Tag Archives: hard work

W^2 – storms

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W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, June 17, 2026

a thunderstorm is heading our way – view of South Bay – Grayling, MI, June 16, 2026 3:35 PM CDT

It is that time of the year when late spring storms cross the Midwest. Yes it is still celestial spring for a few more days.  Last week’s storms spawned 11 tornadoes in Chicagoland.

Yesterday afternoon thunderstorms popped up by the lake in the afternoon and again in the evening. Neither of the storms were severe, but we did get rain and some hail and a lot booms which scared Fern.

Today severe storms will pass south of us at the lake, but will pass through home. We are keeping your fingers crossed.

a black and white version of the above photo

My brother’s visit was success and we had cool temps and very windy weather which kept us off the lake, but it was wonderful to visit and catch up in person.

There is always something to do and I have been going back in time on the blog and finding things which need fixing. When I started blogging in 2010, I was learning blogging and using WordPress. In the sixteen years since I wrote those posts, much has changed on the internet. I’ve discovered many of the images on MtDC’s older posts are not visible because the link has changed or some other reason, so I’ve been going back to restore the images and update each post – it’s time consuming, but fun to go back and realize how far I’ve come with MtDC.

When I began, I wanted to practice writing and put my words into action. One of first blog projects, after going to France with my step-mother and brothers in early June, was blogging while I was at summer camp with my son and his Boy Scout troop. I posted daily and sent an e-mail home to share. Blogging from camp  was a hit and I continued for the following two summer camps.  A form of it still happens on the troop’s website.

When I go back, I cringe at the writing, and I see how I’ve grown.  I also can see where WordPress has evolved as well.

It is also amazing to realize who far those scouts have grown, too.

Time moves quickly, especially when it is summer. Today is day nineteen of this year’s summer break and in a lot of ways I have made the days count, and in others I could have done better.

So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day,
And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
Today is gonna be a great day!

Making the Days COUNT, one day at a time. 

How is your weather?

Sign of the Week: Back to Back

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It’s Saturday and eighth day of summer break and I am feeling very relaxed and rested.

I was able to remember a few more of the promises I made about summer and acted upon a few before we left town for the lake. We arrived at the lake house very late Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. The dogs barked, but our daughter (who was already here) did not wake. We brought in the essentials before collapsing into our beds.

We fully unloaded Wednesday when we awoke to an amazing day.

We’ve been busy since. Thursday I ran to town for errands and got the fixings for dinner and thought I’d capture a few signs for this week’s post and I discovered one of the signs hadn’t changed since late April!

I laughed at this one which can be seen as you drive north along M93.
and I swallowed when I read this one… on the flip side of the first.

Friday was a lazy day. Truly, it was overcast and it rained.

yes, those are my feet…

This morning it was cloudy and wet from the overnight rain, but it has since cleared and the sunshines brightly. Which means my moments of writing are few and fleeting.

The local veterinarian always has good signs and I captured the signs below when we were here in February and the images were ‘out of date’ by the time I had time to write.

cats can be viewed driving west along M72
and dogs can be seen driving into town on the flip side…

There was snow on the ground and it was much colder than it is today. There is a breeze on the lake and it promises to warm to the mid-70s (about 24-26C). Hopefully, it will trigger more memories of other promises I made about getting a few chores done.

It’s Saturday and it is going to be a full day and as I think back to my first post at MtDC I am reminded,

This could possibility be the best day ever!
(This could possibility be the best day ever,)
And the forecast says that tomorrow will likely be a million and six times better.
So make every minute count, jump up, jump in, and seize the day,
And let’s make sure that in every single possible way,
Today is gonna be a great day!

So I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, because that’s how they come.

Do you have any promises you’ve made which are coming due?

Sign of the Week – School’s Out

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I have been driving past this sign for years. It’s next to the elementary school where my kids went and down the street from their high school. The church sponsored my son’s Cub Scout pack and the sign has been dispensing encouragement and reminders for years.

School’s out for summer and today is Day 1.

It’s a beautiful spring afternoon and I am trying to remember all the things I promised I’d do when summer came – but there are too many to remember. So, I’ll start with the lawn, then the mulch, and maybe my memory will return. Until then, I am going to have fun and stay safe. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, especially when getting started is the hardest thing to do.

What’s is a hard thing for you to get started with?

Sign of the Week – blessings

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It’s the third Sunday in May and I am winding down on another year of teaching. There are eight days remaining in our school year with the kiddos, then it’s summer break and another opportunity to rehearse for retirement.

Sunday May 3rd, on the way how from somewhere…. blessings > problems

I was reminded by the sign below that I have a great deal for which to be thankful. I found it a couple of weeks ago, and I found the time this morning to write about it.

A week ago, I had a flashback to my first year of blogging and I reached out to a parent of a former student from the 2010-11 school year. It was my first year of blogging and she introduced me to another blogger whom she had met the summer before. I was, and still am, thankful. My message was brief and it took several attempts to find the correct email address before the message went through without a mailer-daemon reply.

Good morning,

I am not sure if this going to work… but I’ll give it a try.

Thought of you and your son this morning as I started my day – it is the day the first Coca-Cola is served in Atlanta!

I remember your family came back from a trip to the UK with a copy of a CD by One Night Only as it wasn’t available in the US.

My son – who’s your son’s age and grade, is now a firefighter paramedic, married, and has twin boys (18 months old). How is your son? And how are you doing?

I hope all is well, peace. BTW, I am still blogging at https://makingthedayscount.org

Semper sharkus,

I received a reply and I have yet to reply, but I will before the day is done. It was great to hear of my former student’s successes since he left my class, I knew he was destined for greatness as he showed curiosity, resilience, and great sense of humor as a seventh-grade boy.

Friday afternoon, I attended a retirement celebration for three of my fellow educators who are finishing their careers and retiring this year. One of them has been at our school since it opened in 2001 and many former teachers and administrators showed up for the party. It was wonderful to see so many people I haven’t seen for several years and catch up.

One of them was a band teacher who left about the time I had Edward, or maybe it was before. But it’s been a while. As we talked, he shared how he remembered the MtDC posts I would share via Facebook. I stopped sharing my blog posts on the platform when FB labeled them spam and contrary to the rules of the platform. I never understood how it happened, but it was probably a word or phrase that got flagged, so I stopped. The entire thing had me in knots, before I let it go.

Friday evening, it was hazy and humid early in the evening. May 15, 2026, 7:36 PM CDT.

It’s true I have far more blessings than I have problems as the sign says. Sometimes I just need the reminder.

In a few weeks, my sixteenth year of blogging will roll over to seventeenth. It is hard to believe it’s been that long, but it has. I have learned a lot along the path, and I know I am a better person for my years blogging.

Today is going to be a great day, if I can only trust it. It could possibly be a million and six times better than yesterday. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time making time to be present and patient.

What’s on your plate for the day?

Sign of the Week – Mother’s Day

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I have a few signs of the week that haven’t made it to the blog, yet. I am not sure if any of them are relevant anymore as time ran out before I could write the post.

This week’s sign is too good to allow to wither away on the vine. I found it by accident. I drove past this week’s sign Saturday morning. I was in the left lane and didn’t see it until I was almost past it.

This morning, I went back to capture the sign I missed yesterday. I’ve have added the sign to my ‘must curate’ list, and I will be driving past it more often!

Mother’s Day in our house means celebrating my wife by weeding, spring yard cleaning, and spreading mulch, and getting the yard and garden, and anything outside looking great for spring.

It’s a labor of love.

At the end of a day’s work, we sit down and have dinner together on the deck, if it’s warm enough.

Mom, me and younger brother Warren. My youngest brother hasn’t arrived yet. late 1963, or early 1964.

Every year on this day I think of my mom, and my stepmom.

Those two moms shaped me onto the person I have become. Like the craftsman that shapes a block of wood; my mother sculpted me by knocking off corners first, then craving, and sculpting me before sanding to finish me. My stepmother aided in the process. I would not be the person I am without those two.

photos of my stepmother – upper left clockwise – dad and her, as a baby, probably her mum, and Juliana was a young woman – long before my father met her.

And the rough spots that remain, are the dominion of my wife (and daughter) who continue the work of removing any blemish or growth that remains.

It’s a labor of love.

I am work in progress and I am trying to be a better every day.

I am already behind my self-imposed schedule so; I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Today is going the be an amazing day. Making the days Count since 1961, one day at a time with the help of some very special women.

What are you going to do to celebrate the day?

Sign of the Week – Love, Hope, and Joy

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This weekend has been a cold one. Yesterday the high was in the tens, low tens.

This morning, it was -4F or -20C. At the moment, it is 3F (-16C), but the sun is shining brightly.

I discovered this week’s sign on the way home from serving others at Loaves and Fishes. It was a cold afternoon and fewer folks than normal were out getting what they need. We stayed warm and I shared my favorite cold weather hack. After several years of working out of doors for a few hours each Saturday, I have learned that the best way to keep hands warm (and dry, too) is to wear vinyl food service gloves underneath my regular gloves. Works every time.

I parked the car and walked back to get the photo above.

It’s been a few months since this church’s sign has been featured here. The past few months it’s been sharing messages promoting church events and I’ve been patient waiting for this week’s message of love, hope, and joy. There are signs all over – Christmas lights on houses, wreaths for sale, and sadly there are too many signs urging me to make a purchase in stores all over.

As the sign suggests, I am going to use love, hope, and joy take me far. There are eleven days until. Christmas and I have five ahead of me in the classroom.

Sunday is always a busy day but there is room for love, hope, and joy. There is always is and I hope it takes me far. Today is started and it going to be a million and six times better than yesterday. I am going to stay warm by Making the Day Count or doing my best at it.

What signs are you seeing? 

Sign of the Week – Humor

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This week’s sign of the week was supposed to have been taken before Thanksgiving Break, but I never took the photo and left for a nine day break away from school.

It was needed.

Last Saturday the snow began to fall and it didn’t stop until Sunday morning; It was the largest single day snowfall we’ve had in more than a decade.

before break, I noticed the sign had changed and chuckled. It is fun to play along with the students and their language development. My generation had cool, groovy, and a few others that are cringeworthy to say out loud today!

Every Thursday and Friday I have bus duty at the corner for the carline. I’ve been doing carline duty for several years and I enjoy seeing the kids walking to school and the parents dropping tier kiddos off for a day of learning, I have even befriended (well maybe) a dog or two. The past few years I’ve had a partner at the corner, but she’s been out this year and I am looking forward to seeing her back next year – true, bruh.

I take my wireless speaker out with me and I play tunes as the kids cross the street and I wave the cars in for the drop off. I share a few high fives and a bunch smiles. When I finish, I am able to encourage the hallway stragglers to make it to call before the 8 o’clock bell. But this week the carline has been brutal and the carline has persisted past the first period bell.

Office Hedge is our school resource officer and he’ll will join me when he’s at our school. Thursday we took care of the line and had it clear by 8:02, with time enough to take the photo below. It was cold and it took my fingers twenty minutes to warm up when I went inside. Friday I was back at it again, but without Hedge.

We’ve got snow forecast for tonight into tomorrow morning with a couple more inches to add to the snow pack.

We have two more weeks before winter break and I am sure the kiddos have visions of sun plum fairies dancing in their heads. I know the teachers do, too.

It’s Saturday and today is always a busy day for me. I am off to Loaves and Fishes to serve others and get love in return. The rest of the afternoon are afternoon chores and maybe, just maybe I’ll get to enjoy a college football game by the hearth. Today’s going to be an amazing day so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, having a little fun and sharing joy with others.

How are you sharing joy with others this season?

 

 

W^2 – October sunrise

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W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, October 8, 2025

My drive to school usually takes about a half an hour, sometimes a little more depending on the weather or the traffic or both. I’ve been driving the same route for over 25 years and sometimes I take the road less traveled.

Herrick Lake Road service entrance for Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL October 2, 2025 7:14 AM

Last week, I took the road less traveled and passed by the forest preserve in full sunrise. It was a humid morning with ground fog which scattered the sun’s light. It was beautiful.

Herrick Lake Road service entrance for Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL October 2, 2025 7:14 AM

September was dry and warm, especially the second half of the month. This past Monday night it rained hard, and the earth soaked it up; then yesterday afternoon cool winds, clear skies, and high pressure moved into the area bringing cooler fall weather. It was great sleeping weather last night, but I don’t think I’ll get the same shot this morning. Only time will tell.

It is Wednesday and today is going to be a wonderful Wednesday. I am going to take the alternate route and see what the sunrise brings. Sometimes a diversion is the best way to tackle a Wednesday. Today could be a million and six times better than yesterday. I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, sometimes mixing it up on the way to school. 

Do you mix it up when you drive to same place?

W^2 – winding road

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Saturday, I took the longest hike in a long time – just under three miles with two dogs in tow. Or rather being towed by one dog and staying out of the way of the other.

In the past couple of years, I’ve gone on shorter hikes but I haven’t been getting out for longer hikes for more than a while. It’s a new year for the Take a Hike Challenge from the forest preserve and I skipped ’23 and ‘24’s challenges but I am back this year.

outward bound Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL September 6, 2025 3:53 EDT

Saturday Fern, Nova, and I walked through Herrick Lake Forest Preserve. It’s a favorite of mine, it’s close and a good length with forest and prairie landscapes with just enough up and down to get the heart moving while the feet are following each other round moving me from start to finish.

on the way back to the trailhead. Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL September 6, 2025 4:22 EDT

When I got home, I had enough energy to refresh the bird feeders and a few other chores before calling it a day. Fern and Nova were completely spent, too.

It is Wednesday and today is going to be a wonderful Wednesday. It’s the middle of the week and school has a late start with a faculty gathering first thing at 7:30 AM. The bells will ring before I know it, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one foot after another is way to tackle life.

Is there something you’ve recently re-started that you’ve been avoiding?

two signs this week – Sign of the Week

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Last week I came up blank, this week I have plenty of material. I can always count on churches, especially the churches up north near the lake.

NOTE: I didn’t see that I had left the ‘G’ out of the word sign so the e-mail notification read “sin of the week.” But it is still in the url….. oops.

I found this sign in Gaylord, Michigan after dropping off one of the boats for service and winterization. Gaylord is a forty-minute drive north from the lake and on the edge of the snowline in the lower peninsula. Last season the area received over a hundred inches of snowfall and was devastated by an early spring ice storm. Our place got less than a hundred and was spared the worst of the ice storm.

no caption required. Gaylord, Michigan September 1, 2025 10:20 AM EDT

The church’s message is a good reminder to be better every day. We all need help and in turn we can help one another, but together we can help a community. This church has been around a while as evidenced by the historical marker. They’ve been lifting people up for more than a hundred and fifty years.

It’s been a great week, and I finished Friday checking in the science safety agreements I handed out Tuesday. The turn in rate was pretty good at just over 70%, so I’ll be tracking down the remainder next week. For the coming week I’ll be helping my kiddos practice a few more science skills including the difference between an observation and an inference and encouraging curiosity.

I’ll be on the lookout for more signs, but I have a few more churches saved in case I come up blank again.

Today is going to be a great day. It will be busy helping people at the food pantry, then a few errands, and more to-dos than I have time, but I’ll make it count. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, helping kids learn and helping people get what they need.

Gaylord, MI September 1, 2025 10:21 AM EDT