Graduation of My Last Class etc.

I was in New Jersey last week to visit with friends, visit faculty and students at Ridge, and attend the graduation of my last class. I also got to attend an Eagle Court of Honor at Troop 15 in Glen Rock.

It was great to see all the bright and smiling faces of the students at Ridge I will miss you, so do stay in touch. It was also very gratifying that some alumni came to visit. It was great seeing Christina and Dean Roros, CaCarly ( it's a long story) Rosenberg and Ashley Wain ( my favorite - she says) and Kim Eng, as well as Sarah Bottini and Dan Marks who were there for their sisters' graduations.  Because graduation was indoors there were probably a few more of you who would have been at graduation, whom I didn't get to meet.

I noticed the faculty and staff all looked in great shape, somewhat different from my recollection of previous years when we all were dragging ourselves around barely surviving 'til graduation. It seems to me that my absence has reduced the stress level at Ridge significantly.

Well I got home Saturday and went back to work on Sunday. By Tuesday I had the window installed the doorframe built and installed, the doors installed, and some more molding in place, and no interest in doing any more work. I'll post pictures soon. I also went with Jean into Greenfield and somehow spent money on stuff I didn't know I needed.

Wednesday was spent straightening things up, moving tools to my shop and lumber to the barn. I then went for a walk with Jean and crashed for much of the late afternoon. Long car trips followed by a couple of 14 hour carpentry days take their toll.

Also on Wednesday, masons began rebuilding and expanding our stone patio.  They have made real progress since then. Imagine making a jigsaw puzzle out of large flat rocks using a chipping hammer. It would take me a month to do what they accomplish in a day.

Thursday was reclaim my life day. After loading some lumber scraps for Jean to take to the dump ( I know, but she really doesn't mind and they charge her less to dump stuff), I went for a bike ride of about 30 miles. After lunch Jean and I drove down closer to the Connecticut River where there are some flat roads and rode about 14 miles. We passed an amazing field of strawberries which I came back to on Friday.

Friday began with the dentist followed by more tool buying and then made much more rewarding, by stopping at the strawberry farm and buying some the best tasting berries I've ever had. Because of the mild weather crops are earlier and better than usual up here.

The guys who did our septic and foundation and drainage work are about gone and most things look pretty good. Two weeks of dry weather have hurt the new grass, but it will come in eventually.