Made it to Mt. Hermon

It's late now, but my mother (& traveling buddy) and I spent the day driving northward through rolling hills and drive-thru Starbucks :)), making it to the conference just in time for dinner. Mt. Hermon is a sprawling Christian retreat center in the Santa Cruz mountains. It's close to the sea, yet nestled in the forest--can't beat that. You don't have to be a writer to love it here--just breathing.

So anyway, weary from the drive, we pulled into a parking place and immediately spotted Randy Ingermanson and John Olson two authors & scientists who've been friends for years--even wrote a book together (Oxygen). They're a staple here at the conference--and a lot of fun (just ask my agent, Steve Laube, who was scammed way back when...)

Only half the crowd's here tonight, and yet it's already lively with "heys" and "how ya doin's" flying quicker than bats. I really should be in my room studying my syllabus, and prepping for my first appt. tomorrow morning...yet hanging in the lounge and people watching is so much more fun...oh hey, there's author Jim Bell...