Back in Fairbanks, and boy is it wet

Back from my Internet-less vacation, preparing photos to upload for a picture-post. And it's literally *pouring* rain, has been for hours, which is unusual for Fairbanks. Me? I'm loving it. I really enjoy the rain (yes, it's odd, I know) and it never rains enough in Fairbanks to suit me. Besides, a good wetting-down will make the forest fire danger less. I could really do with a smoke-free summer this year.

I love, love, love my nephew. I wish he lived closer so I could see him more often than a few times a year. And he's a smart little guy, too. I know everybody says that about the kids they're related to, but darn it, he *is*. He's just a little over three years old -- turned three in March. We were at my cousin's wedding and he was bored in the church, so I offered him a Bible from the seat pocket in front of us and told him he could look at the pictures. As he flipped through, he kept pointing to apparently random places on the pages and saying, "Look, I found [something]." I couldn't make out the word, so I just kind of nodded ("Uh huh, that's nice, keep it down now, honey") until I realized that he was saying "I found kingdom." He'd been picking out the word "kingdom" in each block of text where it appeared -- and it's that tiny, impenetrable Bible-text.

I couldn't even figure out how he knew that word, 'til I told my brother about it, and he said that the neighbor lady who babysits for them is a Jehovah's Witness and occasionally takes him to Kingdom Hall with her. At the Wasilla Kingdom Hall, he says there's a big sign, so she must have told him what the words say. But ... still! He's *three*!

Pictures to follow shortly.