Nepal Earthquake connection

The disaster in Nepal has taken a personal turn. Jean Louis and Catherine Lassez, long time  "semi- native" residents of the old Muleshoe Ranch fifteen miles out of Magdalena, Asia hands, Christmas hosts, originator of the barbecue for the Old Timer's fiesta queen; artists, art collectors, keepers of as many dogs as us; above all dear friends, are among the yet un- accounted for in the Himalayan earthquake. (Scroll down).

This may mean nothing. They could have been on the road between Pokhara and Katmandu. They are resourceful, calm, experienced travelers, sometimes in  places even more remote, and communications there are terrible at the moment. But how can we, and their daughter Sara in LA, not worry?

This blog has long connections that only come to light  at certain times; one, for instance,  helped pay for Irbis's leg operation. If anybody out there runs into our friends, let us know.

Last pic from Nepal this trip; Lassez 1968; J L with saddhus in Katmandu on  previous trip; all of us at Christmas; Lib & Catherine 2 Christmases ago;  various JL art parodies.

HAPPY UPDATE:  Just got word they are OK, just stranded, like everybody else, and better off than many; as I said, they are seasoned third world travelers.  They have braved "Myanmar", and Lib reminds me they were in Indonesia when the big tsunami hit the area...