Shout out to the olam. I'm at Old Paths Assembly in Lucerne Valley, California. I've been doing work around the campsite here in preparation for Sukkot. Today is Shabbat. Another week here and the boys and I will be off in the direction of Oklahoma. California is beautiful. The campsite is surrounded by Joshua trees (the desert tree made famous by U2's 1987 album), and in every direction are mountains (we are in a valley, after all). A few nights ago I went on a field trip with all the folks here to the coast to see the grunion run (what's a grunion, you may ask? a very unusual fish. look it up). I saw the redwoods and giant seqouia trees. I ate San Francisco sourdough bread in San Francisco. I spent a night in a truck next to a vineyard. On my 21st birthday I saw the Pacific ocean for the first time in my life and I went swimming in the waves.

Most special of all, Abba is connecting me with many brethren all over the continent. Am Yisrael Chai!

Shabbat Shalom.