two weeks of classes left

I had a good week teaching and yesterday turned out to be a delightful day. I woke up and my bad knee was really bad (perhaps from the fishing and two bike rides the day before). I could hardly walk and I wondered if I was going to have read problems. I put on the brace and played some piano and then ventured out a bit and I walked really slowly doing a few things outside. I knew I couldn’t play golf or perhaps even ride my bike so I decided to head out and wander. I wasn’t sure of where to go but when I got to route 42 I decided to head out along sinking creek which I haven’t done in quite a while. It brought back memories of Tracy and I looking for places on 42, especially the one on the stream that we almost bought. I turned up 658 and it was fun to see the Black Diamond property again (it doesn’t look like they have built a lot of houses there) but there were a couple new houses and lots as I approached Johns creek. I then turned toward Craig Springs and when I got to 636 I decided to follow Dick’s creek road instead. It was a pretty road and I eventually got to the Craig Springs Christian camp and turned around. When I got back to 636 I followed that up across the mountain and down to Waitesville then down to White Rocks campground and then followed the North Fork of Stony until I got to the parking lot I usually bike from and stopped and tried biking and my knee was okay so I rode for 35 minutes. I wasn’t going to fish but I found a spot where I could cast from the road (so no problem with access) and I fished for about 25 minutes and though I didn’t catch anything, it was a lot of fun. Then I drove into to Bburg for dinner at Indian Gardens and then a walk on the Tech campus. I had a good fishing week on the North Fork of the Roanoke near my cabin, catching 4 fish one morning and then 1 more a couple days later. One bass and the rest were trout. I reseeded the lettuce again but today I ate a couple leaves from the largest plant. I probably have 10 plants but I am hoping the third seeding will take. The broccoli plants are doing well although one didn’t make it. The peas are doing well and I should have plenty. I have been doing morning walks and have seen many of the normal spring flowers: first coltsfoot, then Trilliums, chickweed, spring beauties, purple violets, ground ivy, redbuds. The Louisiana waterthrush is back, and I have heard field sparrows, Carolina chickadees, pine warblers and I think the worm eating warbler. I cut the grass once and since the water flow in the ditch returned I am certainly not going to cut the grass on the hill or fill in the ditch. I did a lot of trimming along the main road today as I walked very carefully down the road. I want to get ahead so when I get the surgery things won’t be too bad when I return. I cut up some patches for the shed in the orchard and the grass I planted near the greenhouse is doing very well. My office is almost done and I am sure I can finish up in less than a day. The Coleman contest worked out reasonably well and the reading is on Tuesday at 7. I still wish I could get more entries. I did some more financial planning and if I work an extra year (from 66 to 67) I will clear about 1500 more a year. The question is do I do it for that little. If I don’t I only have 3 semesters left. It is tricky because I don’t know what I can sell the hollow for. If I could get 250K for it, then three semesters is reasonable. I would be able to pay Tracy the 20% I promised her, pay off my equity line, and still have a few thousand left over. Much less than 250K and it will be tight. I think Cathy Gallo is getting a little better but I am worried about her.