Hi All,

We hope all of you had a wonderful Easter. Don and I received an invitation from Donalee Thomason to join the Easter Sunrise service on top of lower Middle Mountain and a promise to view the newest fissure in Parkfield after the services. Believe you me, nothing would have kept us from being there.

The service was wonderful and included the preacher with his guitar and much singing. It was sunny and warm and the locals were as friendly as ever and brought homemade muffins and coffee for sharing after the service. Very spiritually uplifting for sure. The sermon had much to do with making decisions about what one needed in life and I told the preacher afterwards I fully expected at any moment he was going to break into part of the tune from the Beatles, "All You Need Is Love." He said he hadn't thought about it, but would give it some consideration for his next port of call for today.

So shortly after the service ended one of the waitresses from the Parkfield Café led us over to the edge of the knoll and showed us the fissure. It is not way out of town, but only a few feet from the main road. Having been to Parkfield and having tried to find certain places leaves much in obtaining real accurate directions. We passed by that spot at least 6 times and had no idea it was right there. So we took a drive around and the fence that usually guards the location was down and tire tracks showed a recent inspection by someone else. What we found was an area of uplift where the grass looked much like a huge mole had been at work. It ran about 160 yards in length and was clearly visible. It also included a sag pond in one section. The ground at the highest point looked like it was about three feet higher than the surrounding area.

Don's assessment of this activity is that it was most likely what is termed a "silent earthquake" with the magnitude having been in the area of a 5 to a 6, considering the length of 15 millimeters of movement over a period of a couple of months. But the fissure is the troubling part, in that it is showing something different, but Don can't really determine what it is. (Chris, maybe you can shed some light on this.)

Does this sound familiar? Recently, we learned in Washington State they had movement for a period of three months which was equal to a 6.8 quake and later a 6.8 earthquakes occurs, but not in the same place. Is Parkfield about to have that long awaited 6.0? Perhaps this is the first sign?

Other than the above, we had a good dogless day at the Imusdale Cemetary and got quite a bit of work done. Later that evening it was followed by a two dog event, where the dogs nearly licked us to death, with an invitation for a beer and place to stay when we met another local gal in town. That was quite enjoyable and fun to sit and talk with another local resident.

Little by little we are getting to know the friendly folks in Parkfield and don't feel quite so much the strangers in town. The brochures I brought have been placed in the Parkfield Café right next to the guest register. Much thanks came with the delivery. We are learning though that the locals aren't really that interested in earthquakes. They know they happen from time to time, but as to having true interest in the nature of what occurs, they'd rather talk to you about pig hunting and horses.

But as usual, even though we didn't stay in Parkfield, we drove away quakeless. Though not scratchless. My arms look like I was attacked by a cat. Oh well, in a few days, the scratches will only be a memory. But they'll be added with memories of another wonderful trip to a place that provides spiritual enrichment, the company of good folks and food that cannot be equaled anywhere.

Petra & Don (Faultline & Faultless Friends)