Today we received news that our friend Bruce - high school friend of Adrienne's - had passed, after a time with cancer. Bruce and wife Linda had welcomed us into their home in Long Beach, California, as we came from Australia to Panama in July 2008 to pick up our newly bought boat.

Bruce and son Jody helped me source new navigation gear and an SSB radio, and took us out for a sail in Long Beach Harbor on Banyan, Bruce's 42 ft yacht, which Jody and friends later sailed to New Zealand. On their way, they called in and met us in Panama, Bruce sailing a leg of that voyage.

Bless you, Bruce, and thank you. Bless you, too, Linda and family, missing him.