Hi Don,

I'm glad you enjoyed your outing today and sorry I couldn't have joined you. I do enjoy field research far more than reading a lot of text from the computer. Seeing first- hand the forces of nature that created this amazing landscape we call California is very interesting.

Today you are hot on the trail of understanding earthquake lights and this I am sure will provide a lot of interesting research and especially so, when the location of known lights has occurred right in your own backyard. Now you have to ask, will you find the answer yourself as to how these spectral events are created? You never know.

I've had a few days to do some good old pondering. Asking the big questions and the little one's as well. I came to the realization that my quest in understanding why we don't have earthquake prediction in California has been answered and my greatest recent mission in life has been completed. The good news is that there is enough information readily available to explain this question, so I don't need to write an extensive book about it. I've placed my conclusions on the web site and that's the end of that project.

While ear-tone research is the next big project in the works, I am ever curious as to how in the end I will determine their viability in earthquake prediction. While it seems simple that one should research a given matter, what is more interesting is what you learn in the process of doing the research. In looking at the earthquake prediction puzzle my greatest knowledge didn't come from just those volumes, but in taking a peak at the scientists themselves. Looking at their lives, their devoted effort, they make when they undertake projects and how their lives revolve around their work.

In a field there may be one single little yellow flower that catches the attention of an observer. So many will travel by the field and fail to see it, appreciate the wonder of this little yellow glory and some will wonder why only one yellow flower emerged in that one place by itself. We all have the blessing of being curious, some more so than others, but we should endeavor to stop and ponder why often.

Thank you Don for thinking of me on your exploration today.

Petra

• The Seismic Safety Zone