Bilateral meeting between Dengjie Tang, Chairman, China Atomic Energy Authority, and IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the IAEA 61st General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 18 September 2017.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

The Rev. Karen Nelson of Keizer, Ore., helps lead morning worship May 20 at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

Havea Tukutau of the Rocky Mountain Conference offers a prayer at the close of the May 16 morning plenary session of the United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Exhibits at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Bishop Elaine Stanovsky of the Mountain Sky Area, presides over the May 16 election of members to the judicial council at the United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

The Rev. John Auta of the Central Nigeria Conference speaks May 16 at General Conference 2016 for immediately adding two bishops in Africa. Delegates decided instead to add five bishops, but not until after 2020. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

The Rev. Jenny Phillips of Fossil Free UMC provides information to delegates during the debate on fossil fuel at the May 20 plenary session of the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

The Grace Avenue Ukulele Choir from Grace Avenue United Methodist Church in Frisco, Texas, plays during the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

Emily Saliers sings during a reception hosted by the United Methodist Board of Church and Society at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Saliers is part of the Grammy Award winning Indigo Girls. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

IAEA 60th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 30 September 2016.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at a reception given by the Royal Thai Embassy of Vienna hosted by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand at the IAEA 58th General Conference. Vienna, Austria. 24 September 2014.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Exhibits at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Ann Jacob, reserve delegate from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, reads a statement on church unity adopted by the Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly. She presented the statement adopted in July 2015 during the afternoon plenary on May 18 at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS

Darlene Rochell Alfred, Central Texas Conference, gives a litany of thanks at the May 18 worship service at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Delegates pray at the conclusion of the May 17 morning plenary session of the United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Cristina Manabat of the Philippines (front) joins a United Methodist Women's rally for the right to clean water for all outside the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the “Nuclear Olympiad and Developing a Youth Talent Pipeline”, a GC side event co-hosted by the Department of Management and Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications at the IAEA 59th General Conference. Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2015.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

“Nuclear Olympiad and Developing a Youth Talent Pipeline”, a GC side event co-hosted by the Department of Management and Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications at the IAEA 59th General Conference. Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2015.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Kirsty Jenkinson of the United Methodist Board of Pensions and Health Benefits, provides information on the board's fossil fuel investments to delegates at the May 20 plenary session of the denomination's 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

IAEA 60th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 30 September 2016.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Delegates pray following the statement from Bishop Bruce R. Ough about sexuality and the church from the denomination's Council of Bishops on May 18 at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Fourth day of the 57th IAEA General Conference. M-Building, IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, Austria. 19 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

A participant joins a May 12 climate vigil outside the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. The lanterns were lit with small solar lights that following the vigil were sent to community groups in the Philippines, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States.

Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS.

Bilateral meeting between Ms. Marja Rislakki, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Finland, and IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 16 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Bilateral meeting between H.E. Mr. Ahmed Moustafa Emam Shaaban, Minister of Electricity and Energy of Egypt, and IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of the Louisiana Area gives the sermon during morning worship at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

IAEA 60th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 30 September 2016.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at a reception given by the Royal Thai Embassy of Vienna hosted by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha of Thailand at the IAEA 58th General Conference. Vienna, Austria. 24 September 2014.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano opening remarks at the opening session of ReNuAL - Renovating the Nuclear Sciences and Applications Laboratories in Seibersdorf, a Side Event at the 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 19 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Brandon Gebka / IAEA

The Rev. Denise Honeycutt, Virginia Conference, speaks in favor of divestment from fossil fuel companies during the May 20 plenary session of the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Krystl Johnson, Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, presents a petition from the Global Ministries legislative committee May 17 during the United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Bilateral meeting between H.E. Mr. Eduard Stavytskyi, Minister for Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, and IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 16 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Rosie Rios holds an electronic candle as delegates are encouraged to "let your light shine before others," at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Rios, a delegate from the California-Pacific Conference, was listening to a presentation about the denomination's Four Areas of Focus ministry priorities. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

IAEA 60th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 30 September 2016.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

IAEA 59th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 18 September 2015.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Award Ceremony of the European Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering (EMSNE), a side event at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 19 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Although admittedly not a particularly remarkable sunset, this image is a reprise of another picture taken by me and posted six months previously, from the same location, and for precisely the same reason. My description of the other photo is incorporated here by reference, as whatever I could say here would be substantially the same as what I wrote that time. Suffice it to say that I wasn't able to hear a lot over the telephone, but what I did hear was pleasant and edifying. I hope to be able to attend the Madsens' gathering in person the next time it is held, in April of 2007. (This image, by the way, differs from the previous one in two respects. First, our palm tree has been trimmed since then, although it looks like it might need it again soon. Second, this photo was taken in October, with the sun a bit further south in its journey along the ecliptic.)

There are a couple of things I can add this time, however. First, while I listened in, I frequently heard birds chirping over the telephone, and for a few minutes figured the Madsens must have decided to buy a couple of cockatiels as well, following my example. After a while, however, I noticed that the Madsens' birds chirped and squealed a fraction of a second after one of our birds emitted an identical chirp or squeal. In other words, our birds' noise echoed over the telephone, although I am not sure whether Barney and the others at his end heard any of it.

The other item is this. My wife was cooking dinner while I was listening in to the post-Conference wrap-up. At one point she walked out the front door, only to return less than a minute later, which I thought rather unusual for her. Then she appeared upset or annoyed about something, and I wondered if it was my fault somehow. Later I found out that it wasn't, but when I learned what had happened, I couldn't blame her for being a little upset. She and Vanessa had gone to the store late the previous evening, which was Saturday. I went to bed while they were gone, and must have fallen asleep almost immediately because I never heard them come home. As it turned out, while in the course of preparing our meal, Sheila discovered that about $25.00 worth of meat, which she had purchased the night before, was missing. She finally went out to the car looking for it. The high temperature that day in the Phoenix area had been about 100 degrees, so she opened the trunk of our car, and -- well, the odor told her immediately that the meat was no longer edible. They had somehow overlooked it when bringing in the groceries after that little Saturday-night excursion to Fry's supermarket.

So much, then, for my Conference weekend, which as always was memorable, and a spiritual feast as well -- even though the more literal, material feast ended up being something less than it could have been.

William Junk, Oklahoma Conference, speaks May 18 on the motion to accept the Council of Bishops statement "A Way Forward" at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

The Rev. Pamela Lightsey leads advocates from the Black Lives Matter movement as they disrupt the proceedings of the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

“Nuclear Olympiad and Developing a Youth Talent Pipeline”, a GC side event co-hosted by the Department of Management and Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications at the IAEA 59th General Conference. Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2015.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Bishop James Swanson, Jr., Mississippi Episcopal Area, preaches on May 18 at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Delegates pray following the statement from Bishop Bruce R. Ough about sexuality and the church from the denomination's Council of Bishops on May 18 at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Award Ceremony of the European Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering (EMSNE), a side event at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 19 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

IAEA 60th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 30 September 2016.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Deaconesses and home missioners stand following commissioning during the May 16 worship service of the United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Bishop Michael Coyner, Indiana Episcopal Area, presides over the election for alternate clergy members of the Judicial Council during the United Methodist 2016 General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Maile Bradfield, UMNS.

Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster of the Charlotte Episcopal Area presides over a session of the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore. Photo by Mike DuBose, UMNS

IAEA 60th General Conference Closing Session. Plenary, M-Building, Vienna, Austria. 30 September 2016.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

Sahel Reception at the IAEA 57th General Conference. IAEA, Vienna, Austria. 18 September 2013.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at the “Nuclear Olympiad and Developing a Youth Talent Pipeline”, a GC side event co-hosted by the Department of Management and Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications at the IAEA 59th General Conference. Vienna, Austria. 17 September 2015.

Photo Credit: Dean Calma / IAEA