Super busy day today. The highlight was… Believe it or not… The video meeting with our town select board. Diane had helped organize all of our neighbors had an issue related parking along the preserve the land in front of her house.… Thanks to her we were super organized and presented a really good case. It was so interesting hearing all the discussion between the neighbors, the select board, the police department… It’s clearly a complex issue but I feel that we were heard… And we saw the right thinking taking place. I am glad to live In a town and in a state where democracy still works..

I hope we can get back to thinking that way as a country

nite all, nite sam

-me

img_8272.movGet into the end of a very nice four-day weekend . It was so great not thinking about work.

Spent most of the day working with my friends on the fire and water festival. We’re building a burning sculpture… Nowhere near as nice as our friend Chris could do it… But it’s fun to try to build something. This will be a 10 foot tall figure of king Louis sitting on his ‘throne’ Who’s head flies off at just the right moment.

We were trying to find a way to launch Louise 3 1/2 pound head… We tried springs, we tried bungees… Which sort of worked but was kind of unimpressive I finally decided to resort to some “G” rocket engines… These are much bigger than the kind you let your kids play with

I wasn’t even sure that these very powerful engines could lift a total weight of about 4 pounds… (That’s a lot for a small rocket)… But it ended up going 100 feet in the air and almost smashed newts car. It missed by 3 feet

It’s really fun figuring out these mechanisms etc. with my friends

Oh well… Back to work tomorrow.

nite all, nite sam

-me

This has been the strangest Fourth of July I can remember.… This holiday has been one of our family’s favorites. Every year we’ve been in town we’ve been part of the parade and fireworks in our our town… Nearly 40 years. This is the first time it didn’t happen (except for Weather)… We missed our family . The day brings back great memories of Hately conceived floats done at the very last minute… And the kids were older we were just go hang out at the Bressor,’s and watch the parade. It was always a time for a really good potato chips.… I missed it

Even so… It was a peaceful day. Diane and I hung out together and sat out front watching cars go by… That was our parade.

We walked the dogs, went for a run… Dianne garden and I worked on a project that I’m doing with my brother… Things we both enjoy doing. Around eight some of my friends started showing up for our movie night. We all kept social distance… Everyone brought their own drinks and snacks. And then we turned on the movie… We watched a Popeye cartoon… Then a video of some recorded fireworks… And then we put on Will Smith in Independence day. It came out in 1996… And I don’t recall ever watching it. It was great in a schlocky Hollywood kind of way. We had about 15 people spread across the yard watching it… And we had borrowed a very bright projector so it was really fun to watch.

Brad and family Give us a show a real fireworks from over there side of Route two

It’s funny… Watching that movie… I was thinking about the state that our country is in. I’ve never felt that this country was on as bad path as it is on now. I’m hopeful that it’s getting so bad that it will have to change directions. We simply need a regime change. We need to get back to a sense of common good, sense of equality racial justice… Back away from the divisive Ness that were in now. I love my country… Just not my government

Happy fourth everyone… Let’s try to turn this around

Nite all, nite sam

-me

I spent a good part of today with my friend Aaron (a.k.a. rebar) and later on my friend Newt working on a piece of burnable art for an upcoming festival we’re holding. The festival is about fire and water… It happens to fall around Bastille day so we are building a seated representation of King Louis the 16th… Sitting on his “throne”… Normally made of ceramic. At the right moment We’re making a mechanism that will make his head pop off.

Great thing to do with the Friday vacation day

Nite all, nite sam

-me