year unless we have a hurricane. I'll take the smoke. It reminds me of Los Angeles except that the smoke isn't brown and the birds still sing here and do not cough. Most of the fire is in an un-populated wildlife refuge. This is both good and very bad. Fortunately it is not the time of year for migration. Before the fire break, only 40% of the fire was considered to be contained.

While we naturally complain about our own weather and can do nothing about it, we also realize that our neighbors in the mid-west are hurting far more than are we due to the heavy rains and all the flooding. We can and do sympathize with them as we, here in eastern North Carolina, suffered what was called a '500 year flood' within this past decade due to more than one hurricane hitting us within a very short span of time. It was devastating.

Flying more than one flight sim regularly can be interestingly confusing. As you know, there is little continuity in keyboard functionality from one game to another. Funny things can happen when you must make a split-second decision and the key you just pressed to drop flares in one sim triggers the ejection sequence in the one you're presently flying instead. The imagined laughter from your startled opponent can be deafening.

Having typed that, I am continually surprised by my own ability to recall and compartmentalize so many differing key presses, functions and controls from so many programs and games. Many of you are doubtless much better at it than am I.