"Water water everywhere and [for over a billion people] not a drop to drink," of safe water. Vermont has been inundated by over six inches of rain and hit by a tornado. Businesses and roads have flooded. There will be no shortage of water to our aquifers this summer. On the West Coast the drought continues. I've been encouraged by emails in reacting to my "Bathroom functionality" piece discussing home water conservation. Some friends have talked about shutting off the faucet while you soap up in the shower and when you brush your teeth, and gizmos that do an easy on/off without losing the temperature settings. Here in Eastern Russia there is plenty of water. This morning I ran across Russia's second longest river, the great Yenisey, second to the Volga. We shared the rusty old bridge with motorists and the train. I had to be cautious with every foot placement because of the rough materials and unfinished way in which Russian structures are built. All around me was evidence of the value of water in the lush landscape and fields of produce.

Russians are a very proud people. We were greeted at the 6am exchange by a group of runners from the Krasnoyarsk Rotary Club. They ranged in age from 18 to 23. Stanley, a tennis player, ran the entire distance with me and pointed out all the features of his town with great pride. Jane, a ballet dancer, ran most of the leg while others came and went. Two women would drop off the pace and get a car ride back up to run some more with us. The third exchange of the baton from myself to Emmanuel drew a crowd of Rotarians and media. The Rotary members presented the team with a Russian flag and a handmade banner which read "Krasnoyarsk Rotary runs with Blue Planet Run 2007."

Krasnoyarsk is an industrial city located on the River Yenisey. We've gone on to Kransk where we will sleep and eat before our next run shift. The countryside is getting hillier and more beautiful as the team continues east, with more and more fields of prolific and varied wildflowers. The Trans-Siberian Railway keeps chugging by carrying goods like coal and wood to the markets of Europe and Asia. You can see that we are approaching the conifer forest that takes up 40% of the Russian Federation.

I've been extremely hungry and thankful for the supermarkets we are able to find. I'm dreaming about foods I miss eating. I am humored by things like the number of turns of the key it takes to open and close locks on our rooms. I am bothered by the noise created by all the music on high volume. I am missing my dog and cat and friends and family. I palpably feel and imagine putting my arms around them all and the hugs back. But picture this scene: early morning sunrise, on an empty Siberian highway, good dirt shoulder, the birds singing, in a place you possibly never have imagined yourself ever to be, and running through gorgeous hilly scenery with your only care in the world being to get out the water is life message. How much better can it get?

I love my team and am learning so much from our interactions. Shiri is young and exuberant, her entire life before her and ready to give her whatever she grabs. She reminds me of my passion for life outside the safe zone and travel. David is one of the warmest and most considerate beings I've ever met. They are all very smart and talented. Emmanuel is from another culture but with the openness and insights of a worldly personality and the lightness of an innocent. Emmanuel embraces the definition of a global messenger and expresses his thanks for being a part of this event in his every gesture and thought. Our Russian guide Arina and our driver Alexey are patient and caring. They understand the frustrations of Russia where
everything takes forever.

Sleep last night in Achinsk was fleeting. One of Russia's famous rock bands, Uma2rman, was performing near to our bedroom window along with a barking dog and macawing bird. Then there was a loud show of fireworks which unfortunately we could not see. The locals enjoy their nightlife particularly on the weekends. Shiri and I had walked around the town earlier and were pleased by the warmth of the people, the full service supermarket, and the children friendly environment. There seemed to be a playground on every block, as well as numerous Soviet Bloc type apartment buildings. Curiously these crude structures are interspersed with new single unit construction that resembles many of the modern developments in America.

I wonder how tall people sleep in the beds with head and foot boards which I barely fit between, me at all of five foot six. The pillows are generally really big, wonderful for propping yourself up to read but definitely setting you up for a neck crink after sleeping. Our rooms in this region are basic and simple, more roomy, skimpy on the towels, with good beds, showers and delicious smelling sheets. The food is tough, as are the public toilets. Our next shift will be the "golden shift," 9am to 3pm. I'm looking forward to the more normal schedule and having cold beer again after I run. Word is out that the Mongolian beer is great.
Onward........