Pittsburgh

Just a couple shots of P-Burg, a neat city situated along three rivers and in between mountains...It is still on the distressed cities list after losing it's steel industry, but seems to hold it's pride up with the Steelers Superbowl winning streak. My niece's wedding was on a riverboat which cruised the water, and everyone had a good time as far as I could tell. We rode the incline the next day(a cable car up a nearby slope) which offered this view of the skyline-but rain canceled a planned zoo trip...maybe next time. Unfortunately, the east has been inundated with rain all season-the wettest on record in New England-so this week will be another washout. At such times I miss that dry heat in the southwest...Wildfires? what wildfires?

Goldenrod

This is an entire hill filled with goldenrod, which is very common in the fields at this time of year...fortunately I am not allergic......The temperature has averaged about 60-70F, the sun has been out at least part time, and within another month the surrounding mountains will be wholly transformed into the fall foliage. In some regards it has been the summer that wasn't-cooler and wetter than usual-but the showers were passing, with enough sun in between to keep me happy during my walks. I'm still toiling...s-l-ow-l-y...on a rewrite of the first draft, which for some reason is taking much longer the second time around...probably because I am more obsessive about each word, and more distracted by other things, and have not set a time limit thus far. I find comfort in knowing that Walden took Thoreau almost seven years and Gone With The Wind took Mitchell ten years, so I'm simply trying to meet my own standards. On the home front my mother continues to work and play bridge and do her crossword puzzles, and Beth and I are as committed as ever-truly friends and lovers in a way I only imagined to have been possible before meeting her. My niece will be getting married in Pittsburgh on the 26th, so that will give us the opportunity to see the city and see my kids and for all of us to do a little sight seeing. I hope that everyone reading this-if anyone reads this blog-is doing well and has an enjoyable autumn...keep the faith!