How to describe it? Refer to specifics. Got an eggbound chicken or she’s broody, not sure which. I ask and everyone has differing ideas. All I can think right now is that this is what about today I will recall when reading this dispatch.

I might remember doing the morning distribution with Pierre, a volunteer, in the wind and rain. He had a lot to say. I was in the mood to listen.

Or I might remember that this afternoon, when crossing the front area of the equestrian center, adjacent to the arena, that blurry spots like water droplets appeared in front of both eyes.

Shortly thereafter, after entering the France Equestrian Center, the drops disappeared and I began to have a headache. This was right when a shitload of free-range children, and I do mean a shitload, appeared in the doorway of the France Equestrian Center, en masse and then entered the combined Bright Lights / Kids Kupboard space. They were near instantly underfoot. I thought, my head is pounding. I got to get out of here.

I had started to pack up books in bins for distributing – I finished this and then went outside and put them on the picnic table. Then I put them in the cart, and with Pete, took off and distributed the contents.
Pete tried hard to empathize, but he had no problem with the noise or children underfoot.

The day started out blustery, but by the time we left the equestrian center, the wind was blowing very hard. On our return trip, it started raining. We did get all the distributing done and we stopped at the Potato Palance and got baked potatoes. Our friend Dan works there. There he was, in a camping hat with a brim, putting ingredients on potatoes. It did seem, as he’d said, that this was nonstop and thus very tiring work.

We ate our potatoes under a shelter and I, facing the midway, checked out the rides. The storm was rolling in, and the multi-colored lights shone brightly. I looked at those rides and thought that I had no desire to go on any of them. And I thought that when I was in my pre-teens I would have gone on all of them. All I could think was that this would be nauseating. Also expensive.

Well, maybe I would go on the Ferris wheel. Maybe.

On the return distribution route, I picked up bags from Cindy for Sunday’s story time with Ali-gator. I’m going to need to find books for the bags – I am nearly out of dinosaur and amphibian books. It’s going to be a whatever goes, goes sort of deal.

Now that I am home, my head is no longer hurting. I think it was stress related. I have 11 more days of this. The best I can do is take it one hour at a time.

Next: 232. 8/30/26: Doing What I Do