A very small silver lining

[celamity]

We were the first area to be shut down by ash, and now we're the first area to open again. The airport here and in the immediately surrounding area have opened again for limited traffic, mostly emergency stuff and a few small local routes. Four regularly scheduled flights took off yesterday, and they managed to get a plane of stranded people down from Svalbard.

I am also noticing that I am being far more pragmatic than the media, at least. While everyone who writes in about their problems, complaining that the airline won't rebook their tickets any earlier than sunday/tuesday/whenever, I'm looking at the ash charts and the still-active volcano and thinking that our trip to the US in three weeks' time may very well have to be canceled.

I'm a bit worried that this may be the final straw for some/several airlines. Prices may very well skyrocket when this goes over, and I suspect several routes may be cut.

Also, I hope the talk about Katla turns to nothing. While it'd be a fascinating thing to witness in my lifetime, the consequences of such an eruption are something I'd happily live without.

(We have smelled no sulphur, had no ash snow (just regular snow) and the skies yesterday evening (between the clouds) seemed no more red than usual.)