Merapi

Recent increase in the volcanic activities of Mount Merapi has prompted a volcanologist to raise the alert status on the volcano from vigilant to standby. The alert level is just below the most serious warning -- beware -- that usually precedes an eruption.

I really hope the folks living on the slopes of that volcano heed this warning. You got to love these people, you know especially the farmers who work the land for frugal subsistence. Though Merapi is in central Java -- I've seen folks like them up close working the padi fields when I was in Lombok. Images like that tend to stay in my mind forever and keep me grounded.

'Night.