A woodpecker hammering away on the side of the brick
building woke me up this morning a little after 0600. On the walk over to the classroom I saw some
turkey vultures hanging around on the roof of a building. The classroom building was all locked
up - it is Saturday. Walked over to the Turtle Rock
coffee shop for breakfast. I was the
first to arrive but soon Farah, Sarah, Matt, Jody, and Jake all were
present. Walked over to the classroom at
11:00 for a late start.
Jim Verley started off with a presentation
about scientific literacy. This sparked a huge discussion concerning how the education system is failing in the areas of science and art. Lunch was
Chinese. Robin Christian gave an
impromptu talk about the difference between film and books. Mike then continued on with a discussion of
galaxies. We took a break to take a
group photo then Mike resumed with a lecture on cosmology. After the last class we all went to a nice
place called Sweet Melissa. Had a great
vegan lasagna. Had some more great
conversations. Got a ride back to the
dorm where I went to bed a bit early – 11:30.
It is now nearly 0700 Laramie time. I'm all packed and ready to go. Robin Christian stopped by my room this morning and announced he was not feeling well. Said he forgot to drink any water yesterday. This altitude makes the humidity quite low and sufficient water intake is a must. Hope he feels better. I have not had any effects from the altitude. It might be because of the herbs my wife asked me to take before arriving here. The only way to know for sure is to come back next year and not take them - I don't think so.
I'm going to miss all these people. I hope to stay in touch with them and, perhaps, run into them again at a 'con or two. I might even consider coming back next year and paying my own way plus room and board if Mike will let me. That way I can get to know another group of writers. All in all this has been a fantastic experience - one I will cherish for a long time.
