If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium

... Or in NR's case, time to fly home from Malibu, after a week soaking in the rays of our first deployment. RA flew back on Wednesday, and QN will be following later today, after a brief detour to Santa Barbara.

They all enjoyed staying at the Malibu Beach Inn, and particularly enjoyed the Zinfandel at Duke's, just south of their temporary digs.

The only real mishap came Wednesday morning. After watching a fabulous sunrise over Rancho Palos Verdes, RA decided to take his breakfast on the veranda. After placing his bearclaw, fruit plate and raisin bran cereal on the wicker table, he went back inside to fetch his toast. When he returned, he found a seagull on the table, about to fly away with his bearclaw - and his fruit plate seriously mauled. Luckily, QN had arrived by that time, to guard against any further incursions.

All things considered, it was quite a trip.