The Haasienda on Shroyer…

Early Thursday, I convinced myself I would not mow the yard as I wanted to enjoy the breezes on the deck while researching. At 2:00 PM, I itched for something different to break up my day.

The weather was hot but not unbearable at its highest point in the afternoon. I did not regret my choice to mow at that hour and am glad the chore is behind me rather than ahead for the next few days. The front yard looks well tended and loved.

I fed the dogs, showered, dressed, and planned for the day’s big adventure, traveling downtown to see Puzzle of Light at The Levitt Pavilion. Puzzle of Light was paired with The Elements for this concert and it was the perfect way to settle this day.

Sometime in the afternoon, Felicia Dellis contacted me to see if I was planning on attending. I’m so glad I did. It was a perfect evening spending time with Felicia, her son, Micah, relaxing in the gorgeous weather, and enjoying the fantastic music.

While my day was not set with a firm degree of scheduling, the individual pieces moved together in terrific symmetry resulting in near perfection.

Tomorrow will hopefully be spent researching and moving ahead with some particular elements of my current project. However, spontaneity is my fun friend, as well as my agitating friend.

I’ve twenty-two minutes until Bus 17 South arrives. It’s quiet, rather peaceful with only a half dozen or so folks seated on benches along the block-long stretch of the terminal. I can’t believe I am not collecting whiffs of pot from the nearby corner that’s more like the intersection of Pot and Piss streets.

It’s been a damned good day. I couldn’t have scored this day’s improvisation any better.

July 21, 1909: Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, DECLO, is incorporated.

Yesterday, while researching Col. Edward Deeds and DELCO, I learned that the company was formed on July 21, 1909 and that their first manufacturing plant was on the northwest Dayton corner of St. Clair and Fourth streets. The Barn Gang needed a larger facility upon signing their contract with Cadillac and opened their office in the United Brethren Building on Main Street, two blocks west of St. Clair and Fourth.

I checked with Dayton historian, Andrew Hershner, to see if the current St. Clair Lofts was the same building I saw on the way to The Neon. Andrew responded with:

“The building known today as the St. Clair Lofts was occupied by The Dayton Engineering Laboratory Company( DELCO). This is where Charles Kettering and Edward Deeds first began production of the automobile self starter. Built in 1910 the building was a spec loft industrial space known as the Beaver Power Building. At that time spec loft industrial spaces were called “power buildings”, as they had their own power supply, at first from steam prime movers and belt systems and later via on-site electric generators. It was built by Fredrick Phillip Beaver who was a local industrialist, in the tobacco trade in the 1880s and later founder of the Beaver Soap Company (“Grandpa’s Wonder Soap”). Through 1911 demand for the automobile self starter was so great and so insistent that additional manufacturing space was required by DELCO and negotiations were made with Beaver to construct a new building on First St. to accommodate their specific needs. The First St. building would be known as Beaver Power Building #2 and later DELCO Products Plant 1 (now the Delco Lofts). It was completed in 1912 but DELCO had actually moved in and started operations before it was finished. The connection of the two buildings can be seen today as they both have a similar form.”

Here are two articles telling DELCO’s story beyond The Barn Gang:

The first article:

The Founding of DELCO

The second article:

It’s a cool 72 degrees with a nice breeze staying off the humidity which is not all that bad. Things are chirping, buzzing, singing, swishing, humming, and burrring all around The Haasienda. I love these early morning symphonies. Several neighbors took the opportunity to mow by 7:00 AM and I do not blame them for wanting to be a step ahead of the heat which is to hang just below 90 degrees later today.

Yesterday afternoon, Mama Kay, Sue Winterstein, Ann Jackson, Anna Sacksteder, and I went to see MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS at The Neon movies. Go see it! It’s a delightfully inspiring romp with a fine balance of humor and drama. I will be seeing it again, with Laura, and I know she will enjoy it as much as we did.

After the movie, which ended promptly at 5:00 PM, we ate at Old Bag of Nails which is located in Cross Pointe Center, the mix of OH 725, OH 48 | Far Hills & Main Street, and access to I 675. I always love my ordered meals and the service is always good.

There is absolutely nothing on my schedule for this day. Finally, after two weeks, I have some gut relief and am feeling closer to my former self than I was a week ago. I have the itch to go do something, make an adventure, but I’ve nothing swirling about my brain at the moment. However, my DNA instilled a strong sense of spontaneity and I am bettering I may take flight within the next hour or so. I need to mow the yard as the healthy rain from Sunday and Monday has given it a ragged look. But, I do not wish to mow, today.

Last evening, I finished listening to David McCullough’s TRUMAN. It was 54 hours of listening which I always do while working, seldom just listening for pleasure. While I felt it was a very good book, it wasn’t, at least for me, a great listen. It seemed to lack a spark of “something.” But, that could have just been me since I listened to it while I was in a puny state. I do recommend it.

For now, I will continue researching Col. Edward Deeds and the inception of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, legendarily known as DELCO. And, today is the anniversary of DELCO’s incorporation in 1909!

Make it a great day!

Cicero, Indiana offered some great off-the-beaten-path fishing locations just north of the reservoir. When I was growing up, my birth father and his younger brother, my Uncle Garry, loved to fish in this area. Mother often joined us, bringing along her Tupperware containers filled with fried chicken, potato salad, cake, and other delicious food.

Uncle Garry, who, like my maternal grandfather, was as much a surrogate dad as he was my uncle. Scarred and wounded from his service in Vietnam, Uncle Garry never hid from offering humor to keep the moment light. My father, Danny, while seemingly happy and sarcastically witty, always had a cloud of depression just beneath his surface. The two Jolliff brothers were similar, yet, on the whole, drastically different. Danny was the jovial and brooding older brother while Garry was his constant cheerleader.

While seated in the grass next to Uncle Garry when fishing at a large Cicero pond, we began looking at rocks embedded in the dirt as he patiently waited for his fishing line’s bobber to tug downward. Sticking out of the dirt at an angle was a narrow rock.

“Look, there,” he pointed. “That looks like a finger.” He added that maybe it could be a full hand beneath the dirt.

I pulled up the finger rock and for some reason, the rock never left my collection. For the past fifty-plus years, it has either been in my bedroom or on my desk in my study.

This morning, Aunt Jenny posted a photo of a rock and explained how she and Uncle Garry would collect rocks with the grandchildren. I don’t recall if I’ve ever shared the finger rock story with her or anyone for that matter. But, for some reason, that little finger rock has become a precious reminder of a fun, simple moment spent with Uncle Garry.

71 degrees, for the moment, is quite comfortable even with the high humidity tapping to be noticed but kept at bay by a cool breeze intermittently passing across the deck. The high is to reach 90 degrees by midafternoon.

Today is Erma’s birthday. The sweet, precious girl is thirteen years old. Erma, named for Dayton’s legendary humorist and author, Erma Bombeck, is my only rescue pooch and there are some distinct differences between her and the other three I’ve raised since they were eight and ten weeks old. Erma responds to me as though she knows I specifically picked her over the dozen-plus dogs at SICSA that August 2018 afternoon.

Today is also the birthday of my late great-aunt, Norma Barmes Scheffer Abbott who was born in 1928. I was one blessed child to be born into a family with so many uncles and aunts, as well as many great, great-great, and great-great-great uncles and aunts. Aunt Norma was fun and unique. A corpse could meet her and never forget her.

One of my favorite, distinct memories from July 20th was being seated beside my great-grandfather, John William “Garrett” Clary on his Davenport sofa on North 9th Street in Elwood, Indiana. For over a year I had been following all the news about Apollo 11 for over a year and above my bed hung a large framed print of the Apollo trio. In the mid-1990s, I was to become acquainted with a delightful senior citizen in Lebanon, Ohio when I would drive down to walk around the picturesque city or shop. It would be nearly a decade before I would learn this gentleman was the unassuming Neil Armstrong, one of my childhood heroes.

On this day in 1969, I snuggled beside Grandpa Garrett, surrounded by other family members, to watch Neil Armstrong become the first human ever to walk on the moon. Sixty years before, Grandpa Garrett got to see one of the Wright Brothers of Dayton, Ohio, fly their airplane in 1909. I can only imagine what was going through his mind as he connected those two events in his mind.

The day is moving on and at 8:10 AM, I am ten minutes behind in my schedule. My David McCullough audiobook, TRUMAN, has five hours remaining and I have now accompanied President and Mrs. Truman back to Independence, Missouri for their retirement years. I do love Harry and Bess Truman.

Make it a great day!

PHOTOS: 1. Erma; 2. Aunt Norma and Mother; 3. Mother, Gary Scheffer (Aunt Norma’s son), Aunt Norma; 4. And 5. Neil Armstrong walking in the moon.

Everything is sticky. The world outside still contains dampness from the Sunday rainfest and the humidity is 96% now. It’s mildly uncomfortable but I am grateful we’ve not received flooding as so many in Indiana and Illinois have. I feel so sorry for several family and friends who are experiencing high water levels.

Erma seems perkier this morning. I spent a lot of time hugging on her and reassuring her throughout Monday and when the students began arriving I saw her rise to the occasion as our resident ambassador.

I have a stroll through the park before returning to teach from 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM. Then, it is several days of research, maybe some writing, and two trips to The Neon to see MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS. I am looking forward to that adventure.

It’s muggy and not feeling pleasant. Make it a great day, anyway!

This is one of my favorite photographs from my youth, taken on July 18, 1974, the steps of The United States Capitol Building with my grandparents, Leroy and Donna Barmes, and our 6th District Indiana Congressman, Elwood “Bud” Hillis.

A few minutes later, we met Vice President Gerald R. Ford who took a few minutes to speak with us upon our return from The United States Supreme Court Building where we paid our respects to the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Earl Warren who was lying in state.

Bud Hillis was the grandson of Hoosier automobile inventor, Elwood Haines of Kokomo.

It’s a wet, wet, wet, wet Monday morning here in The Miami Valley. Karen Carpenter’s song, “Rainy Days and Mondays,” is on autoplay in my brain.

The thunderstorms began in the wee hours of Sunday morning and the rain was fairly steady throughout the day and evening, finally ceasing fifteen minutes ago, around 7:30 AM, Monday morning. Even when the full throttle of rain had paused, there was always a drizzle during those less heavy periods. I am seeing social media photographs of very high water and flooding from family and friends in Indiana.

This morning’s gray skies still hover and from my weather app, it appears they will remain with us for today.

It was a semi-productive weekend, much of it spent in bed with frustrating gut issues. However, I prevailed in accomplishing much in the way of research. Sunday’s lessons were remarkable and I love seeing not only the musical growth but the mental climbing and expansion of confidence. That is so satisfying and reassuring.

Today, I shall spend inside unless things dry out by early afternoon before I begin teaching. Perhaps some of my later evening lessons which are western states Zoom lessons can be taught from the deck.

Erma is not herself and this worries me. She began acting detached, last evening during a lesson, and though she seems better this morning, I can tell she’s still not back to her normal self. Wednesday is her 13th birthday.

My London Zoom call was only thirty minutes in length. The pooches are fed and my coffee and oatmeal are consumed. Chief is holding guard, stretched out in the open door to the deck where he can maintain watch over his domain. The Sisters and Erma surround the bed, napping.

Make it a great day!

The morning is nearing 10:00 AM but I have been productive with some laundry, filling and starting the dishwasher, and doing some tidying up. Now, I am surrounded by my one book on Col. Edward Deeds and three biographies on Charles Kettering. Last night I completed nearly seven typed pages of notes and am delighting in some of the things I am learning.

The backyard needs to be mowed and I may do that a bit later. The front yard is fine.

The weather is beautiful, a mild summer day in mid-July. The only sound of nature seems to be some fierce cicada-sounding thing over in the easement with a few punctuations, now and then, from a few birds. Shroyer Road seems heavier with traffic this morning. The Quartet is scattered about the deck, poised and ready for a mid-morning nap.

It’s now three minutes before 10:00 AM and I need to get busy with my research and planning before too much more of the day gets away from me.

Make it a great day!

At some point through the night, we were gently baptized with a bit of rain. The threat of more rain seems possible due to the gray clouds but the forecast assures us there is no more to be had this morning.

I spent most of Friday on the deck with my books and laptop, only leaving for food, nature breaks, and a chance to mow the backyard. It was a relaxing, yet very productive day.

Last night, Linda Utt and I dined at Figlio’s before joining Karen McLain to see a show. It was nice to catch up with Linda and to hear all the details of her family, especially her son, Liam, a former student, now a sophomore music composition major at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

I returned home by 10:45 PM and watched a memorial and celebration service for the wife of a college friend, Lindy Siefker. Even while losing a nine-year battle to breast cancer, Lindy was an incredible soul who flourished and conquered life in so many ways. She was such an inspiring soul.

July 16th contains an incredible list of historical happenings: the death of former First Lady Mary Lincoln… the atomic bomb was tested… John Kennedy Jr. was killed in a plane crash… the Civil War draft riots… Washington DC was declared to be the new capital… and in Russia, the Imperial Romanov family was murdered. Those are just a few of the highlights.

Many friends and historical colleagues are now gathered in Springfield, Illinois to celebrate the memory of Mary Lincoln and I wish I was there with them. Last year, I had planned to attend until the Greyhound Bus debacle cornered me at the bus depot in Columbus, Ohio.

I am well into David McCullough’s TRUMAN biography and just yesterday, I listened to Truman’s decisions on the atomic weapon. I am greatly enjoying the book.

Now, it is time to shower and dress for some time in the park. I will dine with Mama Kay and her Mass Ma’ams following their 4:30 PM Mass.

Make it a great day!

Who was The Barn Gang?

Very simply, they were a group of some of Dayton’s finest minds, mostly National Cash Register (NCR) talents, who met in the two-story carriage house at 319 Central Avenue owned by Col. Edward Deeds, a superintendent of NCR. In this barn, now safely stationed within the Heritage Center at Carillon Historical Park, was invented the automobile’s electric starter and was the origins of Dayton Electronics Company, DELCO. Most of their work in the carriage house was after leaving NCR, having dinner at home, and meeting up by 7:00 PM, often working well into the early morning before heading home for a bit of sleep and a return to NCR, shortly thereafter.

In short, it was the ultimate man cave!

This morning, I visited the gravesites of several of my favorite Barn Gang members, Charles F. Kettering, William Chryst, Edward Deeds, and a pseudo-member, NCR founder, John Patterson who seems to have loaned his most brilliant engineers, mechanics, and draftsmen, as well as the equipment and tools used by The Barn Gang.

Although I am so unfamiliar with their world of engineering, I would love to go back in time to spend one evening with The Barn Gang.

10,235 steps between 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM!

Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum is large and filled with hills. Lots and lots of hills. I shoved my fold-up cane into my backpack but did not use it. Upon leaving Woodland Cemetery, I checked my health app and I had already logged 9, 031 steps.

10,235 steps! I kept moving and although it was not my once-upon-a-time Eleanor Roosevelt-style zoom, I maintained a steady pace. There was some humidity and the temperature reached into the 80s but I was comfortable and not experiencing heavy perspiration.

I ended up taking nearly every paved path throughout the massive acreage and I observed so many areas and graves I don’t recall seeing on previous visits these past thirty-two years. Once I had paid my respects to Charles Kettering and The Wright Family, and located National Cash Register (NCR) founder, John H. Patterson’s gravesite, I decided I must visit the graves of the other members of The Barn Gang, Edward & Edith Deeds, and William Chryst. Naturally, they were on the opposite end of the cemetery.

I took the Flyer (free) bus) from Woodland Avenue and Brown Street over to Fifth Street and meandered through The Oregon District, landing at China Buffet for lunch. I easily grabbed a nearby bus stop which, with a transfer at the main hub within ten minutes, I was delivered me home to be greeted by four enthusiastic canines.

The morning sun was still climbing over the hills throughout Woodland Cemetery and the exchange and interplay between light and shadow were stunning. I wish I had the photographic skills to masterfully capture the dramatic effects.

Here are the photo albums of today’s adventures:

Woodland Cemetery & Arboretum, Dayton, Ohio

The Oregon District & Downtown Dayton

The day already feels remarkably wonderful. The deck’s gentle breeze offers a refreshing wisp of air and coolness with our 65 degrees and that pleasant coolness seems to present itself throughout the back lawn. Chief is lounging at the top of the steps in accordance with his daily ritual, while Erma rests nearby me, and The Sisters are scouring the entire yard for any excitement they can find or that they can create. I love watching Bailey and Harrigan being on high alert this time of day.

It’s just turned past the eight o’clock hour and the energy of the day is thrilling.

I only recall rising once during the night for a nature break and other than that, I slept soundly and comfortably. Other than the typical stuffiness from the sinus, I feel invigorated.

I have a hankering to exercise my body with some hiking and I am thinking Woodland Cemetery might be the place. I would like to find the gravesite of NCR founder, John Patterson, and revisit the gravesites of Col. Edward Deeds, William Chryst, and Charles Kettering. I think my legs can handle the jaunt up and down the hills, though slower-moving it may be.

My friend, Jeff Carter, has a new addition to his family and home, a beautiful little white Westie sweetness named Maisie. His photos of her are adorable. Let the adventures begin.

Another photo is one taken by a Carillon Historical Park regular eagle photographer, Ann Lindner. Ann has become a delightful pal and I always look forward to seeing her at the park. There are several favorites from the Eagle Paparazzi, but Ann stands out. I’ve included a photo she recently took of one of the baby bald eagles flying before the Carillon clock tower. Outstanding.

And, now, it’s time to put my money behind my belief that I should make it a great day!

July 12th is a day of memories with shared anniversaries for librettist, lyricist, producer, and darling of a man, Oscar Hammerstein II, and director, producer, playwright, author, and another darling man, Joshua Logan. Mr. Hammerstein and Mr. Logan were not only Broadway and motion picture collaborators, but they were also very dear friends.

Oscar Greely Clendenning Hammerstein II: 12 July 1895 – 23 August 1960

Joshua Lockwood Logan: 5 October 1908 – 12 July 1988

I slept well but I honestly don’t remember. That’s the sign that I enjoyed my rest and was committed to it.

The morning is overcast and muggy but there’s no forecast for rain, only winds to reach 15 mph by the midafternoon. The sun is pleading with the clouds for some openings and is bleeding a bit of gold around the edges of some clouds.

The past several days have proved a bit sluggish with the gut. Until it was time to teach, I spent most of Monday in bed with documentaries and books, lacking the energy to do anything more after sweeping the first floor. I got to my 8:30 PM Colorado Zoom student and began feeling “odd.” I cannot really describe anything except for the fact I just didn’t feel right. Fifteen minutes into my 9:00 PM Colorado Zoom lesson, I felt a bit “odder,” not truly ill. I took my temperature and it was mildly elevated. I finally asked the student if we could reschedule both him and his sister, and finished the lesson prematurely. I contacted my 10:15 PM and 10:45 PM Zoom lessons from Wyoming and California asking to reschedule. By 9:50 PM, I was in bed and immediately moving into sleep.

I had my true first fall in the middle of the night after rising to leave my bed for a nature break. I did not injure myself and cannot recall how it happened, only that I stumbled for balance, reaching out to furniture in my bedroom to help steady myself. When that failed, it was a slow-motion movement to the floor. It reminded me of THE TEN MILLION DOLLAR MAN when he went into slow-mo bionic action but I did not have the cool sound effects. I know some of me landed on Chief’s outstretched paws and I believe my head found Erma’s hip for a pillow. Bailey and Harrigan, either out of concern or thinking I was awake and wanting to play, danced and whined about my bed. As I said, there were no body damages and I was right back up.

It’s a morning stroll at the park and then a return to The Haasienda for teaching. I am hoping to be more productive in research and writing over the next several days. With the temperatures in the lower 80s and even a dip into the 70s, I am needing some much-deserved deck time.

Make it a great day!

It’s about as beautiful a morning that one could personally order up. The quietness has an unseen current of energy that feels awesome.

There is nothing

By 7:30 AM, the drops were starting to gently tap the canvass awning over the front porch as I looked over the front yard after checking to see if there were any Mary Lincoln day lily stragglers. There was just one.

Typically, 68 degrees is quite comfortable, but it seems a bit chilly this morning. I am sitting in bed listening to DENNIS, THE MENACE, and watching the rain beat against the deck’s floor. Harrigan is snuggled next to my knees while the other three are scattered about the bedroom. I’d much prefer to be sitting at my table on the deck but I can work from anywhere.

This morning’s concert is different than most. The pitter-pat of rain on the deck, cars swishing through Shroyer Road’s puddles, no birds in concert, and sounds of the cement mixers next door at the high school provide a unique setting.

The only thing on the day’s agenda is dinner at 5:30 PM with Mama Kay and her post-Mass buddies. I shall probably move to my study at some point so I can work from all three monitors at my main computer.

And, with this sketch of boringness, it’s time to begin making it a great day.

The clock just moved past the eight o’clock hour and the sun is busily teasing my sight with its blinding rays as it moves downward and dodges the umbrella and shower curtain to shield me as I work.

There’s a cool breeze plowing through and it’s keeping the leaves in the trees and the wind chimes dancing and dueting with swishes and clangs. It is so comfortable but the 76 degrees is sliding downward toward 60 degrees. Still, it is dry and comfortable on the deck.

I worked from 9:00 AM until 4:30 PM in my study without a break, finally showering and dressing to head over to Mama Kay’s back steps where I sat reading until she pulled up to head off to dinner. We went to Jersey Mike’s and were joined by Libby, Mila, Maria, and Kay’s cousin, Sue. It was an enjoyable time. One gentleman, upon leaving, congratulated me on the fact I was surrounded by five lovely women. Little did he know, I jokingly said, that I was more of a prison warden than a chick magnet.

I continue listening to the audiobook, TRUMAN, by David McCullough and I am now down to 38 hours remaining. The book is now at the pivotal moment in our history where Truman was being considered for the 1944 Democratic ticket alongside President Franklin Roosevelt. I especially liked the 1940 presidential election because Wendell L. Willkie, from my hometown, was the Republican presidential candidate running against FDR. The family and townfolks’ stories are still exciting to learn.

Tomorrow, teaching resumes but with an altered schedule due to students involved in technical rehearsals for THE MUSIC MAN. A good chunk of the morning will be devoted to mowing the yard and trimming. Due to the tremendous amounts of rain over the past week, the backyard shall likely be a challenge.

And, with that, Chief, Erma, Bailey, Harrigan, Harry Truman, and I are back to our regularly scheduled program.

It’s sticky from the humidity and it has been raining steadily since around 8:00 AM. I relaxed and read from bed all morning and now am dressed for my afternoon outing to the park.

Last evening, Laura and I went to dinner before heading to The Neon to see the 7:15 PM showing of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN. It was my second viewing and I loved the humor and inspiring story, even more, this time. Maurice Flitcroft was something else and the movie beautifully told his story.

The heavy rains are to be with us in abundance today and tomorrow. I am now fussing over the need to mow but it is out of my hands. For my flowers, I do appreciate the free watering.

It’s time to continue making it a great day!

PHOTOS: Maurice & Jean Flitcroft and my last two Mary Lincoln day lilies for 2022

The day began with rain and it seems it will end with rain. Lots of rain.

Surprisingly, the rain showers did not hinder guests from enjoying the park. I figured it would be a low turnout but I was pleasantly surprised. Guest came armed with rain gear and umbrellas.

There’s always a good number of grandparents bringing their grandchildren to the park each day throughout the week. With the number of grandparents bringing grandchildren into the park, today, you would’ve thought it was national “take your grandchildren to a historical park day.” My mothers parents were a solid part of my growing up and we’re also quite present in my adult years. I absolutely love seeing grandparents and grandchildren spending time together.

A husband and wife from Michigan decided to visit us at the park after spending time at the Outer Banks where they took in the Wright brothers memorial at Kitty Hawk. The husband had grown up in Dayton that had not lived in Ohio for nearly 40 years. After spending some of their time with us, they were headed up to Detroit to visit the Henry Ford Museum in Greenfield Village.

After about 10 minutes of research, I discovered Patterson Field was named in honor of Lieutenant Frank Patterson, the son of Frank Patterson who cofounded NCR with his brother, John.

Mission accomplished.

The husband and wife thanked me several times and as I was leaving the building, they pulled up in their car beside me to thank me again. I appreciated their gratitude, but this is the kind of stuff I absolutely love doing.

Saturday’s forecast included 90% chance of rain but as since been changed to 56% chance of rain. Regardless, it will still be too damp to mow so that may need to wait until Sunday when it will hopefully be drier.

I’m on the No. 1 bus returning to the downtown hub so I can take the No. 17 back to The Haasienda. After leaving the park, I decided to go to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants instead of returning directly home.

At 8:30 PM, I’ll be greeted by the dearest Canine Quartet. After changing clothes, I’ll settle in for more research on Barn Gang fellows, as well as other NCR folks like John Patterson and Thomas Watson who went on to head up IBM. What an impressive lineup.

This morning, I vowed to make it a great day. Mission accomplished.

When an 1845 CINCINNATI CHRONICLE article described Dayton, Ohio “…it may be fairly said that Dayton is the gem of all our interior towns…”, there seemed to be little effort to prove that title over the following one-hundreds years when the city knew no bounds as to the lingering impact it would bring the world.

One-hundred seventy-seven years later, I still find remarkable jewels that are embedded in the Miami Valley’s diadem that maintain The Gem City’s sparkle. The Neon movie theatre is one of my favorite gems.

In 1994, I went to The Neon with some friends to see a movie and I felt no connection to the iconic business. I didn’t return again until around 2004 to see the romantic heart-tugger, LADIES IN LAVENDER, and a bit later, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED. By this time, Neon’s manager, Jonathan McNeal, was at the helm, creating a marvelous atmosphere and giving patrons few excuses why they should not visit The Neon quite often.

From 2000 to 2018, I was busy as a single dad and occasionally visited The Neon when I wanted to be a bit selfish and not include The Sons and their friends. We generally went to movies at The Greene and Danbury South to see movies more to their liking. However, occasionally, they’d join me at The Neon.

The game-changer of my becoming a regular visitor was the summer of 2018 when RGB was released. I saw the movie and returned six more times before someone explained I could actually own the movie! I won’t go into the reasons, now, but RGB had a tremendous impact on me. Then, I saw WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? five times at The Neon.

Throughout 2019, following the sudden death of my younger brother in February, and then my mother’s death six months later, the day after Dayton’s mass shooting, The Neon became a sanctuary where I discovered ways to heal through cinematic art.

And, then, the covid quarantine arrived in March 2020, and my severe need to keep my distance from the world kept me away from The Neon for eighteen months. With a brilliant stroke of possibilities, Neon’s offerings became available online. I was grateful for the opportunity to continue watching The Neon’s selections but I missed the atmosphere and the attentive, dedicated staff.

Now, I am back to regular visitations, often seeing movies several times with different guests. Tonight, I returned to see THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN for the second time in six days and recently saw THE DUKE, three times, along with DOWNTON ABBEY, ANYTHING GOES, and a number of others. Next week, it will be MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS.

I love The Neon’s nice mix of casual with a balanced touch of class and how the guests are always treated like the stars on the most fashionable red carpet. The Neon truly is one solid gem right here in Dayton, Ohio, and that gem only gets brighter and more sparkly.

Thank you, Jonathan and Crew!

The deck is still too damp to work outside so I’m in my bedroom with the door wide open to the deck. It is not unusual for the deck door to be wide open in good weather so the dogs can come and go. In fact, the deck door seldom closes except when I’m away from the house.

Erma and Chief generally take up residence on the deck throughout the day. Bailey loves to lay off to the side, especially when the sun is out. Harrigan, most generally, is by my side or close by. The top of the deck steps that lead directly to the back yard, Chief takes his sphinx-like pose as though he’s Simba atop Pride Rock surveying his domain.

There’s not much to report this morning. Most of Wednesday was spent resting and reading. Today will probably be much of the same until it’s time to get ready for dinner and a movie with Laura. We’re planning to see THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN since she couldn’t join last Friday’s outing.

Happy 76th wedding anniversary to President & Mrs. Carter!

The day lilies are done with the exception of a few stragglers that will probably make an appearance tomorrow or Saturday.

Make it a great day!

The song, “Here Comes The Sun” is playing through my brain but with the word “rain” replacing the word, “sun.” The whitish-grey skies have placed a pall over The Miami Valley and the feel and smell of rain give more assurance as to what is to come. However, the breeze, swirling in from the south, is so comfortable and refreshing.

I hope to remain on the deck as long as there is no rain. The forecast for rain is not until around 3:00 PM, but I suspect it could be any time. The 74 degrees is wonderful and I am enjoying the duet offered by the resident cardinals, bellowing loud and clear. The one cardinal has been flying and landing near the deck for the past twenty minutes while a mourning dove has anchored itself on the wires near the deck’s southside.

The dogs are calm and moving about their morning, seeming both attentive and oblivious. I Zoomed with my London resident son while drinking coffee and we shared some good laughs, and the cardinals seemed to echo my laughter as they chimed in each time.

There was only one Mary Lincoln day lily out front and I could not determine if another was an actual blossom or one from yesterday that had not fully closed. I hate seeing them complete their tour, each summer, but what joy they provide when they are producing for two weeks.

There’s so little to report this morning. It is nearing 8:00 AM and I want to get moving on research. I have a new book focusing on the speeches of Charles Kettering which I’ve been eager to dive in to.

Make it a great day!

At 7:10 AM, a heavy rain shower passed through for a little over thirty minutes and I’m pleased I don’t need to go out to water flowers. The air smells fresh and for a short while, there is a coolness outside.

It was a restless night of sleep due to Harrigan and Bailey wanting to snuggle, still a bit anxious over the earlier fireworks. It was already warm and The Sisters added a bit of discomfort.

There is not much to report and I’m researching from my bedroom this morning.

There were still some Mary Lincoln day lilies dancing in the rain and today or tomorrow should conclude their 2022 world premiere.

Make it a great day!

It’s been a somewhat relaxing day, not unlike the previous two years with many things out of regular operation.

Around 7:15 PM, the “Pops & Booms” concert began with someone driving through the high school parking lot tossing out firecrackers along the way. There’s been an occasional “boom” every ten minutes or so that’s kept Chief and Erma wedged by my deck chair and Bailey and Harrigan under my bed. Of course, I’m guessing these concerts will continue for several nights.

Research has been slow. I’ve enjoyed listening to the McCullough TRUMAN audiobook. I’ve just over 47 hours remaining and I’ve arrived at the wedding of Harry and Bess Truman.

I shall probably be on the deck until late, enjoying the comfortable and pleasant weather. I may turn on the movie musical, 1776, or some other fun film or documentary. Yes, documentaries are FUN!