It is Friday after school and it has been a week of weather. Storms, wind, sunshine, hail, tornados, flurries, and shirt-sleeve weather for an afternoon.
Scullen’s sign – we need spring vibes, please!
I took the photo above last Friday after finishing my morning bus duty shepherding parents as they dropped their children off for school. It is fun duty and I have struck up a friendship with a former student’s dog who always is along for the morning ride. At first, the dog parked at me, but now she (or he) just looks at me and makes eye contact with me as they drive past into the circle drive.
I figured I would have time last weekend to put together a “Sign of the Week” post, but somehow the time slipped through my fingers and here I am a week later writing that post.
We all go through storms and somehow we end up on the other side of the storm in a better place and maybe a little stronger for the experience.
The past few months I’ve been chasing my tail and trying to keep up. I never seem to catch up, but here I am.
Last Friday afternoon, I stayed late to grade papers and sort through the study guides I had collected and review the data from the summative assessment (teacher word for final exam) I had given in science classes. My students did well and I was impressed, I had been worried that the February slump we’d all fallen into had taken a toll on their learning, but their scores showed they had recovered. My persistence, stubbornness, and belief they had learned the content was rewarded. And so were they.
It had been a stormy Friday. When I walked out, the storms had passed and the setting sun was making an appearance as the storm clouds moved out the area. It was the perfect moment and a rainbow was visible.
Friday evening after the storm passed through Scullen Middle School, Naperville, IL March 6, 2026 5:41 PM CST
It was stunning.
Really it’s been a stormy week from last Friday’s thunderstorms to Tuesday’s violent thunderstorms with a reported F3 tornado a little south of us to the windstorm that plowed through last night, it has been a week of weather.
In some ways that is life, we roll with it make the best of what comes at us. We make the best of what we get, because what we get sometimes is not within our control. We Make the Days Count, one day at a time, sometimes fighting a wind, or sometimes catching the wind.
How are you handling the weather this year?
NOTE: I am leaving the ‘snow’ on until April. The forecast calls for snow Monday morning and we are really never out of woods for the possibility of snow until Mother’s Day in May. Really.
November has been a beast, October started it. Maybe it’s the leaves falling, or first quarter ending and second quarter starting. Either way, I feel as though I’ve been chasing my tail all month long.
Last weekend, I took a quick trip to the lake house – up Saturday afternoon and back Monday afternoon. It was a trip to replace the Nest thermostat which Google stopped supporting in late October. I figured (correctly) it would still work, but we wouldn’t have a way to check or change the temperature settings. O offered her Nest thermostat from her college house, and I took off when my Saturday shift at Loaves finished. I packed the car leftovers from the fridge for dinner when I arrived and both dogs.
It was a good thing I drove up. When I arrived, the thermostat was set to OFF and the inside and outside temperatures were the almost identical! 44F (11C) yikes. It was cold. I turned on the heat and within a couple of hours the cottage was a comfortable 65F (18C).
I am thankful I had the flexibility to take off for a quick trip to the lake.
I remember the weekend when I installed it in 2013. It is funny how the mind works. I re-read the post and like almost every post I reread, I found a typo or two. I also discovered I’ve become a better writer, and I realize that WordPress has developed incredible storytelling tools, even when I still must edit after I press publish.
I am thankful I continue to learn and grow, and I am thankful for WordPress. It was a good choice fifteen and half years ago and it is still today.
Sunday morning, I had a list of chores and a hope. I decided to tackle the thermostat switch, but I discovered that O’s thermostat wasn’t a good match and I needed a replacement. I checked Home Depot and discovered I could get one on Wednesday, so I checked where I bought the original Nest – Lowes and they had three in stock.
So, the dogs and I took off for the Lowes in Gaylord and a new thermostat. Hopefully this thermostat will last another dozen (or more) years.
Two hours, total. Up, back, and then a quick install and now we can monitor the climate in our lake house remotely.
On our way back to the lake, I saw the above sign; boy, do I love the wisdom. Gratitude and thankfulness, indeed it is a lifestyle, yet like many of the values and ideals in America it has a day set aside for it – Thanksgiving.
This year my school district switched the timing of parent conferences to October, instead of November and set aside the ENTIRE week of Thanksgiving as a break for teachers and administrators. This year we had nine days instead of six.
I am thankful for the three extra days; it makes a difference in where I am on the ninth morning.
After the installing thermostat I had another errand and few chores before cooking dinner and settling down for the night.
It was a beautiful day to be working outside; and my canine companions enjoyed the time to play, and I enjoyed the sunset and moonset. Monday morning, while practicing gratitude with Five Minute Journal app, I caught the most beautiful morning sunrise. I was at the right place at the right time for all three photos.
Sunday evenings’s sunset, 5:08 PM EST
Sunday evening’s moonset, 6:57 PM EST
Monday morning’s sunrise paints the early morning sky, 7:41 AM EST
I am thankful I was able to see the sky and enjoy the beauty of nature.
It is the ninth and last day of Thanksgiving break, and yesterday we received a good amount of snow, had it fallen during the school week it might have been a snow day, but it fell Saturday. The yard is beautiful and I am thankful I was able to get the yard mowed, as many leaves as I could gather, and finish almost all our Christmas lights up Friday.
There was one thing I couldn’t squeeze into Friday, and it was refilling the bird feeders. Saturday morning as the first snowflakes fell, I filled the feeders. A couple of hours later, I saw a bird I have never seen at the feeder. I snapped a photo and asked Merlin to identify it, and it came back – Dark-eyed Junco.
There were several Dark-eyed Juncos enjoying the opportunity to take part in a Thanksgiving feast of their own. The bird feeders continue to spark my curiosity and learning. There is always something at the feeders to see and wonder.
I am thankful for the family of bloggers who encourage my curiosity and challenge me.
It has been an amazing break, and I have done the things I needed to recharge and finish 2025 strong. When I started writing t was Saturday and I was by a warm hearth, and it was snowing. It is still snowing and the fireplace has gone cold, for the moment. Today is going to be an amazing day, it could be a million and six times better than yesterday. But I will ever know unless I jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days COUNT, one day at a time, practicing Thanksgiving as a lifestyle, not a day.
What’s on your gratitude list?
The video above was created in October during our visit over the Columbus Day\Indigenous People’s break
W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Yesterday, I had heard about the possibility our area would be able to see the northern lights, but by the time I had gotten home I had forgotten.
the Aurora Borealis from my backyard – Wheaton, IL Tuesday, November 11, 2025 7:55 PM CST
Fortunately, I saw several messages from friends with their photos of the Northern Lights and I went outside to see for myself.
At first I couldn’t see them, but my daughter joined me outside. While she stood beside me she pointed and said she could see them – her eyes are better than mine. So, I trusted her and used my phone camera to capture them – it is more sensitive to the light than I am. What a beautiful sight. The light pollution in our area limits what we can see, but I have to trust that it is there.
Some times I have to let the light shine and trust that it is reaching me. It’s Wednesday and middle of the week and I am going to make the day count. It is going to be an amazing day. I know it and I can feel it, so I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day.
When was the last time you had to trust that something was there, even if you couldn’t see it?
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.
I am a sucker for a sunset, especially when the sun sets over water.
last night’s sunset – Lake Margrethe Grayling, MI September 13, 2025 7:46 EDT
I am skipping this week’s sign of the week post because there are so many signs that fall is coming, then winter.
Last week I noticed acorns in the driveway and sidewalk from the towering oak tree across the street. I’ve noticed it is getting light outside later and dark earlier in the evening. Last night, I noticed that the location where the sun sets has shifted from the west end of the lake towards the hills and the next time, I visit the lake, the shift will be even greater. I’ve noticed fewer hummingbirds at the feeder than a couple of weeks ago. The signs are here.
Memorial Day weekend sunset – Lake Margrethe Grayling, MI May 24, 2025 8:54 EDT
It is Sunday and the cottage is quiet. Even the dogs are tired after yesterday’s work party. We’ve got a few more chores before I return home later this afternoon as I drive into today’s sunset.
I am going to relish in the last few moments of solitude before I jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Today is going to be a great day. Making the Days Count, watching the world come into and out of focus.
Summer break, my annual audition for retirement began yesterday after I finished getting my classroom cleaned, organized (that might be a stretch), and stored for the summer cleaning and learning season.
most of my work is done on my mobile device, but I had to work with this one on my desktop…. a color vision is posted at the end of the post
This year’s edition is seventy days long. It will be filled with family, grandies, travel, baseball, creativity, and dogs. I can’t wait.
TRAVEL and GRANDIES This summer my wife and I will be traveling to Europe for a two-week vacation starting in London, then Wales, back to London, then to Paris, and finishing in Amsterdam before returning home. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. This trip is similar to the one I took fifteen years ago to take my father’s cremains home, except this time we will return our step-mother’s cremains to where she wanted to spend eternity. Like that trip to honor my father, I plan to blog along the way.
seven months old and growing by the day… soon they will be crawling.
Summer would be summer without a few weeks as the lake. This year we will host our grandies for the first time. We are excited and looking forward to the summer with the family.
It’s Memorial Day weekend and I am reminded I started this blog on a Memorial Day weekend fifteen years ago. Somehow, I’ve kept it going.
Along the way, I’ve gained some amazing friends all of whom I know only through Making the Days Count. I have met a few and even stayed in one’s bed and breakfast – twice.
After school let out for the weekend, I climbed in the car and drove north. A lot of folks had a similar idea and what can be a five and half hour drive stretched into a seven hour plus drive. But when I arrived, my family was here, the dogs greeted me enthusiastically, and the stars were shining brightly.
the stars at night are big and bright…..Grayling, Michigan, May 24, 2025, 12:10 AM EDT
I’ll be driving home Monday so I can teach six more days, really four, but the kiddos are in school for six more school days. School’s out Tuesday, June 3rd, and my summer break OFFICIALLY begins after noon on Wednesday, the fourth. It’s going to be a great summer.
Today is going to be a great day. I am going to continue to write and keep making the days count like I have for the past fifteen summers. Last Monday, I reminded my students that the four days next week are going to count. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days COUNT, one day at a time, looking up, looking down, looking all around.
W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Tonight, my wife and I popped in the car to travel a little further west to see the early evening sky. We took off after sunset I’ve been excited about watching sunsets and looking up at the sky since I shared this month’s edition of the Jet Propulsion Lab’s What’s Up: Skywatching Tips from NASA with my kiddos. I’ve added the video below. We are learning about light, it’s that time in the school year.
I was excited when I learned we might be able to see a comet this month if we looked at the western sky close to sunset. That’s what we were looking for, but all we could see was a pretty sunset, Venus and a couple of stars. If I looked the other way, I could see the waxing gibbous moon rising in the eastern sky.
the sunset look east
to rising moon looking west
This past weekend we were at the lake, but we arrived too late Friday night to look for the comet and Saturday and Sunday were cloudy, so I couldn’t look for the comet away from the light pollution of the big city. But I am not giving up. Tomorrow night I’ll be outside to see the setting sun and I am hauling along a pair of binoculars for tomorrow night’s volunteer shift at Loaves and Fishes. Continue reading W^2 – comet chasing→
W^2 or W squared for Wordless Wednesday, September 11, 2024
I am back at school, sort of.
It is good to be back at school. To be teaching and learning with kids and helping them see things from a new perspective. To have a schedule and do something productive. To be with colleagues who share your passion. To be growing with a purpose.
But sometimes you must be step back and take care of things at home. Since this past Monday, I’ve been at home taking care of things here. It’s my turn to be the caregiver. It’s hard. But it’s where I need to be. Forty years and almost thirty-three of them, married. I am thankful.
At school, my kiddos at school are in great hands. These are the same hands that took care of my kiddos when I had my second knee replaced in December 2018 and the same one who stepped up at 2 AM when my son had his motorcycle accident, five years ago. She’s been their countless times when I needed to be somewhere else, or when I was too sick to be at school. I am thankful.
I’ve been talking to her and hearing what my kiddos have been doing with her at school, while I am at home taking care of home. I am thankful.
This past summer was a whirlwind of sorts. heck, this past year!
summer’s last sunset (and a beer) Lake Margrethe, Michigan, August 31, 2024 8:03 PM
Summer finished at the lake with all of us – W, O, and B at the lake to close it down for the season. That’s the first picture. Continue reading W^2 – indecisive→
This morning, I woke up before Ivy and decided to go back to sleep, but before I could, I heard her stirring and quickly got up with her and got both she and Fern outside. When we were outside, I scanned the lake, and I noticed the heron was back. The heron was perched on the bow of Ely boat exactly where it was two days before. The heron didn’t seem fazed by the commotion of our morning routine and fortunately, Fern didn’t notice our visitor as she had Tuesday when the heron first appeared.
this morning’s phot, from the yard
Tuesday morning, I snapped a photo and sent it out on the family chat. Moments later W replied with a photo which he took the day before, on Monday.
Tuesday morning, my photo
Monday morning, W’s photo
Our Ohio friends are visiting this week. They arrived Monday afternoon well after our kids returned home after the race this past weekend. The race weekend was busy, and before our kids left, we took a family photo on the front steps. A family photo is something I have wanted to begin for a while, but I hadn’t done anything about it. There was a bit of grumbling, but we came together, and we have a family photo at the lake, the next time we take one it is going to include three generations, not two.
Tuesday afternoon, when we went out on the lake, we discovered evidence of the heron’s Monday visit to the Moomba on the tarp. Fortunately, it was a one-time visit.
This morning, after the dogs had finished their morning routine, I came inside and told my wife about the heron, and she got up to see it.
Normally, my morning routine is solitary – it’s just me and the dogs with my morning coffee. This morning, I had company.
It wasn’t long before H was down. I pointed to the heron, and we started talking about our visitor. While we deliberated, I remembered I had a copy of Sibley’s Guide to Birds. The guidebook was published in early 2020, and it helped us navigate the pandemic and I have a copy here and at home. It’s a great resource to have. Continue reading Day 60 – the great blue heron visits→
