After a week of quiescence, my on-line summer session students finally took off and started posting in the discussion forum. This is good for them, but suddenly I find myself actually having work to do. Some of the questions are really interesting and thoughtful and require equally thoughtful responses. It's what makes the whole educational process worthwhile, but it does take time away from other pursuits.

Also, did my major grocery shopping yesterday. Being in the-middle-of-nowhere this requires a 50 mile round trip to the "big Walmart in the sky" (not getting theological here, it sits way high up on a hilltop) and the large Food City both over in Wise County, Virginia. After years of thinking about taking pictures, I actually remembered to take John's camera and stopped for a few shots. The photo above is the view from the Virginia-Kentucky line, looking north into Kentucky, and shows reclaimed strip-mines (the non-forested hills). From the point that picture was taken I'm still 10 miles from home.

Closer to home, less than a mile and a half, one is treated to the view of an active strip-mine, mountain top removal site (photo below).