Yesterday was probably the hottest day of the summer, but we managed to stay quite cool inside our closed-in and well-shaded house. We had two fans going in the bedroom most of the day, which made for a fairly refreshing haven for us. In the evening, as the yard was fading into darkness, we sat in the sunroom, with just the light of a small lamp, and talked for 30 minutes or so. It's starting to be sort of a custom for us, these quiet conversations in the evening. The last of the birds have left the feeders, the yards around us seem to be settling into silence, and a sense of restfulness is with us in the small room at the end of the house. Our words are usually softly-spoken and kind-hearted, a quiet way to bring a day to a close. 

Today is cooler, at least a little. Still a sunny sky, and still a parched yard and garden, but a cooling wind, thankfully, is wandering around the neighborhood. This morning I spoke to the PPS faculty about what I learned about good teaching, and it was a very emotional experience for me. I was almost in tears several times. Here I was, in a school where I had spent almost half of my life, among teachers some of whom I greatly admired, and it was as though I had come "home", in a surprising and winsome sort of way. I was actually glad to slip away before lunch, for fear my feelings might carry me away if I stayed too long. 

The walk by the library, Pine Point School