The sun never sets ...

It began with Adena, beautiful, brilliant Adena.

I was fooling around online and for some reason I think I typed "squishing ants." Up came Her blog. I barely knew the meaning of the word at the time.

She hooked me immediately; I recognized a rapier wit and a beautiful soul beneath it.

I created my own blog, probably in order to be able to respond to Hers, little realizing what would happen. I still read Her words every day and I respect Her more than She will ever know.

Then came Lance. And then, one by one, the rest of you.

Today, I commune with your beautiful minds and rejoice in a plethora of your insightful comments every time I refresh my browser.

Morinn in Mauritius, Rebecca in New York, Susan in San Francisco, Chase in Canada Trisia in Romania and now Nadiyya in Egypt -- the sun never sets on this little circle in blog world.

It is intoxicating, addictive and wonderful -- wine that enriches, never debilitates.

I see your personalities unfolding, such as the compassion of Jeane and the conflict resolutions of Alexis. I see the sweetness in the heart of Adena, who would kick me good and hard if I knelt to kiss Her feet -- but I'd do it anyway. She insists on equality but I insist on Her superiority and we will have to agree to disagree. I see the heroism behind the playfulness of Dawn; and a certain squirrel's love for literature.

You are all at once like my children, my siblings and my friends. It would be impossible but entirely delightful to hold a grand get-together someday.

We are animal lovers and people lovers; scientists, teachers and parents, single and married, men and Women.

You Ladies are of course my favorite visitors and friends. I thrill to think that on the winds, the traces of the billion breaths You have exhaled since Your birth might still ride, might be carried to me, inhaled into my being. Perhaps we have passed in an airport somewhere, perhaps I caught a whiff of Your perfume or the scent of Your cigarette smoke or heard the tap, tap, tap of Your heels clicking upon the walkway.

Or perhaps we've had no contact, ever, save for this blog -- and yet You are living, breathing, real and wonderful, all of You.