Musings and Thoughts for Saturday, August 31, 2024, or: So Ends My First (and Last) Summer in New England

Midday/Early Afternoon, Saturday, August 31, 2024, Madison, New Hampshire

Hi everyone,

Today is not only the first day of the weekend, it’s also the last day of the month and the last day of meteorological summer. Because Madison is in the mountainous region of New England, it’s the coldest place I’ve been at this time of year since my mom and I left Bogota, Colombia in 1972.

It’s a gray and dreary day, too. The temperature is 67°F (19°C) under cloudy skies, and it feels like it as well. It’s not bitterly cold; I could go for a walk without bundling up or wearing gloves. However, the forecast calls for light rain throughout the day, and since I’m going to work on my novel later, I don’t foresee myself going for a stroll up and down Huttwill Drive, even though the high will reach 71°F (22°C).

Back in the early ’80s, Dade County Public Schools would kick off the school year around this time. In the ’70s, I don’t remember starting before Labor Day, but by the time I hit 10th grade, the first day was already in late August. I have mixed feelings about that; starting high school at South Miami was so nerve-wracking that I barely slept the night before (which I called First Day Eve) and had some weird first days as a Cobra. It’s funny how attached I got to my high school, given how miserable I was at times.

Even though it’s Saturday and I probably should chill, I’m planning to work on Reunion: Coda for a bit. I might not get to writing the fifth vignette for Chapter 19, but I need to finish outlining it. I started the outline late yesterday but didn’t get far because it got late and I was hungry and tired. I’m halfway through the outline, so I’ll likely wrap it up today.

I also decided to add illustrations to the novel using Microsoft Designer. Learning how to use it took some time, but I’ve created some cool graphics. This diversion has kept me from writing anything other than my blog, but I think Reunion: Coda will look great with these illustrations.

I’ve said pretty much everything I wanted to, and since it’s almost time for lunch, I’ll say goodbye now. See ya later, readers!