“Our main sewage line froze and then un-blocked, miraculously. Then, this morning, the water lines to our kitchen froze, which is frustrating but not unexpected. Plumbers will be making a fortune when all this thaws out.”

The final buzzer sounded on a 42–28 championship win, and for a moment the gym felt still. Then the noise came: teammates rushing the floor, fans on their feet and a community celebrating something bigger than a trophy.

“It will remain below freezing for three more days and then we get a reprieve. I’ll continue lighting fires at the Hall, but am unlikely to stay out overnight because of the toilet situation.”

“We are in no danger of losing power now, and my main goal is to keep the pipes from freezing. I think we are only a week or so away from having to blow the water out of the pipes.”

“Growing Christmas trees as a cash crop in the United States began in the early 1900s in western Pennsylvania. Some of the first Christmas tree plantations were started in Indiana County — the county where I grew up — in 1918.”

“If you see me wandering around Yellow Springs with a beatific expression on my face, I may simply have epiphanied — give me some space.”

“A beautiful Midwest morning out at the Hall. I woke at sunrise and a mist was hanging over the cornfields. Very pretty indeed.”

“The shade cast by the Logan Elm would have covered two-thirds of an acre and it was considered one of the largest elms in the nation at one point.”

“Late summer/early fall is absolutely my favorite time of the year. Karen’s zinnias and sunflowers are everywhere, and our squash are hilariously abundant.”

“It may seem counterintuitive to invest in any new plants with cooler weather on the way, but the winter to come is what provides the advantage, allowing the roots to get established well before being hit by the next summer’s heat.”