June 17, 2022 a thought for today, Life without battle is life without victory. African Proverb

The photo for the 16th day of gratitude month for me is this lone goose representing the peace of life. 

We are having another hot, hot day. I have done my best to stay out of it for any length of time. Today may be a little different. Lowell finally has some time to go with me to look for a car. I have three listed for a possible look. Something came up so he will be delayed a little. Hopefully there will be a good one available. It is really hard to shop for a decent used car. I have done most of my “shop ping” on line.

My second upload for yesterday was a trash receptacle partially hidden behind the column. I like the artful features of lines and shapes and a suggestion of mystery. 

I had started this letter earlier in the day. I am back from the car shopping....I HAVE A CAR!! It has a whole lot of features on it that my 1999 Toyota didn’t have. As a matter of fact it is “fully loaded”, whatever that means. Now I have some learning to do. For a while it is just going to be pushing the start button (new... I use to have to use a key) and put it in drive, adjust the mirrors and the seat belt and go. We called from the dealers to switch my insurance over. It took over four hours to get all the paperwork done so I am not going to get much more done today. Fortunately most of it took part in the air conditioned building, and the AC worked great in the car when we took it for a test drive. 

The 17th day in the month of gratitude is this set of steps overgrown with foliage in a peaceful path upward. 

The word for today is affection.  Love is not to be purchased, and affection has no price. St. Jerome. Affection should not be too sharp eyed, and love is not made by magnifying glasses, Thomas Browne. All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action, James Russell Lowell. Affection is like bread, unnoticed till we starve, and then we dream of it, and sing of it, and paint it, when every urchin in the street has more than he can eat, Emily Dickinson. Affection is the broadest basis of a good life, George Eliot. Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It's true that nothing in this world makes us so necessary to others as the affection we have for them, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth, African Proverb. Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage, Lao Tzu. The word is a sign or symbol of the impressions or affections of the soul, Aristotle. Though the human heart may have to pause for rest when climbing the heights of affection it rarely stops on the slippery slope of hatred, Honore de Balzac. Hope is the most beneficial of all the affections, and doth much to the prolongation of life, Francis Bacon.   It is sweet to feel by what fine spun threads our affections are drawn together, Laurence Sterne. 

Today’s second upload is an image of some workman replacing slate on my neighbors  roof. The photo was shot with the Venetian blinds down and open. 

Here’s some information on a favorite place to visit in Ohio, Hocking Hills. In October 1966 on a weekend there was an overflow of sightseers...on Saturday 5,434....on Sunday 11,814. The sheriff’s department had to direct traffic for over two hours on route 33 and 664. There are caves, waterfalls, along with the geology and sandstone features making for wonderful hikes and sight seeing. In the fall there is a storm of color in the falling leaves. During the pandemic visitors came to Hocking Hills for peace and quite. It is estimated that there are up to 5 million visitors a year. All of those feet meet the “fragile, sandstone-filled microclimate”. Changes have been made to protect the flora and fauna, some of these changes have been “institution of one-way trails”, 6 feet wide . They had become 8 to 10 wide by traffic going in both directions. It not only added protection to the landscape it also added safety. The initial reason for the one way paths was generated from the COVID safety measures in separation attempts. According to the article it can take 20 years for some of the pant live to grow a foot making it necessary to cut down on human contact. In the article it is recommended that to avoid crowds it is bet to visit early in the week. During the pandemic one lady started a Facebook group relating to the Hocking Hills. 

PIZZA!

Joy 

yellow tape for safety