I just wanted to say how much I've enjoyed the opportunity to publish my novella, "A Patent of Nobility," online in naturaltraveler.  I'll miss getting out my weekly serial installments, and can only hope that the next time you hear about Venice from me, it will be when I post a story live from the Serenissima itself.  

Northern Vermont has gotten its first big snowfall of the season -- two snowfalls, actually -- yesterday's was a fine, blowing snow, and overnight a light, fluffy powder began to fall.  It's still falling, which means the roof will have to be raked several times today, the car that lives outside will have to be dug out, the mailboxes will have to be cleared or else Wayne the rural delivery driver will read us the riot act, and the birch branches hanging over the one lane road leading up to the house will have to be cut or else Stanley the plow guy will scratch his truck.  Meanwhile, Kay has been busy on the web handling logistics for a trip to Eleuthera in March.  She gets the easy jobs ... but I'm not complaining; so far it looks like the best beginning of a ski season in years.