Robert and List Members, Robert, I keep telling you that you are the luckiest researcher that I know - I guess that I have an advantage over most of the list reading you posts - I have talked with you many times and have spent time with you. I would have expected that the entire trip was one lucky find after the other!!!!! I sure would have loved being the little fly along with you!!!! If it can be found, Robert will find it - if it is an out of print book that is important to Cowan research, Robert will locate a copy for his collection. I just can't tell all of you how important this trip that John and Robert took will end up being in all of our Cowan/Ireland Research so please say all of these posts and read them with care - you will learn a lot. I am sure that this was a big adventure!!!! Another thing that you all need to know as you read - Robert researches from a much different view point than most researchers - the best way that I can even attempt to explain it - (and I guess that this comes from knowing him now for several years) - is that he looks at all of the general knowledge info or the type that is right there or known. He then appears to look to see what is left out and explores why that piece of info isn't there. Well, some where along the line he appears to figure out a theory and then sets out to locate the info that he needs to either prove it or to dis-prove it. He appears to look at what was going on at that period of time and explore where the Cowans were in that area. Pieces of the puzzle seem to just jump up and say find a way to make me fit. It is very hard to explain, but his results are always very logical and interesting. I guess one could say that his brain works at a tangent to the brain of most researchers - it provides a wealth of interesting information and often missing pieces. Thanks for posting - I can't wait until the next e-mail arrives!!! Laura Cowan Cooper List Manager