A lot of wildflowers still blooming this week, including oxeye daisy, honeysuckle (finishing), basil balm, wild hydrangea, water cress, yarrow, privet, common fleabane, lyre leaved sage (finishing), common cinquefoil, bicknell’s cranebill, Deptford pink, black medick, common speedwell, venus looking glass, white clover, wild rose.
I have been eating some peas from the greenhouse and taking walks all week. I should have some cherries this weekend. With the Flonase my energy is better.
Today is my last class for this week and things are going well, just four more classes to go.
This morning I changed the oil in the generator and cleared around the door of the cabin so you can see where the copperhead is.

I have loaned Mark the 5K and I wish him well. I told him he can come out and help me here and there and each time it will reduce his loan by 100.
My maymester first week is over and I am pretty tired. I have 14 students and I worked pretty hard all week keeping up. Now I will do some work over the weekend but I don’t have to rush.
I drove out to Wolf Creek after practicing my saxophone in my office (it is the second day in a row and my hands aren’t too bad). I was very tired but I did fish some and I got a nice trout on a wooly bugger.
I have been hiking a good deal during the week and I identified Bicknell’s Cranebill, a new one for the hollow. The house is in good shape but I do have a few things to do this weekend, including treating the gate area with Thompson’s.
I still have peas growing in the greenhouse but the strawberries are done.
I sent out an abstract for the Samla conference and I hope it gets accepted. Winston-Salem isn’t an idea spot but it might turn out to be a good quick break.

Time has passed quickly since my last entry. Dolores’ visit has come and gone and it went well except for a couple of brief political disagreements. We had a great time in Charlotte with an excellent meal at Capital Grill and we did a lot of walking downtown. On the way back we rode bikes at Foster’s Falls and then played golf and had a fine time dining at Alexander’s and playing golf a couple of times (Dolores just chipped and putted but had fun). One late evening I had to cut a tree that had fallen on the Sisson road and luckily I had a charge sawzall and rope to accomplish the task. On Thursday, we had a terrific lunch with Gyorgyi and then we had a spectacular ride to the Peaks of Otter with visibility over 50 miles. On Friday I drove D back to Charlotte and after dropping her off I played golf at the Renaissance course and then had dinner at P.F. Chang’s.
Today (Sunday) I cut the rest of the fallen tree, cut the grass, played golf at the Meadows, watched the Heat beat the Pacers, then drove to my office to print out my Maymester stuff.
Mark Burnette e-mailed me and I told him I would loan him the 5K to start up his mowing business.

My lower stomach bothered me again yesterday but some painkillers subdued the pain and today I am in good shape. I wonder if it is the golf that does it?
I have a few things to do for Dolores’ visit but most of it will be done Thursday and Friday. I will try to see Rob, Gyorgyi, and Jeff and Rachel at least.
The greenhouse is still producing, with some final lettuce and some strawberries. I am still eating fresh asparagus out of the orchard garden.
I changed my withholding on my 403B so I am now putting away 1500 a month instead of 1200. That should help cover all my expenses in December, the trip to Charleston, the trip to Big Bend, new tires and presents.
I fished this morning with George and the fishing was slow although George got a red-eye and I got one nice bluegill. He knows how to fish to be sure. I hope we can fish again when it warms up.
I am giving my 203 final and after I grade that I should be done until Maymester begins.

I have rethought taking a semester off and I think I will just do the Alaska trip the following summer and perhaps this winter I will take the desert trip. Taking a whole semester off would be very costly and I’d rather have the financial flexibility.
I had a good hike this morning, walking the steeper part three times and then cutting the grass up at the orchard. It looks very nice but I will cut it again before Dolores gets here.
Back at the house I did my weights and yoga and then headed off to get my truck fixed. Fortunately, they are going to cover it with the warranty.
I am a little nervous about the curriculum meeting this afternoon. I hope nobody asks any tough questions.
Yesterday I sold my crushed flute and my high school ring for 265 dollars so that was nice. I hadn’t expected 100. I also thought I was going to have to pass on golf, since Auburn and the Meadows were closed, but Castle Rock was open and I played well out there, shooting a 47, with the last four holes from the white tees. I chatted for a long time with Amy, the waitress at Applebees, and that was nice.

It is a rainy Sunday but I got a hike in (and identified corn salad) and heard both wood thrushes and scarlet tanagers (the latter I was really worried about).
Back in the house I rode the bike for 30 minutes.
My weight is 214 but my belly is still hurting today (I did play golf yesterday) but I am going to see what happens when I get down to 210. That should help the scars from the surgery from stretching. I haven’t had to take any pain killers so the pain is manageable.
I am also done with my grading (half a paper and half a portfolio left) so tomorrow should be nice and easy. It is supposed to rain so I doubt that I will play golf tomorrow even if my belly is feeling better.
I did my second open house on Saturday and though I only had 2 people show up, I did a good job talking to them.
My finances are stable but I have to slow down on spending money. I went overboard when I got my back pay and now it is time to conserve a little.
I have been in the hollow for over 2 and ½ years since Tracy left and I really want to stay at least till 65. That will of course depend on my health. I think retiring at 64 is very realistic but I may take fall 2013 off to write and to travel. Then I would teach at least another semester.

I am grading papers and portfolios this weekend and I am not too happy. I will be very glad when things are over.
I have to go in to do my second open house in a row and that is going to cut down my grading time even more.
My walk this morning was fine. I saw field mustard, black raspberry, white and purple violets, ragwort (finishing up), ground ivy, wild strawberry, yellow cinquefoil, lyre-leaved sage, wild geranium, star and common chickweed, garlic mustard, henbit, small flowered crowfoot. I haven’t heard a scarlet tanager yet and I hope they will be here soon. More good financial news. I will be getting a 3% bonus in December and a 2% raise in December 2013.
I had a good time fishing the north fork preparing for George’s visit on Monday. I caught a very nice rainbow right in the bend pool and had several other fish following my spinner.
After that I took a nap and then did my yoga and weights and then drove into town to ride my bike at the corporate research center and chat with my Aunt Marie about Richard.