This is the view as Zeke and I walked in to work this morning. We're atop a 1200 foot peak and somewhere down there in the fog, much closer to sea level, is the office. A light rain was falling, just enough to replenish the droplets glistening on buds and blossoms. The air had a crisp freshness that makes a person glad to be alive. Brooks babbled, Zeke ran nose first among a bounty of scents, and French phrases filled the air.

"Une table avec des aliments."

"Deux garçons sautent."

"Mon chien est vert."

Ok, the last one I made up, it's one of my favorite songs. ":^)

I've started to learn French. I bought one of those CD sets of "all audio French," ripped to MP3, and downloaded to an iPod so I can fill my mind with the language while wandering the woods to and from work. The other step was going to be classes through the local community college, but they didn't get enough students. Trop mauvais.

Researching French language software I found good reviews for the Rosetta Stone program. They offer something interesting: online language instruction. Instead of buying the CD set (three hundred bucks) you can opt to take the same lessons online for twenty bucks a month, or fifty bucks for three months. You download a small application or use the shockwave version in your browser, probably the coolest shockwave I've seen to date. Check it out.

I'm learning slowly but, still, I'd be lost without the google translator. Mon chien Zeke indique le woof!

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