Lots of Little Stuff to Report

Classes are off and running. I have twenty-nine students on roll in the university life section I teach. We have met class twice, and they appear to be a serious group. Since most are pre-nursing majors, they will need to be very serious students in order to make the cut and get into the program later. I am enjoying getting to know them.

Had one helluva day last Saturday at the Lebanon community farm. Was mowing the big hayfield and had sectioned off a larger portion of it that I felt I could manage in one day's cutting. About 80% through, Saturday afternoon, the bush hog stopped cutting. I found a sheared bolt underneath the gearbox on the mower, so headed ten miles to town for another one. Since I was on the tractor (trailer I have ordered was not yet finished), had to drive at 20 mph all the way back. One 88 cent bolt cost me the rest of the afternoon. I was frustrated but realized this is the farmer's plight.

Cut grass in the yard at Lebanon house over the weekend as well as the grass at Mom's. In other words spent six hours or more on the Huskies. Plus about 8 on the John Deere in the hayfield and running up and down the highway.

Finally saw Marion Medical and Gwen (PA) Monday for "lower digestive tract" problem I had had sporadically since Sturgis return trip. Put me on Flagyl, an antibiotic which I hate. Leaves terrible after taste that stays with you. But it does kill bacteria--it's what they give me for diverticulitis flare-ups...Yuk!

More later. Be careful out there.....pd

Classes Begin

Today is the first day of the fall semester here at FMU. The library got busy right away. On the first day of classes we host a "Welcome" event out front, with punch and cookies and door prizes. Got to tour the new nursing building yesterday. It is a castle. My University Life section will meet there, and the classroom is high tech, with all the bells and whistles. Now, if my teaching can just measure up to the facilities available..... Looks like there will be 29 pre-nursing majors in my section.
It poured rain last evening while I was in Marion. Got drenched going to public library board meeting and coming out of the meeting 90 minutes later. Also got wet at post office, but it had just about quit by the time I got to Wally World. Rained more on way back to Florence. Glad I was not on the bike! ETV was doing a fundraiser last night with Doo-Wop music from my childhood, so I really enjoyed the performances and the songs from the fifties....

Back from Sturgis

Well, it was some trip! Left SC on July 30, arrived South Dakota on August 4, via NC, TN, KY, IL, MO, KS, and NE. Got rained on in Nashville in heavy interstate traffic. Dog on I-57 in eastern MO tried to take me out but managed to miss him.
Scenery was exquisite, even the roads I spent lost on in Tennessee. Stuck with interstates after that. Cousin Lee called that he was coming on out to Sturgis too. He left August 4 night and arrived Monday night August 7 after avoiding bad storm in NE.
I had already done Sturgis, Wall SD, the Harley show in Rapid City, the Black Hills HD store, etc. Lee and I toured Custer National Park, saw big bison herd; they blocked the roadway for at least 30 minutes. We also did Black Hills National Forest, Spearfish Canyon, New Castle WY, Custer SD, Devils Tower and Aladdin WY, and roads like Iron Mountain. Added 500 more miles to bike's odometer (entire trip was 4700 miles).
Harley got great mileage most of the time, 46-48 mpg.
On Wednesday after we did the Devils Tower trip, Lee continued on westward and called several days later to say he had made it to Alaska on his bike but that it was cold and wet.
I headed back eastward on August 11 and arrived back in SC on the 15th and back to work on the 17th.
Made over 200 photos, most of which turned out okay. Also added to postcard collection. Saw beautiful sunflower fields, millions of acres of corn and soybeans and some fodder, lots of hayfields and cattle too. Saw no hogs but certainly knew I got close to some hog parlors. Iowa was particularly odiferous. Came back via IA, MO, IL, IN, KY, TN, and NC.
It was a trip of a lifetime, covering 12 states in 17 days. ALso gave me an even better appreciation for home and for our blessings as Americans.