In Konnarock the Internet is functioning. The telephone is not.  Although probably all telephone instruments in the house have been disconnected, on dialling 276-388-3111 now, I consistently get the message "Line busy." The likely explanation for the circumstance that the phone is dysfunctional but not the Internet, is that there is a short circuit of such high resistance so as to be tolerable by the very low amperage DSL signal of the Internet but not by the high amperage signal of the telephone ringer. It is unlikely, but not impossible that such a short circuit is arising within our house. Most likely it is from light contact between the two telephone wires outside, in which case it might fluctutate with the humidity.

My suggestion is that until you set a date for your next trip to Konnarock, as long as the Internet continues to function, we do nothing. Once you set a date for your next trip you or I might negotiate with Carolyn, with Sam, the repair man, or with the Brightspeed bureaucracy, to have the telephone repaired so that it will function while you are there.

I hope that you are well.