So, Anne and I are back from (my doing) supply in Alturas.  It was fun.  I was there as their priest quarter time just over 16 years ago (the last year I was in Susanville).  Have seen some of the people since, but hadn’t been back to the church.  (I’d forgotten exactly how to get there!)

We took time in Susanville on the way there.  We looked at our old house.  We looked at the church.  We found the library (which was within a block of our old house when we left Susanville).  We got gas and coffee and *$.  Then we drove to Alturas and checked into our motel.  Took a walk.  Called the Hamby’s and had dinner with them.  (I had mostly broth from the Coconut/lemon/chicken soup at the Thai place where I used to eat most of my in town meals.  Checking with Anne the food was still good — maybe very good.  But it used to be truly excellent.  Still, good food and great company.)

This morning at St. Michael’s I asked Bill if we were going on real-time (the time on the clock in the kitchen and the time I had) or Alturas time (the time, about 12 minutes later, on the clock in the parish hall).  He replied that Alturas time was five minutes after the time in the parish hall — until about 2 minutes of (by that clock) when he suddenly realized what time it really was.  Those of you who know me probably recognize a minor miracle in the fact that I just went happily with the flow …

They have two fine musicians there:  a sax player (I understand he used to play professionally) and a pianist (I understand she’s concert level).  The singing was not quite up to their level (but the amount of music and the quality was improved since my time in Alturas).  I preached (I’ve started doing some completely noteless, see where the Spirit takes me sermons the last couple of months — this was one of them) and people seemed to appreciate the sermon.  Nice coffee hour.  I had a chance to renew old ties (and quite unexpectedly saw Sarah Currer, who’s about to graduate from U. C. Davis and spend a year in Boston living in community working for the Episcopal Church — her father, by the way, is about to retire).  It was a lot of fun.  We had a chance to visit with people and then had a long drive home (averaging, by the car’s computer, 49.8 mpg for the whole trip — we probably would have made it to an even 50 mpg if I hadn’t needed an extra pit stop and we hadn’t gotten stuck behind someone stopped at the agricultural inspection station for about 3 minutes!).

We’re pretty much unpacked.  Which is good.  I have a LOT to do Monday and Tuesday.  Then I’m at Fresh Start in Arcata Wednesday and Thursday.  Then I’m at the Bishop’s Conference in Roseville Friday and Saturday.  Right after services Sunday I head to the airport for an 8 day CREDO 2 conference in Virginia.  I’m hardly going to know if I’m coming or going for a while.