We had a book meeting yesterday and things are moving ahead - not exactly "on schedule," but close enough. We are finishing up the writing process and next comes putting pictures in place. This will be a huge undertaking as we have literally hundreds of photographs and scans of images to sort through and figure out what are most relevant and then how best to include them. I know some of you think you've seen just about every photo ever taken of West Danville - there are postcards that have been around for decades that indeed, most have seen at one time or another. However, we've dug really deeply into  people's personal photo albums and the collections at the Historical Society and I know we'll have some very pleasant surprises for you in the book.

I like this cooler weather, but unfortunately, I've managed to wreck my back somehow. It was a strange onset - usually I bend over or reach for something and my back catches, but this time I did my usual stretching exercises this morning and went out onto the deck to check for any precipitation at the rain gauge, and walking back inside, away it went. It's been only downhill from there and I'm really uncomfortable.  My office chair is very straight and is the most comfortable, but even then I'm tense. I've been fortunate not to have back problems for a long time, but somehow I must have irritated it and something has put me over the edge into full-fledged back blowout.

For those of you who have left the area for the winter, you may be interested that there is a new home being built above Barre Avenue, overlooking the pond. It is a very nice location, and will be for one of the Rubalcabas. Not sure if it will be year-around or not, but being just off of Route 2 on West Shore Road, it would be a perfect year-around spot.

There is eventually going to be a log cabin on the Joe Labbe lot on Chatot Road. A couple from Connecticut, I believe, bought the lot and the cabin will go up presently.

Further up West Shore Road, Joanne Davis's camp is on the market after all these years.

Shelly Walker's boathouse is nearly finished. It got a pretty complete make-over this summer and is once again looking good and sturdy.

This is the time of year building projects need to be closed in, at least, if not finished before cold weather sets in. Another fall project is for the town to hone the roads. Cabot did that today. It is good that no rain is expected for several days, so it should get a chance to be well packed down by the time we do get some rain. That should help keep the potholes from reappearing right away.

Bill, Monika and Tangeni were with us on Saturday. They arrived back from Namibia about two weeks ago and we were anxious to see their photos and hear about their trip. Monika said on their way to Windhoek from Oshakati, they encountered giraffes and elephants in the road. She said they usually don't see them along the road that way. It might be because they are having a severe drought right now and both water and food are difficult for animals and humans alike to find so animals are exploring regions they would normally avoid. The northern area of the country has seen a severe reduction in rain amounts since 2013. This has resulted in over 50% less food being produced, so people are facing starvation. To read more, the BBC reported  on the situation in April, 2019. For an already very dry region, having no rain during the normal rainy season, is devastating. Monika said she is very concerned, especially for the children and elderly.

Here, we are watching the leaves turn very gradually. The increased numbers of grass hoppers, dragon flies and daddy-long-legs spiders are all a sign that summer is about over. I haven't happened to hear crickets yet, but I'm sure they are out there, chirping away. Autumn is an interesting time as everything seems to slow down.