Hi All,

About a year and a half ago I met Olga Kolbeck who owns the Calistoga Geyser and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview a woman who spent her life teaching and in the end became a first hand science teacher with the water spout in her backyard. It was such a pleasure to meet her.

A few days ago I finally got to talk to Charlotte King, a woman I wanted to communicate with long ago. I learned a lot from her in a short period of time, but mostly learned what she and I hear in earth tones are not the same at all. This was both curious and interesting. She hears ultra low frequency sounds, whereas I hear high frequency. She gave me some words of advice about learning where these sounds come from and I'm taking every bit I learned from her and will be using it in the days, months and years ahead. I loved talking to her, she's truly wonderful.

The anniversary of my initiation into earthquake prediction research will eclipse in January. I have learned so much and yet have such a long way to go. But most of all, I love to meet people. From Inside the Halls of Science to everywhere around, these people who are focused on the nucleation of the earthquake rupture process have much in common.

Though provoking would be first on my list. What is it that brings so many diverse personalities to have an interest in the same subject? Well, I'm learning about that. People who chase tornados are thought to be totally crazy by most, but their fascination with catching a tornado in progress brings them often to the brink of death and yet the stories they tell are awe inspiring.

The story of earthquake prediction is much the same. The hunt for the next quake drives people to extraordinary lengths, from predicting them, being somewhere when it happens, trying to figure out how it happened, the extent or it and understanding why Mother Earth does the dance of the decade where and when she does. Some are just curious, some are in it for the money, most of them for the education and a goodly number for humanitarian reasons. I'm in the latter.

The best news is that over time, with technology, what seems nearly impossible today, may be solvable in twenty years or less. Just think, fewer people dying in earthquakes. When computers were first created, no one thought of them having anything to do with earthquakes and yet today, thanks to people like Dr. Alan Jones, when the earth quakes, he can now bring it to the computer and learn so much about what happened and teach others what he sees. A real marvel.

To all of you, I'd like to say, the work you do may one day be the discovery someone has been waiting for. After all, we know today more amateur astronomers discover meteors and comets than the scientific astronomers. Why? Because there are more amatuers.

Life is a never endless fascination, but only because of the people we encounter in it.

From North of the Golden Gate and Still Learning..Petra Challus