Don't write my obit yet! I hope to be around and digging perhaps till end of November. So no good-byes just yet.

The science team says it's been beyond their expectations. They'll have data from this site to study for years (way past my life)

If my cloud movie gave you a brief break from Gustav, I'm thrilled. Take care there in New Orleans.

Main goal is to study the history of water here. It's ice now, but was it liquid at one time? Was it hospitable to life?

Initially pics are seen in B&W. Camera uses up to 12 separate filters for color that must be reassembled once rec'd on Earth.

My loss of sunshine is rover Spirit's gain. She's barely survived winter just south of Mars equator, but she'll gain power in coming weeks.

But as I've said before, I'm programmed with a "Lazarus mode" so I'll call up to the Mars orbiters if I re-awaken in the Spring.

Seasons are longer here. My winter will last 158 sols (vs. 89 days on Earth). I'll be surrounded by ice & don't expect to survive til Spring

Q's about coming winter: I can't operate in winter due to lack of solar power. I need to collect as much sci data as possible before then.

Not cooking in TEGA today, but I'm tasting soil in the MECA chem lab - looking for salts in the deepest soil tested to date.