Heading off to work in Holland in early December, I'd already been in the states for about 5 weeks and then had only 5 days to come back home and get ready to go again. I sat on the train heading out of Cahors to Paris. As was the case most of the winter, it was unseasonably warm and everything was still very green. I rode facing the direction of home, wondering if when I got back in February my beautiful lavender and burgundy hills and cliffs would be waiting for me. I've often pondered what makes the winter colors so beautiful here. I finally got up close to one of the trees and realized that it must be these seed pods working their magic. I must return to the states. I must work. I found that a three month chunk of time is too long to be away. Now, what am I going to do about that?