Out at 8:30 with our friends to the Sunburst Trout Company in Canton. "Processing fish by the grace of God," read the sign in front of the small building. Inside, workers fileted trout that had been deftly decapitated by a machine that produced a little stream of bloody water.

After a tour of the raceways -- Sally Easley giving us handfuls of feed to throw in the water to create a frenzy -- we returned to the building for a taste of hot smoked trout and cold smoked trout (both delicious). We bought six filets for dinner, along with trout sausage, trout dip, and both varieties of smoked trout.

After lunch we headed to a ranch of Scottish Highland cattle to pick up some grass-fed beef that Lyn had ordered. The rancher refused payment, saying that he prefers people taste it first, and then if they like it, they can pay for the next batch.

Hania asked if we could see his cattle, and we drove up a dirt lane behind his pick-up to a little pasture where three woolly females grazed with a calf. The view, down the hill and across a valley to ribbons of mountain, was spectacular.


We drove a little higher to the rancher's house, with another spectacular view and a bull named Maximillian in the front yard. He called to Max and he slowly came up to feed (the long porch was high enough he couldn't climb onto it).

(Photo taken by Donnette Yeaton)

"When I come back," the rancher said, "I want to be either a herd bull or a house cat. They both got it made."

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AP photo/David Zalubowski

I finally got a response to my call for suggestions on attracting more foreign visitors to the U.S. - and it's a good one.

Get rid of car rental agents, writes Mitch.

He says, quite rightly, that the pressure they put on people - to upgrade, to go for extras - is a very rude welcome to our country.

We've all experienced this here, where we speak the language; imagine what it's like arriving from overseas, jet-lagged, disoriented, perhaps searching for words.

And I would add this: Most foreign visitors are used to driving small cars, which often aren't available from rental companies. Numerous times I've reserved a compact car only to be told that none is in the lot, and I'll get a free upgrade.

But I don't want a free upgrade, I want a nice small car that's easy to maneuver and easy to park and easy on gas. So do, I suppose, lots of foreigners.

It's gotten so I dread the walk from the carousel to the rental car desk. Because I know there's going to be a fight.

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You know those little lists magazines do, often made-up stuff purporting to show how on top of things they are? Green is the new orange, beer is the new wine, Hallandale is the new Aventura.

I've never put much stock in them. But the New York Times special Travel magazine the other Sunday had a list that I not only enjoyed, I agreed with. It was not about places, but the people who visit them.

The Chinese, it said, are the new Japanese. And anyone who's traveled abroad lately - or even in some parts of the U.S. - has noticed camera-happy people from the People's Republic.

The Brits are the new Americans, loud and flush, seeing the world as their personal playground - and shopping mall. And again, if you've been in Riga on a summer weekend you know what they mean.

And the Americans? We're the new Germans, traveling far and wide, keeping a low profile (for political reasons), showing sensitivity to the culture, volunteering, adopting, wanting to do good.

This, too, has generally been my impression of compatriots met on the road of late. The conscientious American tourist won't undo a failed foreign policy, but at least she's one positive offshoot of it.

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