Round Trip to San José.

11-19-08 SHORT HILLS: Wow! I missed the whole week, and somehow the world survived. I came back to NJ a week ago yesterday, a week ago tomorrow we flew to San José for our fall visit to the left coasters. We checked the suitcase full of rocks for the geology lectures to the kindergartners and second graders. Checking luggage slows travel—you heard it here first. The second graders were very attentive.

The weather in the bay area was beautiful, clear skies, eighties, no fires. We got to see the Tornadoes play soccer. They lost a close game that went down to the wire, but only the parents seemed upset about the loss. Joey plays well and has a feel for the game. The house renovation project continues.

Soccer like it outta be.

Back in NJ, I have been picking fallen tree branches out of the shrubs. This dead fall is probably from the wind storm that delayed out return flight on Sunday.

All our leaves are down. Usually the holdouts, oak, beech, redwood, some maples, keep their leaves until the beginning of December so mid-November is unusually early. An early fall was predicted in these columns back in August—check it out. Too bad I couldn't predict the other recent fall.

Before the leaves came down, intertwined burning bush and black chokecherry.


Birds in a 'V' or an 'L' or a '7'.