Mr. Toland, are you all right?

Just read about the fires in Texas. Hope you & yours are okay.

I'm actually in New Mexico at my parents' place this week - working on my long-promised Porcupine Tree entry for TP, in fact.

My place is out of the line of fire, fortunately. My significant other's parents' house, however, is not. They were lucky - the fire came up to the edge of the treeline on their property and took out the fixer-upper cars in their backyard, but did not reach their house. One of their neighbors was not so lucky, however - he lives just across the road from the parents, and everything was burnt to a cinder.

I've heard from other folks I know who live outside of Austin, and they're all safe so far.

I wish we could send Texas some of our rain. We are absolutely flooded. Many displaced people. . . and my campus is under water. I live on high ground, fortunately. (I prefer eagle's nest-type habitats.)

Me too, dude. Even if and when they get this fire under control, weather conditions are such that it could happen again at any time.