#4: [09-Feb-16]

#3: [07-Nov-07]

#2: [12-Mar-04]

17-Oct-1999 -- The winds gusted and leaves whirled. The day of the quest had arrived. The weather channel agreed to keep hurricane Irene well to the east of us. Armed with a borrowed GPS and a Coke from McDonald's, we set out to reach 82W 35N first and thereby conquer this mad, mad, mad, mad, mad world.

Closing in on our goal, anticipation mixed with fear engulfed us. Would we find anything worthy of our expedition? What wonders await us? Success or failure?

Further motorized travel became impossible when we came upon a cul de sac, so we stepped away from the security the vehicle had given us. In the direction we knew we must take, was a young man on a riding lawn mower.

We approached with assurances of peaceful intentions and requested free passage. Given his exotic looks, he may not have spoken our language, but he nodded and smiled. So off we trouped, this way and that, peering at the GPS, our map to treasure.

Until behold, the sweet spot... right smack dab under the Bradford pear tree. We looked down and saw a creature guarding the trunk. It was a garden statue of a rabbit, or maybe a gopher. It would have been easier to tell which if the ears hadn't been worn away by years of duty.

Structures to the north, south, east and west housed humans, ignorant of the powers of the confluence. Only the garden statue knew, and now these dedicated seekers of truth who slipped away content to have made a contribution to The Project.