And One More Wish

My family and I were fortunate enough to return to Belize and Guatemala this holiday in another search for the Maya. We found it in a grand way at Tekal (see my previous posts here and here). The beauty and grandeur of this site have stayed with me. I was truly amazed.

When you're on the road and away from news and electronica, it's a wonderful thing. You read more, listen more, and—good lord—commune with humans. Refreshing. We eventually got word of the tsunami disaster. Several of the workers in hotels and on tours were anxiously waiting for word from friends and family in the region. Our hearts and prayers are with you all.

This month I'll have been posting at ionarts for a whole year: it flew by. Thank you, Charles, for the opportunity, your kind edits, and image layouts: the cash bonus was welcome but unnecessary. The part I like best has been the response from readers and other bloggers: this is a great community, and I hope it grows stronger and even more diverse in the coming year. I wish peace to you all.

Mark Barry (www.markbarryportfolio.com) is an artist living in Baltimore. As much as I wish that I could pay him, he does what he does here for free. A whole year? He must be generous, a fool at heart, or—most likely—both. Thanks, Mark!