Welcome to the first Meander of the New Year. It's bound to be a cold one, and may even rain, so bring your hard weather gear.

OK, well, I guess it's been longstanding Meander policy to stay indoors, and maybe even gather around the fireplace on rainy nights. I see no reason to change that. But think back, if you will, to some of the Early Meanders, and how things were then ...

In the First Meander of The First Year of the Reign of Sargon, there was flooding in the Tigris valley, and the Meanderers had to take refuge on an abandoned Ziggurat. A related rumor tells of the Meander they held on Mount Ararat, after the landfall of the Ark, which ended early when a Hippopotomus got in a loud and extended conflict with a Coelacanth.

A little known fact is that the event that Grendel disrupted several Meanders before Beowulf put an end to that behavior. History often fails to accurately note that the standing stones at Stonehenge were erected by early Meanderers who wished to have something to lean upon while reading, and that the cross stones were later added to provide a modicum of shelter from the continuous rains (at one time, there were also thatched roofs and a tea bar as well).

Phone in comments to 310.210.3347, meil 'em to the postal address skillfully concealed elsewhere on this page, or email 'em to samuelg@themeander.org

All misspellings, misattributions, omissions or errors in naming should be construed as Acts of God, directed through yours truly (for reasons at which we as mere mortals may only guess...)