...but being a 30 year
resident of California, I can tell you I am very happy here. Three reasons
the weather, the weather and the weather. It is freaking perfect! Sure,
we have landslides, earth quakes, wildfires and riots, hell if we had a
volcano we would be a full service disaster center.

Ha ha ha! You may get your wish in your soaring lifetime, and if judging by
torched wheat stubble is a good guide, plan on riding one hellacious IFR
thermal when (say) Shasta goes. IFR or not, it'll be completely safe, too,
thanks to the latest (illegal in U.S. contests, so I read on RAS) A/H
technologies now rampant in glider cockpits. As with any thermal, timing will
be everything, I'll bet...

Living in Colorado, I'm waiting for Yellowstone to blow, myself.

Bob - is it still winter? - W.