Hello And Goodbye From Our New Headquarters

I am writing this from Martinez Patch's brand new headquarters, located very near downtown Martinez. The view is spectacular, and the city is, as always, a wonder to see at night, when the lights seem to reflect the stars back to themselves. At night in Martinez, you can almost hear the sounds of laughter from the past -- the clinking of glasses and the boisterous conversations of people who live in a special place and know it. You can hear the waters of Alhambra Creek as the fishing boats prepare to cast off for another day in the Strait, and in the bay. You can hear the train coming, see the steam column from a distance. The ferry casts a phantom wake as it plows its steady way to the other shore and back. Night in Martinez is a magic time, if you listen with the right ears, and see with the right eyes. 

For the next week, your humble author is taking some time off to engage in some down time, a little familial bonding and, of course, preparing a Thanksgiving feast. Others will be watching the shop in my absence. 

Before I head out, I just want to thank each one of you for your participation on Martinez Patch. We are an experiment in a new kind of community interaction, and so far, any success we've had is due to you. Looking back over the past year, there have been a lot of issues discussed and debated here, a lot of information you have shared, and a great many points of view explained. This is, to my way of thinking, the essence of community, and the reason democracy works so well. 

As I prepare to take a few days off, I realize that it's not easy walking away from such an exciting venture. I'll probably catch myself peeking in from time to time, just to see what's come up. Meanwhile, I want to wish each and every one of you the best of Thanksgiving, and hope you find many, many things for which to be grateful this year. 

As for me, I have all of you to be grateful for. That's abundance, any way you look at it.