The Haasienda on Shroyer…

This dark, rainy fun day may need to be curtailed as I do not want to go outside in the wet weather. I am still feeling triumphant that Operation Leaves is completed and just in time for the rain.

Today is Veteran’s Day and I am grateful to all the Veterans who have served in any capacity for they have afforded me so many opportunities. I am especially thankful to my family members and dear friends who have served over the years.

In 1918, as thousands of soldiers returned from Europe following the November 11th Armistice, our nation was thrown into a resurgence of the Spanish Influenza with which it had been dealing since February 1918. I found this interesting link to the history of that pandemic.

1918 Pandemic Influenza Historic Timeline

It’s now 8:15 PM and I have things I need to do before the morning gets away from me.

Make it a great day!

Family members who served or continue to serve in our US military.

So much for daylight savings time… it’s dark at 7:15 AM. It’s actually just very dark gray but it suits my grumpy mood for the morning.

I was lying in bed with a list of documentaries, plus the last two episodes of Season Five’s THE CROWN, by 7:30 PM. I am sure there was a good two hours of sleep that overcame me before letting the dogs out one final time around 10:30 PM. The night passed with little interruption and a comfortable amount of sleep. Still, I woke on a less than cheerful side, growling at the dark and chilly morning, and the fact that the dogs began practicing their cleaning ritual by 5:30 AM, followed by the exasperating moaning and whining that it was feeding time – they’re still on their former time.

I’ve only a half day in The Park and then I will have a few hours to rest before dinner and a musical at Centerville High School.

Yesterday, Mama Kay, Ann, and I took a Mexican lunch and then visited one of our friends, Patricia Nagel. Patricia and her husband live in the Stroop family home off Tait Road and it is one of my favorite places. “Six Springs” is the name of the home and grounds since there are six active springs on the property. In the early 1920s, The Olmsted Brothers designed and landscaped the property as they did with nearby properties owned by Edward Deeds, Charles Kettering, and other prominent inventors and citizens. I love chatting with Patricia and absorbing all the history. It is the only large historical estate in the area that is still privately owned.

Well, it is time to prepare for my shift at The Park where my good humor will hopefully be restored. I fear the blustery day will keep Guests away.

Make it a great day.

PHOTOS: Six Springs, the former Stroop estate in Kettering, Ohio.

Saturday morning was just one of those “damn it all to hell” mornings with my crabbiness. Once I got to The Park for my four hour shift, I was fine and happy to see Guests from the Hudson Valley region of New York, all over Ohio, Indiana, Philadelphia, and Vermont. One couple from near Ann Arbor, Michigan toured The Park because they were always busy with events when their two children were students at The University of Dayton.

I reached home at 2:00 PM and the plumbers, who arrived at Noon, were still working on my new faucet. The old one had corrosion issues making it a monster to remove. By 4:00 PM, they were packed and exiting The Haasienda.

To go along with my “grrrr of a Saturday morning,” I stepped on the bus and realized I’d forgotten my backpack cooler with my two water bottles, Veggie straws, and morning peanut butter crunch snack. I’d eaten breakfast but usually by 11:00 AM, I need some boosting. Fortunately, I already had a water bottle in the freezer at The Park.

When I arrived home, there was a pleasant surprise from Emily Webb! A jar of homemade soup and some iced walnut cake. Since the plumbers were in the kitchen the cake helped me survive until 5:00 PM when I left for dinner.

Laura and I ate at La Piñata and then attended TUCK EVERLASTING at Centerville High School. I will see it again this Friday.

While waiting for the show to begin, two former students, Brad, a student at Miami University and Steven, attending The Ohio State University, texted me a photo of them meeting up at an a cappella festival at The University of Cincinnati. I truly appreciated that photo.

This morning I fed the pooches at 7:00 AM and opted to leave early for breakfast instead of joining the ZoomFest between Boston and London. Breakfast was okay but I finished in time to grab a few items from Walmart before rejoining the bus line for home. No. 17 just passed over the Patterson Street Bridge which crosses Mad River, giving me a brief glimpse of the area I’ve been researching.

I shall easily be home by 10:30 AM. I plan to attend to some household items before teaching begins at 3:30 PM.

Make it a great day!

There’s not much to report. The time change still makes me feel a bit sluggish no matter how I try to maintain my energy.

Teaching had so many highs over the past three days and I finished last night with a strong feeling of accomplishment. This week begins Grand Nationals for marching bands in Indianapolis and I love that exciting feeling when it rolls around each mid-November.

Leaves… I am almost done with Mama Kay’s leaves and her tree is 99% barren. Yay.

Several students have shows and major music events this coming weekend and I will be at several.

Tonight I will Zoom with several Lincoln colleagues and I couldn’t be happier to meet up with these three.

In the meantime, I shall do everything I can to make it a great day.

I am awake and alert despite losing sleep Thursday and Friday nights. Thursday, I barely managed four hours. I fell asleep and woke around 2:00 AM and could not recover continued slumber until 5:00 AM. Last night, the play did not end until 11:00 PM and it was midnight before I climbed into bed with only six hours of sleep to follow.

The fierce wind kept the five sets of wind chimes engaged in some exotic dance throughout the night and the dry blowing leaves often sounded like rain pounding the deck. The wind continues and the lengthy band of rain storms bisecting the Midwest may reach us in the late afternoon.

Neil Simon’s BROADWAY BOUND is now open at The Dayton Theatre Guild and it is outstanding. Each individual actor is solid in their role. The set and costumes were right on target. However, where I really need to tip the hat is to the properties! Laura and I were seated in the last row next to the kitchen door giving us a direct bird’s eye view of the dining room bureau. When the drawers were opened, they were filled, not just containing the required prop. And, the honey was delivered in a time-appropriate Ball jar! Kudos!

It’s time to prepare myself for a day at The Park. I am hoping the impending rain storms do not deter Guests from joining us. Tonight is a tavern dinner and I worry about those preparing the event as they continually move in and out from the pioneer village to the education center.

The time change to fall back an hour is set for tonight. The next few days will be an adjustment for myself and The Quartet. I detest the time changes. A lot.

BROADWAY BOUND at The Dayton Theatre Guild. Go see it!

Make it a great day!

I am one happy camper!

After nearly twenty years, I finally applied a system for raking Mama Kay’s yard that was much more expedient. Her tree sits at the corner of her yard where Rockhill Avenue runs into Shroyer Road, and it is always one of the last trees to empty. I have learned that it is much easier to clear up the dropped leaves in several stages throughout the raking season so that there is not so much work at the end of the season when it is usually colder and damp. Actually, it is a repeat process as the tree is huge and always full.

In years past, I have simply used the leaf blower 95% of the time and raked it to tidy up. Blowing the leaves was always cumbersome because the layers pile up becoming heavier to move with the air. There were times I felt nothing was really moving the process along.

I remembered seeing my neighbor, Kate, from across the street, raking her leaves onto a large sheet and dragging them to their destination. So, I grabbed a canvas from the basement and raked the offensive walnut tree stems onto the edge of my hill to make their piles easier to maneuver. It was easy.

I blew the thick layers of leaves in Mama Kay’s yard into levees, banked next to the sidewalk. Nearly three-fourths of her yard is on a slight incline, like mine, and the extensive wall of leaves ran along Shroyer Road and for about sixty feet on the Rockhill Avenue side.

I raked the leaf levees into huge piles onto the tarp on the sidewalk, secured the end with a bungee cord, and used another bungee cord as a handle with which to drag the contents. It only took FIVE tarp-filled trips to the easement alongside Rockhill and I had the majority completed. I’ve only a small strip at the corner of her yard to complete.

When Mama Kay returned home I was fairly giddy due to not only the accomplishment but also the decision to make levees and use the tarp, saving an immense amount of time. I worked from 1:00 PM to 6:30 PM and believe I’ve reached a landmark completion time.

Phase One of Project Leaf Patrol is done!

PHOTOS: Two “before” photos and the remaining are the results. You can see just how many leaves remain on the tree!

This was a typical visit to Woodland Cemetery with Flyer. We’d always stop at the Wright family plot just as we did that first day before bringing Flyer home. The ten week old puppy hopped out of the car, scampered over to Wilbur’s head stone, and sat down. This became a ritual for our weekly Woodland hikes for thirteen years.

PHOTO: Flyer at Wilbur Wright’s grave, November 2, 2003.

It’s been a slower start to my day, and I earned my additional snoozes after Zooming with my London son and feeding the dogs. Normally, I feel guilty for wasting time, but I do not. My body was nudging me to get more rest and I obliged.

Whenever I am shoulder-deep in a project, I often juggle several other sources to free my brain from the topic that consumes me. I’ve been reading Donna McCreary’s MARY LINCOLN DEMYSTIFIED, dabbling in research of the Wright Brothers and John Augustus Roebling, and as of last night, listening to the audiobook, COOLIDGE: AN AMERICAN ENGIMA, by Robert Sobel and narrated by Charles Brice.

When I figured out Calvin Coolidge was president when my maternal grandmother was born, on May 8, 1924, I began researching him. I also became fascinated with President Truman when Grandma Donna shared that she and Truman shared May 8th birthdays.

I am finding it quite interesting how this unassuming, excruciatingly hushed gentleman climbed as high as he did. But, Calvin Coolidge worked hard and earned his success.

He was quite witty and I love the amusing anecdotes between Coolidge and his extraordinary and vivacious wife, Grace Goodhue Coolidge. Mrs. Coolidge graduated from the University of Vermont majoring in education and began teaching at the Clarke School for Hearing and Speech where she taught deaf children to communicate by lip reading rather than using sign language. Shortly after moving to Northampton to assume her teaching position, Grace met and married Calvin Coolidge and taught him how to communicate with sign language. The White House staff and servants were either amused or insulted when the Coolidges would stop speaking and turn to sign language in their presence.

Other entertaining Coolidge stories I have enjoyed through the years:

The day after winning the Northampton, Massachusetts mayoral election which he served from 1910-1912, a Democrat friend passed him on the street and offered his congratulations.

“I see you’re elected mayor [of Northampton], but I did not vote for you.”

Cool Calvin Coolidge simply replied, “Well, somebody did.”

At a White House dinner, a female guest leaned into the president and said, “You know, Mr. President, when I explained to my friend that I was to be seated next to you at this dinner, she made me a bet that I could get you to speak more than three words.”

Without missing a beat, the tight-lipped Silent Cal quipped, “You lose.”

I am three and one-half hours into this audio biography and I am enjoying it.

Today is a day to accomplish much around the house, beginning in a short while with tackling the leaves in mine and Mama Kay’s yard. I have stayed on top of mine, but I need to rake those tiny, aggravating walnut tree stems that do not submit to the pressure of the leaf-blowing machine. Thursday and Friday bring busy days but evenings spent watching Fairmont High School’s AN EVENING OF ONE ACTS, and seeing Dayton Theatre Guild’s production, BROADWAY BOUND, with Laura.

Now, off to the yard to pile some leaves.

Make it a great day!

A year ago, I posted something on social media about the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, and my friend, Diane Householder, added to the post with information about the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge which spans the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio and Covington, Kentucky. Nearly twenty years before the Brooklyn Bridge was opened, The Cincinnati-Covington Bridge, as it was originally known, opened on 1 December 1866.

Johann August Röblin, better known as John Augustus Roebling, was born in Prussia, on June 12, 1806, and emigrated to The United States in 1831. Roebling died in 1869, and his wife continued with the plans and construction of The Brooklyn Bridge.

While I was working at Carillon Historical Park, Monday, 31 October 2022, a very knowledgeable Volunteer, Dennis Palmer, a specialist in numerous exhibits throughout The Park, asked about a “tidbit” regarding the Wright Brothers. Dennis said he had read, somewhere, that the wire used for the lacings in the Wright Brothers’ gliders and fliers was made with Roebling wire.

I immediately pulled up information on my laptop and learned Roebling developed a 7-strand wire rope on his Saxonburg, Pennsylvania farm. This wire rope was used in the design and construction of his suspension bridges. Still, I could not locate specific information regarding Dennis’ query. I contacted the Roebling Museum in Roebling, New Jersey, and received a quick response that it is believed the Wrights did indeed, use Roebling wire.

One source was from Charles E. Taylor: My Story. Charlie Taylor, May 24, 1868 – January 30, 1956, was hired by the Wright Brothers in 1901 to serve as a machinist in their West Dayton bicycle shop, receiving five cents more on the hour than he made at Dayton Electric Company.

“I was a machinist and had done job work for the boys in my own shop,” said Taylor. “Once I made up a coaster brake they had invented, but they dropped it later. I knew they were interested in box kites and gliders, and that they had gone south to Kitty Hawk, NC, in 1900 with a glider. I didn’t know anything about the stuff, but I did know something about the bicycle business.”

By 1902, after successful experiments at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, with their glider, the Wrights turned to Charlie to create an engine for their first flying machine. Mr. Taylor drafted and built an aluminum and copper, water-cooled, four-cylinder engine in less than two months that produced 12 horsepower.

In the article about Charlie Taylor that was supplied by the Roebling Museum, Mr. Taylor stated, “The chains to drive the propeller shafts were specially made by the Indianapolis Chain Company, but the sprockets came ready-made. Roebling wire was used for the trusses.”

It’s been a satisfying day knowing that Dennis Palmer’s question led to another learning adventure and making historical connections to our shared passion for Wright Brothers’ history.

One of the most beautiful trees in the neighborhood, and one of my favorites, is the very large tree at the corner of Mama Kay‘s yard. as one can tell from the photographs, it fills up quite an amount of space as its large limbs reach out in all directions.

This tree remains 85% full until the last minute of the season and then immediately dumps its entire fullness. It’s always a race with the clock to get the leaves moved over to the easement on Rockhill Avenue in time for the city’s leaf vacuum to haul away.

While at The Park this morning, I looked outside the entry into the actual park and saw tons of leaves drifting to the ground from the perch they’ve held since the spring. While it is common to see leaves dropping, there’s sadness as they bid farewell now that winter is on the wing to join us in a little over a month.

Since the leaves are still too heavy with wet from this morning’s rains, I am retreating from this Halloween evening to one of my favorite haunts to write and eat, and spend some time enjoying some alone time. I love Carillon Historical Park, but it does vacuum the energy being Mr. Rouke, a nickname from several Volunteers referring to the television show, FANTASY ISLAND.

And for those wondering why I’m not home to greet Trick-or-Treaters: we never get any. When we first moved to Shroyer Road in 2003, I was all prepared for a festive onslaught of beggars. We had one. The following year I observed that the evening marchers headed east from Rockhill Avenue and turned north or approached from the north and turned west onto Rockhill. Although Mama Kay’s front door is on Shroyer Road, the same as mine, she and her family hosted the event from their driveway which pours out onto Rockhill.

Therefore, I began a tradition of taking The Boys to a movie after they finished Beggar’s Night. We’d return home via way of Bill’s Donuts and feast on a late supper and treats while watching the DVD, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Yes, it was late and usually on a school night but it was once a year and something to remember. Also, most of my sons had never gotten to experience the Halloween rituals with their biological families or foster families.

As I look out the bus window, I can see more and more outlines of limbs and branches inside the trees. They, too, have their own beauty and not only when they are sporting flowery spring buds or colorful autumn foliage.

Rainy days and Mondays might have sunk Karen Carpenter’s spirits but I usually don’t allow that to get in the way of my own, even in the autumn with darker days. However, it is a warm 58 degrees and a forecast of 63 degrees for this afternoon. It is to climb throughout the week to 74 on Saturday.

I am hoping the dampness does not keep Guests away from The Park, today. Last week, I met folks from Indiana, Pittsburgh, NYC, New York State, Kansas, Marion IN, Charleston IL, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, California, Wisconsin, Virginia, Florida, Alabama, Montana, Indiana, and Michigan. Some fine folks from Australia and Scotland also visited The Park.

I love learning different things about The Guests, as well as items they share about their reasons for visiting The Park, many of which are connected to the various corporations such as NCR (National Cash Register) or McCalls. Some Guests offer questions that I attempt, in every way, to answer before they leave The Park. The best thing is that I am learning so much about Dayton’s history from their shared information or questions. Coupled with my own research, I have gathered a ton of knowledge on Edward Deeds, Edith Deeds, Charles Kettering, The Barn Gang, more aviation tidbits, John Patterson of NCR, NCR, Dayton’s early printing years, Dayton’s early and Turn of the Century industry, and now, The 1913 Dayton Flood which has also led down avenues of researching The Great Miami and other rivers, and The Miami Conservancy which has saved The Miami Valley from subsequent flooding. There have been so many other interesting things I have learned about Dayton, and I marvel at the people who made Dayton what it was.

I am feeling out of sorts, this morning. It began yesterday afternoon and I didn’t know if it was from the long hiking activity or the incoming rain. The body’s rhythms are still raging in different tempos and contrasting meters, today, and I hope it clears up shortly.

The school buses have unloaded high school students for the day and it is time for me to get ready for my day.

Make it a great day!

I combined a photo-hike and in-person research into a marvelous morning and early afternoon with 6,442 steps achieved.

I took the No. 17 bus to the other side of the Webster Street bridge where I began my journey along the Mad River up to Deeds’ Point where it joins The Great Miami River. There, I met up with two old sculptured pals, Wilbur and Orville Wright.

After crossing the footbridge over Mad River, I took a short jaunt to cross the Patterson Boulevard Bridge where I covered the north side of The Great Miami River across from Riverscape. I moved over to Main Street where I entered the levee.

When I moved to Dayton in August 1990, I first lived in McPherson District that is sandwiched between North Main Street and The Dayton Art Institute. In those years, McPherson District was in the process of renewal and many homes were being rehabbed. It was quite a fascinating neighborhood, a collection of numerous cultures and careers with an artsy touch.

My first abode was in a Victorian townhouse on McPherson Street, and then a very short move around the corner for two years at 15 Floral Avenue. Beginning with the 1993 move to Centerville, I’ve been a southsider for nearly thirty years.

It was a good day. It has been unhurried and relaxing, filled with hiking, photography, loving on four wonderful dogs, reading MARY LINCOLN DEMYSTIFIED, watching documentaries, and a nap – here and there.

This is the link to my photographs, Along The Great Miami River but I’ve also included a few photos taken with my phone’s camera.

How can you pass up visiting Carillon Historical Park on a beautiful day such as this?

Come visit one of Dayton’s truly remarkable gems!

A new book on Mary (Todd) Lincoln is out and it is outstanding.

My dear friend and fellow Hoosier, Donna McCreary, has written MARY LINCOLN DEMYSTIFIED: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ABRAHAM’S WIFE.

I remember when Donna was tossing around the idea with several of us just a few years ago and we got to be a part of her journey in the writing of, the editing process, and finally, the publishing. Having never published a book, myself, I marveled at Donna’s tenacity as she sailed her book through its many adventures.

Impressive.

My personal copy arrived Thursday, and by Friday night, I had already scoured through 50+ pages.

Another close friend told me to head to the acknowledgements. Wow. It was the first time I’ve ever received such an honor and I am humbly and truly touched.

Thank you, Donna…

Right now, it is a bit chilly, but the day promises to meet up with the mid-60s. I am anticipating a lot of Guests visiting The Park, today.

57 years, yesterday, October 28, 1965, the last section was placed in the gateway arch making it the tallest national monument in the U.S.A. and it still is.

One of my dear friends, Nicole Melin, the mother of two former students, is the granddaughter of one of the Arch’s engineers, Dean Freeman. Upon learning of this connection, I gained some interest in the history of this iconic monument.

From the internet site, Oct. 28, 1965: The last piece of the Arch is fitted into place.

“The Gateway Arch is strikingly simple in design — a sweeping curve of stainless steel rising 630 feet above the ground. Its 142 welded pieces are equilateral triangles, one of nature’s most durable forms.

But there was nothing simple about building it.

The Arch is embedded deep into limestone bedrock and held in place by foundations made of 26,000 tons of concrete, more than 2,000 truckloads. The engineers had to be precise in measurements and calculations, from their drafting boards to fit the last piece. Much was at stake — a “miss” of the two legs at the top would be a mortifying and expensive embarrassment, to say the least.

The triangles, known to the workers as “cans,” were double-walled structures of carbon steel inside and stainless steel exterior skin. For the first 312 feet, workers poured concrete between the walls and ran continuous reinforcement rods. Above that height, welds held everything together.

The engineers and iron workers knew their stuff. Each time a can was installed, engineers would measure the tips to a tiny fraction of a degree. Then the ironworkers would grind, shim and weld the next can to keep the legs true. When the final piece was installed on Oct 28, 1965, the legs were only three-eighths of an inch off, making for an easy fit.”

Video: Construction of the Gateway Arch, St. Louis Documentary Film (1965)

Design your own life’s Arch and make it a great day!

Cold. It’s 36 degrees and our peak is to be 54 degrees. I am at The Park all day and I am hoping it doesn’t keep folks away. I am sure the eagle paparazzi will be there to document our resident bald eagles, Orv and Willa.

Last evening, after leaving work, No. 18 was slightly late and No. 17 and 14 were both running early! I was going to need to wait at the downtown terminal for over 40 minutes so I opted for a Lyft ride home. My Wednesday, 11:31 AM on No. 17 was 14 minutes (typical) late with the same late driver and I was forced to get off at a much earlier stop and barely made that No. 18 connection. Frustrating.

Tomorrow is my first free day off in a month with no lessons and no ventures to The Park. It is a day I am excited to have at my disposal. I haven’t any idea what I plan to do but it is my day to enjoy whatever I elect to do.

I am reading A TIME OF TERROR about the 1913 Dayton Flood. While it is billed as non-fiction, there is a good deal of created dialogue which makes it fictional. I dove into the book with eagerness but when I realized I was reading undocumented dialogue, I became a tad uninterested. Still, I believe I might be able to salvage some things from what is actually documented.

The school buses are pulling in so it’s nearing time to begin getting ready for The Park… and probably more ridiculous late bus issues.

It’s cold and gray but make it a great day!

Yesterday was warm and windy and today is almost the exact opposite, chilly, wet, and windy.

There is not much at all to report. I am getting ready to head into The Park for the afternoon and am hoping folks will still come visit despite the yucky weather.

Whatever your day holds, make it a great day!

I lunched in the Oregon District while reading a new book, MARY LINCOLN DEMYSTIFIED, by Donna McCreary. Excellent.

This was followed by an hour’s walk through the central area of Downtown Dayton. What a gorgeous day.

This morning’s sky was spectacularly speedy but outstanding. Others are posting photos Dar better than what I captured as I tried to dodge cars on the very busy Shroyer Road.

Today is my first day off since October began. I have no lessons and I am not at The Park. I have a ton of ideas what to do and a ton of things to do. It will be interesting to see what wins the day.

Today and for several days after, it is to be in the mid-60s. I thought it was originally to be colder for today and crunched a short hike through Woodland Cemetery earlier this week. It would have been a more relaxed hike, today.

On with the day! Make it a great day.

It’s a beautiful day at Carillon Historical Park as the colorful season is winding down. These dare the colors Orville & Wilbur Wright would have known.

What a gorgeous morning it is here in The Miami Valley. A perfect fall morning with temperatures expected to be in the mid-70s.

Sunday, I accomplished a good deal of items around The Haasienda which included bringing in the deck umbrellas and chairs to store in the basement, trimming back the wisteria around the deck, and tidying more in the front yard.

I began the teaching day with my Colorado students who were visiting their grandparents and it was super to actually teach them in person, for the first time, and not via Zoom. The remainder of the teaching day was terrific with students making more advancements in their personal achievements.

I am treating myself to one of my favorite dining haunts, then upon returning home I intend to accomplish a few more household items before teaching commences. Next week I will not have lessons on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday since it is Fifth Week. I only teach four weeks of each month and sometimes there are five days/weeks. It makes a nice bonus break for both myself and the students.

And with that, I am out the door and headed across the street to catch No. 17.

Make it a great day!

I arrived at The Park by 12:15 PM and dove into the schoolhouse to see if Deanna could take lunch; however, she was with some Guests, and we sat on the back terrace of The Heritage Center while I finished my lunch. Sadly, due to construction equipment, the small train could not have the rides, today, the last date for the season. There were quite a few disappointed little peeps but all the parents and grandparents were so understanding.

I ended up clocking in fifteen minutes early to assist with the overload of Guests which steadily continued through 4:00 PM. By 4:30 PM, I was heading out the door to grab No. 11 and then, No. 17 since the Events crew was setting up for an event in The Atrium.

At home, I fed The Quartet, then opened and secured the deck door so the pooches could come and go while I began working in the front yard. A pot of soup cooked on the stove while I took out the weed eater to remove all the dead hostas and trimmed back the vinca vines and other plant covers. I used the big electric leaf blower that is more powerful than the smaller battery one I keep handy for daily use. The front yard looks fantastic and the first round of leaves are heaped in a row along the curb for the city’s first sweep.

I am sure I may be feeling a bit achy, tomorrow, but the smooth clean look is pleasing. The soup was delicious and I am relaxing for the remainder of the evening.

While I will teach the afternoons of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I don’t return to The Park until Wednesday afternoon.

Sunday afternoon, I will actually get to teach two of my Colorado-Zoom students who are in town visiting their grandparents. Hayley and Ryan will join their cousin, Sarah Kress, for a triple lesson for ninety minutes. I am so excited to see these two students and to work with them in person after three years.

It is time to remove myself from my study and relax with some books and documentaries.