Hi All,

I drove completely around the Rodgers Creek Fault today and it's a pretty amazing place. On the west side the hills are all round and have lots of grass with some trees here and there, but on the back side, it's tremendously different. It's very steep, heavily vegetated and craggy. About five miles to the east is the range where the Napa Fault is and that place is really steep and has lots of craggy juts near the top. I am ever so fascinated how all of this is shoved together and most of the time manages to hold together as well. The earthquakes which occur around here happen between the west and east side of the Rodgers Creek in an area called Bennett Valley. This area has fingerling faults which would look like fork lightning on a map and from pushing and shoving every now and then one of them lets off a little quake. And I wonder when the next moderate to large quake arrives will it arrive in Bennett Valley or truly on the Rodgers Creek Fault? I await with eagerness to know and yet fearful of what lies ahead.

While I had my curiosity of the fault situation going on I took some time today to do an all American thing. Having the annual picnic with 85 of my co-workers. We were at Morton's Warm Springs deep in the valley on the east side of the Rodgers Creek Fault. It was marvelously warm there as the BBQ's cooked and delivered scrumptious tri-tip, chicken and sausages. The aromas that filled the air were so soothing. But things picked up after the meal when all of us took turns on stage and enjoyed the Karaoke machine as we sang and danced. After a few beers, you really don't care how silly you look as long as you're having fun. Ah, the summer is almost over and when winter settles in and its cold, gray and wet, I'll remember today and I hope it warms my heart and rekindles the memory of good food, nice people and a little silliness as well.

Petra