Spent a nice relaxed weekend in Tucson. Soaking in some heat, and able for the most part to avoid the news, and worry about other things. My sister has an amazing house on the east side of the city, the Catalinas and Rincons and other ranges in clear view. She has 3 and a hald acres of desert land, some of it landscaped, but for the most part inseperable from the surrounding desert ( their neighbors have much the same ). They have a gorgeous walled courtyard with pool and hottub shadowed by big old trees and palms, birds chirping merrily in the branches. The backyard slopes down gradually a ways, interrupted by a stable, exercise yard, and other horse things ( from the previous owners) into a dry wash. It was a lovely place to wander especially at dusk, cacti and trees all tinged red.

Meanwhile the war proceeded apace. It does seem a strange strategy from the outside. As one newspaper put it, tearing the country apart from the inside. Little territory has been held it seems -- either with the notion that everyone there will surrender or welcome the troops, or that any resistance will collapse once the head does. But the Iraqis seems to be unable to take advantage of it, unable to cut supply lines or keep blown up bridges blown. I wouldn't want to be in the Iraqi military myself.

Strangely I've noticed that the Coalition forces will announce deaths, but not injured. There really have been very few with some of the heavy fighting that appears to be going on. The coalition cheerily notes how many iraqis they think they've killed (although they don't do body counts), it doesn't seem like they leave anyone just wounded (with the firepower being brought to bear, how could they). The coalition forces must be much harder to kill with all their body armor they wear. But how many Americans & Brits have been wounded?