**GOING-GOING-GONE**

Wake up, get out of bed, throw a comb around your head…… In the summers, the days start very early here; it’s light at 4.00 am and that means timely awakenings. After some rumbling around, first point of action is to turn on the boiler in the bathroom,   that we turn off when we go to bed. We have found, that it’s better to turn these things off when you can to prevent fires or implosions of the boiler kettle. Then it’s on to the little kitchen, where (most of the times) Jelte prepares the coffee. The Alessi perculator is well travelled (New York, Rome, Milan, Pacific Palisades, San Pedro, Khorog Tajikistan) and still works its miracles; thanks to our many contributors, we get back to life with some, we think, well deserved real caffeine shots. Breakfast is usually a little dose of sweetened yoghurt, (for Jelte,) left-over plain rice with sugar, or some stale bread with cheese. When there is time, Christine makes some omelettes with whatever vegetables are available in the season. Earl

Christine and Clarence @ 2800 S Anchovy It's 'countdown'   time.   Less than two months to go and still, we continue to gather knowledge, friends and experiences that will last us a lifetime.     The summer tourist season is in full swing and new faces appear daily in the PECTA office, and for those particularly enquiring ones, in the MSDSP office too.   They have interesting experiences to share; all of them.   This is, after all, an adventure travel destination and without exception, there is an expectation - and guaranteed delivery - of a regular adrenaline rush.   Overnight at the Vanj checkpoint on the way back from Dushanbe Sadly, 'back home' in California, our old friend and feline companion Clarence, has gone to join his buddies in cat heaven.     We had to make an unexpected trip back to Los Angeles in June so we had the opportunity to visit him in his ' happy retirement home' with our friend Haley.   Clarence (not quite) in his prime