In the span of two and a half days, I made friends with many engaging people, from many different walks of life, who shared my enthusiasm for Laura and my enjoyment of a little after-hours refreshment.  If you are thinking about attending Laurapalooza but don’t know anybody else who is going, rest assured that you might arrive as a stranger and outsider, but you will feeling like one of the group.   The response to my little presentation about the weather history of the Long Winter was warmer than a cookstove fire in a shanty in July.  Other attendees asked questions, sought me out for more information, and expressed more interest in the weather of the Little Housebooks than I ever could have imagined.

And a dissertation, blog, and more were born.