Ooo, ooo...you quoted Isak Dinesen, she's one of my favorite writers. You're A-Okay with me, Mike (gives the Don Cherry, plaid-suited sexy machoistic thumbs up).
Haven't read your post yet, just wanted to ooo ooo about someone quoting Isak Dinesen.
FYI: Isak Dinesen is a mere pseudonym for that great Danish Baroness "female" writer - Karen Blixen-Finecke. During Karen's days in Kenya, women were not recognized as writers so they had to use male pseudonyms to sell books. The one book she wrote that stands out for me is "Out of Africa". The book starts out with the intriguing line, "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills." If you haven't read it yet, get a copy and read it, it's a great read. Read it on a windless, balmy summer day, then again, the hotter the better, you'll feel like you are out on the savanah.
She also wrote "Seven Gothic Tales", another good read.
Now I have to reread Out of Africa, that will be the third or fourth time. 
Robert N Pruden
