WHEN THE WIND STOPS...

I recently went to broadband Internet, DSL, at about the same time my provider installed some new SPAM filters. For whatever reason, the massive torrent of email that used to come through my computer has abruptly stopped! Maybe it's the economy. The effect is something like a strong wind not blowing all of a sudden.

I have several catch-basins. One is the "junk" pocket where posts accumulate if the computer thinks they look suspicious. I do review these posts one-by-one but quickly and sometimes find things that are NOT junk. For instance, someone sending me a message for the first time, so they aren't in my address book.

The other is the "quarantined" messages in the provider's filter, which I also check. So far they've all really been SPAM.

Nevertheless, I'm haunted by the idea that someone might try to reach me -- former student, contact for a story, peripheral relative, or the like -- and not be able to get through. All I can say is "keep trying."

One of the side effects of being on broadband is that now my phone works while I'm online.

What happens in Montana when the wind suddenly stops blowing is that all the cows fall over. Maybe I'll get a message that blows me over.

Prairie Mary