finally Thanksgiving break

It is Friday, the 16th of November and I am off for Thanksgiving break. I have had Dennis Anderson, the forester with the department of forestry, out to evaluate the land and he agrees that getting rid of the Ailanthus is the major concern. I of course also want to protect the smooth coneflower. When I went up with Dennis, I saw, for the first time since July, how that July windstorm clobbered the left side of the right side hollow where some of the biggest and most beautiful trees were. I had Andrew come out from VOF to see if it would be possible to horse log the fallen trees and use the money for the Ailanthus eradication and thinning the forest where the coneflower is. He should get back to me shortly. I did my evaluations in the 203 and the graduate class. I am worried that the grad students didn’t give me a good evaluation but I guess there is no sense worrying now—I will find out soon enough. I still have to do my 454 class and I think I will get good marks from them. I cut the grass today (or rather I cut up the remaining leaves) and that should help the grass. I also took a hike this morning and fixed up things in the house so tomorrow I will be able to leave by noon and stay in Winchester. Then I plan to stay in Bethlehem, PA and that way I can be in NYC by 11 so I can spend the whole day there. I talked to John and we joked a bit and I will see him on Wednesday at 7:30. My stomach was pretty upset for the past week or so but yesterday it settled down and today it was fine. I must have had a virus of something. I have two not too bad weeks of teaching and then a week of finals (only two) and I am done for a month. I hope I can do some writing over the break. I did send my return to kayaking poem out to Floyd County Moonshine and I hope they use it. Walked last night with Rob and I will walk with him tonight. Fay and Noah are totally out of control and he isn’t sure what to do. There may not be much he can do.