So, one of the things I really enjoy about living in Montana is that the noise out my office window is usually the sound of horses walking down the dirt road. For some reason, that's one of my favorite sounds. I don't intend to ever own a horse. I enjoy riding now and then, but I'm not really a "horse person." Yet - love that sound.

Anyway, as I was walking out to get the paper the other day (it doesn't exactly land on the doorstep here) I saw the horses across the road were quite excited. They were running, chattering, pounding the ground. I couldn't figure out what the big deal was until I noticed behind the noise they were making - the clop clop clop on the road. These two horses were thrilled to see a third. The rider took it over to the fence to let them ... have a conversation? I don't know. Anyway, it got me thinking about how lonely these two animals must be. They have enough space to run around in, another like-animal to hang out with, but still... a third horse is something to run and jump around about. I bet I'd react the same way if I only got to interact with one person for most of my life.

Books: War in the middle east, shortages of flu vaccine, typhoons in Japan, hurricanes in Florida, mine explosions in China. It's the end of the world, who needs to finish a book?