at night i set out and go a few blocks south to a big wide park where it is somewhat expected that people run or walk around the edge, that's how they do it around here. people that need exercise go to these parks and run around them, on the chipped-gravel sidewalk paths that ring them. in this case it's about 3/4 mile around with wide grass in the middle where the dogs collect and have a jolly old time in the late afternoons; i however walk at night. orion and dozens of other stars loom above, more in fact than i used to see in carbondale which was maybe a tenth the size. why would we have more stars in texas? fewer trees maybe, or fewer clouds. i'm not sure.

unexpectedly i got all my old pop back (see below); what was remarkable about this photo site, called fotopic, in the uk, was that i had actually organized my pop a little, whereas, in the rest of my life it's pretty much wherever. the other remarkable thing was that, though it was a free site, it disappeared from the face of the earth one day (spring 2011?) and it was almost two years before I heard from anyone...but when they did write (i'm glad i kept my siu e-mail) they said, sorry, here are your photos back, if you care to zip them up and take them. which i did. you'll be seeing them, if i get my act together.

back from a walk, which could be as much as three or four miles, my legs are sore and almost don't bend. i sit on my floor but will actually have trouble getting up. i love walking but it's putting pressure on my hips and doing nothing for my shoulders which are about to fall off for failure to swim. something will have to change here.

it is however almost the end of the term. time to get a calendar cranked out, and some birthday presents. time to organize around the commercial possibilities too. it seems i could sell a few books, if i were just a tad more organized. i could also bind and produce a couple more, quick before the holidays and the trip to illinois. i could finally do a calendar, and organize calendar pop from years gone by. and finally, though i've missed a few opportunities, i could fix an instrument or two, and get out and play it, quick before those muscles atrophy also. i'm talking ear and finger here; the arm is already 'bout fallen off. finally, i could work on christmas, though even thinking about it wears me out.

half of west texas takes our street at one time or another, but it does die down once in a while. middle of the night, it dies down, middle of break, might die down then. i'll go out, and inspect the damage. pictures coming, though it's just urban texas. lots of crackly texas oak acorns out there on the red dirt. fall and its leaves, too. but i've done nothing, nothing to document it. time to get started, and see what i can put together.