Well, the Bacon family is back from Jackson Hole, one of the most wonderful spots on the face of the planet. My wife and son enjoyed loads of skiing, while I got to work out and read. No skiing for me, though. I remain as determined as ever to stay off the slopes. You can’t go anywhere in Jackson without encountering someone with a leg in a cast or an arm in a sling, all from skiing accidents. I even saw one young woman in a restaurant wearing an elaborate back brace. And the stories… Everyone in Jackson has a story about skiing accidents, one worse than the others. Fools! Crazy fools!

For me, the highlight was a sled ride into the Elk refuge right outside of town, where we could observe a herd of 2,000 elk up very close and personal. We saw our first moose, lounging near a stream — there are moose, too, living near my daughter’s apartment inside the town limits, but we didn’t see them. On the way to the airport, we saw a conga line of mule deer working its way across the side of a butte, just a couple hundred yards from the highway. We also heard reports of recent wolf sightings — apparently, a pack has migrated down to Jackson Hole from Yellowstone National Park. What an amazing place!

Many thanks to Ed, Norm and Peter — not to mention our regulars on the comment boards — for keeping the blog alive in my absence. Judging by the large number of comments, the blog was more controversial than ever. I’ll start posting again shortly.