1978

Fall and cool evenings have made it to the Aegean Coast. The days are still warm, though the rains have begun to fall in earnest. Brilliant flaming sunsets through royal purple and black storm clouds silhouette the famous Kaz Dag Range behind my house. This is the area where the Trojan War started—the coast around here is littered with historic spots, including Troy less than an hour's drive away. But the tourists have all gone back to Istanbul or Ankara or Germany, leaving the coastal towns and villages to scrape through the winter.

We are still waiting for something to happen in the Gulf. Turks generally side with the Americans against Saddam. In fact, I have heard some occasional bragging about how they can and will take care of Saddam by themselves. There is some precedent, I have learned, as the Turks were indeed fierce fighters in the Korean War and more than once saved our you-know-whats. The common person on the street resents the fact that the president has usurped all powers from the prime minister who would normally lead the country, but President Ozal, through skillful maneuvering and dealing, has put Turkey in the world limelight. This is something that is just being realized here, and the negative commentary against the president is quieting down considerably. International status is a highly desirable commodity here, given the past glories of the early Ottoman Empire.

Yesterday was Census Day. That means that everyone has to stay inside their home during the daylight hours for the count. It's an interesting concept, though fraught with problems, especially for us foreigners who are not used to such curfews. I did manage to wrangle a pass to get out to my drilling project, but mostly I just wanted to see a country completely at a standstill. No cars, no buses, no people, not a thing. And such quiet. . . unheard of in this country! I must say that it was quite pleasant.

Not much news from you all this month. A surprise letter from Will Frazier arrived from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. He just transferred to Chevron Overseas Petroleum as manager of environment, safety and health for Chevron Niugini Pty. Ltd. He mentioned something about headhunters, but I could not discern if these were Fortune 500 types or the local brand. If we do not hear from Will again, well maybe we just will not head down that way. Seriously, though, the report is that the scenery is spectacular and incredibly remote often accessible only by air. Will spends part of his time in Brisbane, Austraila, where he has a second office. So I am looking forward to trip reports from Queensland as well.

That's the show for this month. I cannot even find old stuff in the back of the desk drawers, or even behind the radiators. Looks like it is time for some enforcement during the month of December and early January. I suspect I can be found around the home of Jon Keeve during the first week of December. All crank calls will be accepted. Later, during the holidays, I will be soliciting new information around New England (maybe at your home), or based from the home of my parents in Richmond, Va. Hope to hear from some of you. Best wishes for a great holiday season.

Tunus Cad, 76/5, Kavaklidera, Ankara, Turkey