All posts by Clay

About Clay

I've been a blogger since 2010 and I keep at it because of the community of readers I have come to know. Every day is a possibility and I intend to make every day count.

Day 27: Coyote Moon: The Legend of Ivy

Family, Life in General, Teaching and Learning, , ,
Ivy poses for the camera, her ‘heart’ is visible

The kids were in VBS for the remainder of the week and William at scout camp next week; I was somewhat in limbo. I had errands and other activities, but nothing compared with last week’s adventures or what next week and beyond brings. I think sailors would have called today the doldrums or a place where the wind does not blow. The doldrums are close to the equator where Earth’s spin does not provide enough of a force for constant winds to blow, hence the name – the doldrums. Continue reading Day 27: Coyote Moon: The Legend of Ivy →

Day 26: The Storm

Family, Teaching and Learning, , ,

Weather has been a topic this week in my writing. I have always been interested in weather going back to fourth grade I remember reading the book about hurricanes many times. Living in the Chicagoland area provides many opportunities to learn and experience weather. We have a humid continental climate with four seasons, short, hot, humid summers and long, cold, snowy winters. As a geography teacher, I want my kids to remember the type of climate we have and that it is similar to the climate experienced in north central Europe and stretches across north central Asia. Chicago and other American cities such as Detroit, Buffalo, Minneapolis, and Boston have such a climate. Worldwide such cities as Moscow, Helsinki, and Beijing experience the same climate as Chicago. The Midwest is affected by a weather phenomenon, we know as severe thunderstorms, which are influenced by the Gulf Coast moisture and cool dry air from Canada that only occurs in North America. It is also one of the few places in the world that experience tornadoes. In an effort to help students remember basic weather information and be able to compare and contrast weather to other places around the globe I use a 40-40 rule. The 40-40 rule explains the amount of annual precipitation and snowfall that Chicago receives. The actual average is 36.27” of precipitation (includes snow) and 38.0” of snowfall annually. Pretty close and it is easy to remember. Continue reading Day 26: The Storm →

Day 25: Patience

country, Family, teaching, travel, , ,
Patience is a virtue. Sometimes, I just need to be patient. The past couple of days have been days when I need to exercise patience with myself, my family, our puppy, but especially myself. Twenty-five days of summer vacation with fifty-seven remaining, they require patience.

There’s a hundred and four days of summer vacation,
‘Till school comes along just to end it,
So the annual problem for our generation,
Is finding a good way to spend it
Like maybe…
Bowling for Soup “Today is Gonna be a Great Day

The opening of the song says it all…really there are varying days in my family. For me, I will go back to school on Thursday, August 19 that gives me fifty-seven more days. My kids on the other hand start school on Tuesday, August 24, and so do my students, which gives them sixty-two more days of summer vacation so we have a problem how best to spend it….. Continue reading Day 25: Patience →

Day 24: Monday, Monday

Family, Life in General, pets, , , ,

Every other day, every other day,
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
You can find me cryin’ all of the time
Source

In the 1960s, the group The Mamas and Papas recorded a song that really fits today: Monday, Monday. The days are counting and melting away like a Popsicle on a hot summer day. The flavor does not matter, the days are just moving quickly. 58 days remain. Continue reading Day 24: Monday, Monday →

Day 23: Father’s Day

adventure, Family,
William, Olivia, Ivy, and I with Beth’s hydrangeas in the background

Father’s day is a difficult day for me. Sometimes I just do not feel like much of a father or rather that I do not provide good example for William or Olivia. Somedays I think I do a good job as a father and then there are the days when I am utter failure as a dad. Or, that it is that easier to be critical rather than coach. Perhaps it is because dad’s passing last year makes it more difficult to think about the role of being a dad. But, ultimately, I think it is because I want to do a better job as a dad and I just do not know how to do it. Continue reading Day 23: Father’s Day →

Day 22: Return to normal, or whatever that is…

Family, food, jobs, , , ,

I wrapped up the day with a trip into the backyard while Ivy took care of her business and looked upward into the heavens. It was a beautiful starlit night and I could see the Big Dipper plain as day. I never would have been out here at 10:30 at night if it were not for Ivy. It was an incredible sight and reminded me of how small we are relative to the larger parts of our world. I try to do the right thing but sometimes I simply get in the way. It is difficult being human. Tomorrow is Father’s day. We will go to church and celebrate somehow; it will be a family day. Continue reading Day 22: Return to normal, or whatever that is… →

Day 21: Homeward Bound – part 2

Family, travel, , ,

I did not finish yesterday’s post. What I mean is there is another part to the Homeward Bound and that is Julie getting home. I last saw her disappearing into the Terminal 2 security checkpoint at O’Hare and headed home. I had checked the weather Thursday night before going to bed that the forecast Friday for Chicago was thunderstorms and I checked when we landed and the National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch, as the conditions were good for bad storms. It was hot, 90° F, humid, and it made it being outside, no fun. The storms were forecast to hit the Chicago area in early afternoon. I was concerned Julie’s scheduled flight home to Memphis would be affected. Continue reading Day 21: Homeward Bound – part 2 →

Day 21: Homeward Bound

Family, Hobbies and Fun, travel, ,

It is never easy returning to America from Paris. I got up early in the morning, after staying up too late the night before and arrive at the airport by 7:30. It is going to be a long day, I doubt it will be a million and six times better than yesterday, but I am on my way home to Beth, William, Olivia, and Ivy and that is wonderful. I am excited to see them and I know they will have questions about the trip, though they have been following along and reading the blog. Traveling from east to west is always difficult because when you arrive it is only a couple of hours later than when you left and it is a nine-hour flight.  I leave at 10:30 AM Paris time and arrive in Chicago at 12:35 PM. Put in relative terms; my body thinks it is 7:35 PM and I am ready for dinner and bed, soon. Continue reading Day 21: Homeward Bound →

Day 20: My last day in Paris

Family, history, teaching, , , , ,
Chateau de Versailles, France

The last day the Watkins brothers would be together in Paris.  It was also the twentieth of summer vacation and I to make it count – it was going to possibly be the best day ever. Warren, Julie, and I leave to go home tomorrow morning; Julie and I will be flying together and Warren by himself. David and Trisha are staying an extra day. It was going to be a great day.

We got up early and met for breakfast and coffee in the basement dining room. Bruno was meeting Julie and taking her home for lunch with his wife and afterwards Julie would be spending time with Ritva. I am glad she was able to connect with friends of dad and her while she was here. I know it has not been an easy trip for her from getting around do being in a place that had been special for her and dad. The three brothers and Trish planned to go Versailles and have dinner – somewhere; but that was it. We headed out. Navigating the Metro was a lesson I wanted Trish to learn today as she and David are on their own Friday. I shared with her my secrets: look for connections, figure out where you want to go and backtrack, look at the endpoint – it is the direction you are headed, and lastly – do not be afraid to ask directions. We said to good-bye to Julie, walked to the Metro at Republique, and got rolling toward Invalides where we would interchange to RER C and get out to Versailles Rive Gauche and the Chateau de Versailles. Continue reading Day 20: My last day in Paris →

Day 19: Father’s Day comes early

adventure, Family, history, travel, ,

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
From “in Flanders Field” by John McCrea

Today was the day. We drove dad’s cremains to the place where he wanted to spend eternity. The logistics of getting all of us to France at the same time made it difficult and explain how almost eleven months after he passed away, dad finally came home. Julie, Warren, David, Trish, and I came together and came across the Atlantic to bring dad home. Julie had contacted as many of dad’s friends who she had remained in contact since he had retired 1998. Almost immediately a very close friend of dad and Julie’s who lived in Paris, Ritva, said she wanted to join us. There was no discussion; it was a great idea. Ritva would join us. As the trip came closer to happening, Ritva offered to arrange transportation to the area. Two other friends of dad’s also wanted to come; it was wonderful that old friends wanted to be part of dad’s final trip. Continue reading Day 19: Father’s Day comes early →