here is the last part of Peggy Noonan's column today in which she comments on "the Da Vinci code":

"Speaking of the detachment of the elites, the second big news of the week--in some ways it may be bigger--is the apparent critical failure of "The DaVinci Code." After its first screening in Cannes, critics and observers called it tedious, painfully long, bloated, grim, so-so, a jumble, lifeless and talky.
There is a God. Or, as a sophisticated Christian pointed out yesterday, there is an Evil One, and this may be proof he was an uncredited co-producer. The devil loves the common, the stale. He can't use beauty; it undermines him. "Banality is his calling card."

We made it! Yes, we walked 174.5 miles from the south end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park across the Fontana Dam, dozens of peaks and gaps, the border into Georgia, and past the famed Amicalola Falls to the parking lot where we had left our car 20 days ago.

We were blessed with cool to chilly spring weather, an abundance of wildflowers, good company, and good health along the way. We regreted stopping because our bodies are now wonderfully conditioned for backpacking. We hope to keep them that way through this year as we try to finish the A.T. across the Smoky Mountains and to Hot Springs.

Cookout at our place as most of you know. Mary Helen and Mark will be staying with us,(they're going to the Opera Ball with us and Patty and Tom the night before). We just bought a bocce set so we hope Justin will bring his and we can have a tournament! The horse training oval should be perfect for that.

Currently we have at least one beaver in the pond. The golf course folks are a little upset since perhaps it slows down their drainage.

Titan and Lucy, our barn cats, feed outside the kitchen window twice a day.

We've got in some more stones and are building a stone circle. (se

I've just registered my friend Bob Miller, if that's all right.

We have just showered and checked in at Goose Creek Cabins a few miles down the road from the A.T. Bathing is so-o wonderful when you haven't done it for a few days.

The hike continues very well. The weather has been good, for a rain forest. In fact most of our rain has been at night and the past three days have been beautiful. The nights have been cool with 35-45 degree mornings and 50-60 degree afternoons. A bit chilly when we are not walking, but great for the trail.

We are at slightly lower elevations now, but the trees are still just leafing out on the ridges. The wildflowers are varied and abundant. So too has been the poison ivy since we dropped down into Georgia. We have to watch that. "Berryman" Chuck has also been paying attention to all of the blackberries and blueberries in bloom. We will have to return to some of these trails in July and August.

This was an interesting article--and its not political! or religious!--about the fascination with Titanic. It isn't one of those "people who are fascinated with Titanic are sooo plebian" numbers. It has some very positive points about some of the lessons that can be learned from that disaster. and it isn't the obvious ones about the hubris of man versus nature.

"a href="http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=051106C">Titanic"

After "sideways" Patty has been afraid to order merlot in polite company. Here is an article about the subject.

"merlot

After hiking 4.3 miles this morning we were picked up by Ron, the owner of the Hiawassee Inn, and brought to town for showers, laundry, and a real bed.
We've met many lovely people along the trail of all ages. Since we are hiking south we've met met prospective 'through-hikers'. It is late for them to start since it is a 5-6 month process, and most will probably 'flip', that is fly north to Maine and Mount Kahtadin and start hiking south. Some flip in Harpers Ferry and others at the Delaware Water Gap.
We are doing well. Anne has a few blisters on her feet, but that is expected. Chuck is busy looking at the foliage and birds. We teach interested hikers the common bird songs. Most of the birding is 'by ear' since the birds like to hide in the trees.

We very recently found a fragile little notebook of old religious newspaper clippings, notes and writings from our Uncle Francis, Fr. Francis F. Woods. Grandma Woods (Anna, the mother of Francis, Norbert and Helen) wrote inside the notebook that it was written while Francis was attending St. Charles College, near Baltimore, Maryland, in 1925-27. He then went on to study in Rome, Italy, where he was ordained a Priest on September 24, 1932.

When you’re in Schenectady, at 3 Douglas Road, ask to see the notebook, it’s in the living room. While just a very simple little school lined notebook, it really is a family treasure. It is in Uncle Francis’ handwriting. It even includes some little pictures drawn by our Dad, Norbert, when he was only about 3 or 4 years old. These were probably mailed to Francis, Dad’s big older brother, while he was away at college. We’re lucky to still have the notebook as it was in a box of partially burned papers from the attic fire at Aunt Helen’s house about 25 years ago.

This gives perspective.