A few weeks ago I got a new computer – a Dell, pre-loaded with MicroSoft Vista, despite my best attempts to ward it off.  Almost everything transitioned smoothly except my MicroTek ScanMaker 4900 flatbed scanner which, officially, is not supported with Vista device drivers.  After many machinations I finally got it to work tonight.

Coincidentally, Kathryn had been going through the attic today retrieving items to donate to the Utica School of Commerce Student Association Thift Store that Billie Jo is setting up.  She cleaned out a lot of old picture frames and saved an old photo of her and I at ages 22 & 23 respectively.  The B&W photo was taken on campus at SUNY Oneonta by a college friend Jim Clayton who dabbled around in photography.

After graduation in 1975 I had lost touch with Jim Clayton until about a year ago I saw his name on an email that was routed through the NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation.  I took a chance and sent the addressee an email stating that I knew a Jim Clayton way back when and lo & behold it turned out to be him.

We caught up on the 30 year interval and it turned out that Jim was the chief photographer for DEC’s publication “The Conservationist”.  Jim knew of my interest and involvement in winter camping and put me in touch with the editors.  Four weeks ago I was contacted and asked to submit an article.  I submitted an article on our WinterCampers.com trip to Mount Blue a couple of years ago and it is planned to appear in the December issue.

Funny the way all this stuff ties together isn’t it?