I retrieved my hat and shoved it back on my head, making a show of getting it on firmly enough. "I came here during the summer, because I plan to be back for all four seasons. When I do a book, I generally cover all four seasons of a place. In some places, the seasonal changes are not as obvious, but in others they really stand out. In Hawaii, in the Winter, we get a lot of rain and it can get rather chilly, though not much by your standards I am sure." We turned out of the town, onto a highway, and I wondered just where she was taking me. I trusted her, for some reason, but I was not sure why. It was just something about her face.

"As to where I've been, well I've been all over. My latest book was on Thailand. I spent a week in a Buddhist monastery during that trip, living as the monks did. It was quite an interesting experience, and I wrote some about it on my blog. By the way, I have some of your pictures along, and wanted your permission to put one of them up with my latest blog entry." Blogs were a really new thing back then, when everyone had dial-up internet access. I found my self explaining what a blog was to her, because I assumed that she would not know.

"It's like an online journal with pictures. When I travel, America Online users can read about my travels and see pictures that I have taken recently. It helps build excitement for my upcoming books, or so my publisher tells me. One of my favorite places to visit was the redwood forests of California. It is awe inspiring standing in front of a tree with the diameter of a hut, which has been alive for centuries. Those redwoods made some of the most amazing pictures I have ever taken, and that forest was one of the most peaceful, and beautiful places I have ever been. All kinds of people visited them at the same time I did, and we all coexisted in quiet harmony. It is hard to put into words." I realized I was rambling. "So, have you ever been to the mainland?"