I’d like to introduce you to Pando, the world’s heaviest and possibly oldest organism. Pando is a male quaking aspen tree in Utah's Fish Lake National Forest. Although it may look like a giant grove of separate trees, scientists found it is one organism with a single molecular structure. Pando weighs 6,600 tons and may date as far back as 80,000 years. Pando’s unity comes from its single root system.

Halfway through a four-hour return flight, Sara experienced a medical emergency. We gratefully accepted the caring help to get her through that in-flight ordeal. Sara then spent five days in the hospital.