This-n-that: Black Mountain, Healthy Foods, Class, and Writing.

From the summit of Black Mountain
Click on photos to enlarge. 

We hiked Black Mountain today and probably shouldn't have. Bailey's limping a bit tonight, and I fell asleep writing an email. Ah well. The veterinarian thinks the limp is arthritis in Bailey's knee, so I gave him. pill tonight to reduce the swelling and calm the pain. He's lost another 3 pounds, so he's down near 10 pounds total since the liver issue surfaced. Tomorrow, the vet will call with his liver numbers He sure hiked well today, however.  

My neighbors, the Sullivans, gave me a large care package of goodies for my cold the other day. Who knew Annie's Granola Bars were so good and so good for you? I ate chicken soup tonight with two slices of pizza and a couple of tiny oranges (that aren't really oranges) that are so juicy. The bag included cough drops, heart-healthy nuts, and a fancy fruit drink that I'm saving for a special time ... There's so much more in the bag. Thanks, Sullivans!

I started my novel, Play On, Maine United!, during a sabbatical in 2016-17. I've picked at it over the past six years, but really dug in when I retired in September 2021. I shipped off the 280-page manuscript to my editor yesterday.  Now, the real writing in the form of revision begins. Gotta gear up! 

This morning, I organized my spring class, Seminar in Poetry Writing. Only six graduate students! For two of them, this will be their final class in our 33-credit program. In May, they'll earn their masters degrees. One student is from Switzerland, one's from Indiana, and the other four are from Maine. It'll be an entertaining class. They're good writers. 

Tonight, I watched Janet Mills' inaugural address on TV. What an absolutely brilliant manuscript and delivery. Her hopeful, inspiring, and poetic words should be studied in the schools. We're lucky to have her as our governor. 

Old Bailey waiting for Old Rich. 

See the mill smoke and fog in the River Valley?