Something's missing

Sorry about the absence, but the last entry or 2 are not showing up.  The Chinese may be enhancing my literary skills by deleting them!  Or, I failed to do something to make them stick on here.

I haven't had many pictures of late because my camera got wet in Rizhao & while it will take a pictures, I cannot tell what the picture will be until I download it.

A new camera arrived from Berry Street (thank you's go out to Denise & Sam) on Thursday, after spending more than a week at Fed Ex & China customs-all in Beijing.  Customs charged 400 RMB to release it ($60.60).

This weekend a driver took Lucas and I to the country and I will try to get some pictures downloaded onto here later.  We went to a fishing village on the north coast and I found it very interesting.  The boats were made from logs and I could not guess their age if I wanted to.  They were all old and weary, but appeared fully functional.

It is finally starting to warm up a little and the farmers are tilling their plots and planting their gardens.  I saw a couple with gas powered tillers and 3 with old plows, pulled by women with shoulder harnesses.  I will try to get some pictures, but how can I do it without being obvious? 

"Oh, yes, uh, I just wanted to see the harness.  I was planning to purchase one and was interested in the bit options". Or, "nice lady you got there, mind it I get a snapshot of her dressed in tack, while I'm here"?

They also condense sea water in the north coast area and transport the salt inland, by the truckload.  I do not know what they use it for, as they do not understand the concept (or have) of table salt.

I have looked at the plant boilers recently and I had never consider it, but I had not seen a coal fired boiler before.  Never came up, never crossed my mind.  Just didn't.

Garlic breath makes me nauseated.  Just a fact I am reminded of, at least daily.