The entire day never ceased feeling muggy, even inside the comfortably air-conditioned Atrium at The Park.

I arrived a little after Noon and chatted with the Grounds Crew couple who do a damned good job of making the entire campus look beautiful. Once I entered The Atrium, I could tell the volunteer was frazzled. Earlier in the week, the supervisor posted a need for someone to man The Atrium from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. Since I would be there from 1:00 – 5:00 PM, I tagged the button to indicate I could take that shift. For some reason, it was not accepted and this really heaped a good deal of stress upon the volunteer, one of my favorites. She was covering the carousel operation, “Wayfinding” through The Heritage Center museum, and greeting Guests at The Atrium station to explain their visit. It had been a particularly busy morning and that shift could have easily used an additional volunteer plus a staff member at The Atrium station. I briefly considered signing in, but decided to proceed with eating my lunch from the covered portico looking out at the park and its historical buildings.

The shift at The Park was fun and absolutely delightful. I greeted Guests from Indianapolis, Columbus, Michigan, Australia, England, Chicago, and a couple from Mooresville (Indiana) taking a break from moving their daughter into Cedarville College. One group wanted their photo taken with the replica of the Wright Brothers’ 1902 glider that hangs in the upper regions of The Atrium. They gave me several suggestions as to how I might take the photo but I knew the only way to make it happen with a sense of practicality and artistry: I lay down on the floor with them gathered around!

It worked. A friend saw the photo of me taking a selfie with the group and sent the photos my way.

Between Guest arrivals, I absorbed the history of Kettering, Deeds, and the Deeds’ Barn (The Barn Gang) and pulled in as much of that history as possible. I had one staff member from curation assist me with a question regarding one of Kettering’s inventions. His explanations were clear, but some of my books and items on the internet are not consistent with titles and wording and I have had some frustration understanding the concepts and process. Last Tuesday, Chuck Johnson, who actually worked with Charles Kettering, explained things perfectly as well, but the printed sources are exasperating.

However, it was a kick-ass day!

I arrived home shortly after 6:00 PM to be greeted by four happy dogs, Erma at the head of the welcoming committee! Her lethargy seems to have passed and her usual energy restored. I am relieved but I am also a doggy dad of four senior dogs, Erma at thirteen, Chief moving in on twelve years, and The Sisters are almost nine.

Now, at 7:30 PM, I am on the deck where a light breeze occasionally passes through, listening to ROMAN EMPORERS: TOTALUS RANKIUM, by the same guys whose podcast, AMERICAN PRESIDENTS: TOTALUS RANKIUM captivated me for nearly a year. Their work is incredibly thorough and filled with amazing amounts of humor. Cicadas serenade, as well as a neighboring pooch down Rockhill Avenue. And my precious Erma has come over to lay her chin on my knee, a most welcome ritual that occurs often throughout my day.

There is a hint of impending rain but nothing is expected until before midnight. As for now, it’s a perfect deck evening with my pooches scattered about the deck, my audio history, and my current project.