Lucy's Journal

September 23, 2026

Dear Journal,

Today was a very special day.

In fact, I think this might have been one of the most important adventures our crew has ever taken.

It all started this morning when Peanut came running into the living room.

"Everybody wake up!"

Kiwi poked his head out from underneath a blanket.

"What time is it?"

"Time for an adventure."

That got everyone's attention.

The Quackers stopped arguing over a piece of toast.

Gracie, who was visiting, sat up.

And then the room suddenly became cool.

A soft glow appeared near the doorway.

It was the Ghost of Maybelline.

"I heard there was somewhere important we're going today."

I smiled.

"We're going with Hayley to her doctor's appointment. She's having her 25-week checkup, and we're going to see how the baby is doing."

Maybelline's eyes lit up.

"The BABY?!"

She floated several feet into the air.

"I GET TO SEE THE BABY?!"

"Well," Peanut said, "technically you're going to see the ultrasound."

"I DON'T CARE!"

Maybelline spun around excitedly.

"I'm coming!"

---

Operation: Baby Checkup

We immediately started getting ready.

I packed some snacks.

Peanut brought a notebook because she said somebody needed to keep track of everything.

Kiwi brought binoculars.

"Why do you need binoculars?" I asked.

"Baby surveillance."

"The baby is going to be inside Hayley's belly."

"Exactly. High-security area."

The Quackers brought their little backpacks.

Gracie brought absolutely nothing.

"Why didn't you bring anything?" Peanut asked.

"I'm the sensible one."

Peanut stared at her.

"You came with us."

"Okay, maybe I'm not THAT sensible."

---

When Hayley was ready to leave, the entire crew piled in for the trip.

We were determined to accompany her.

Well...

Most of us were determined.

Peanut was mostly interested in finding out whether the doctor's office had a vending machine.

Kiwi wanted to know whether doctors accepted birds as medical assistants.

The Quackers wanted to push buttons on the elevator.

And Maybelline...

Maybelline couldn't stop smiling.

She floated beside Hayley the entire time.

"This is wonderful," she whispered.

---

When we arrived, everyone became unusually quiet.

Even Kiwi.

We waited patiently while Hayley checked in.

The Quackers sat together in the corner.

Peanut pretended she wasn't watching everything.

Gracie sat beside me.

And Maybelline floated quietly near Hayley.

She looked happier than I had seen her in a long time.

Then Maybelline said something that made everyone stop.

"I've been waiting for this."

"For what?" I asked.

"To see my sister."

I looked at her.

She smiled.

"From where I am now, I can't be there for everything. But I can still be close in my own way."

Her ghostly tail wagged.

"I've been so excited to see how she's doing."

For once, Kiwi didn't have a joke.

---

Eventually it was time for the checkup.

We couldn't all go into the examination room, of course.

So we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Kiwi paced back and forth.

"How long does a baby checkup take?"

"However long it takes," Peanut said.

"What if they're measuring the baby?"

"They probably are."

"What if the baby moves?"

"Then they probably notice."

"What if the baby waves?"

Peanut sighed.

"Kiwi, babies don't usually wave."

Kiwi thought about that.

"Maybe this one will."

---

Then Hayley came back out.

Everyone immediately gathered around.

"How is the baby?" Gracie asked.

Hayley smiled.

"Everything looks good."

The entire crew erupted.

The Quackers started quacking.

Gracie wagged her tail.

I jumped around so much I nearly knocked over Peanut.

Kiwi flew around the room yelling,

"THE BABY IS DOING GREAT!"

Peanut smiled.

"That's wonderful."

But nobody was happier than Maybelline.

She floated right beside Hayley, tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm so happy," she whispered.

Then she looked toward Hayley's belly.

"Hi, little one."

She gently placed her ghostly paw near Hayley.

"I can't wait to meet you someday."

It was one of the sweetest moments I have ever seen.

---

Of course, Kiwi eventually ruined the emotional moment.

"DOES THIS MEAN WE'RE GETTING A NEW CREW MEMBER?"

Everyone looked at him.

"I think so," I said.

Kiwi puffed out his chest.

"I VOLUNTEER TO BE THE BABY'S OFFICIAL BIRD."

Peanut shook her head.

"That's probably going to require training."

"I am highly trained!"

"You chased your own shadow yesterday."

"That was reconnaissance."

The Quackers began laughing.

"Quack!"

"Quack quack!"

---

On the way home, everyone was talking about the appointment.

We talked about how exciting it was that the baby was growing.

We talked about what the nursery would eventually look like.

We talked about how Hayley would need lots of help when the baby finally arrives.

And Maybelline listened quietly.

She looked out the window as we drove.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said.

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how strange life is."

She smiled.

"Sometimes you spend your whole life thinking about the people you love. Then even after you're gone, you still want to be there for them."

She looked at Hayley.

"And today, I got to be."

I put my paw against the seat beside her.

"I think she knew you were there."

Maybelline smiled.

"I hope so."

---

When we got home, the Quackers immediately began making plans.

"We need a baby-proofing committee!"

Kiwi raised his wing.

"I volunteer!"

"No," everyone said.

Peanut opened her notebook.

"First item: finish the nursery."

Gracie nodded.

"Second item: make sure everything is ready."

I smiled.

"And third item?"

Kiwi raised his wing again.

"Teach the baby to say 'Go Mountaineers!'"

Maybelline laughed.

"Give the baby a little time, Kiwi."

"I'M JUST THINKING AHEAD!"

And maybe he is.

Because before we know it, there will be a brand-new little person joining our family adventures.

And I have a feeling that when that day comes, our crew is going to have one more very important member.

Until next time, dear Journal...

Today wasn't about mischief, finding bottles, chasing snipes, or invading concession stands.

Today was about family, hope, and getting a little glimpse of someone we've all been waiting to meet.

And judging by the smile on Maybelline's face...

the afterlife has never felt quite so close to home.

With happy paws, excited feathers, cheerful quacks, wagging tails, and one very happy ghost,

Lucy 🐾

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is once again over with, time to get back to making this rock a better one to live on. 

* It has been 22,901 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,550, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 8,156 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. Has it really been 22 years? 

* 6,749 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,953 days ago, I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day. 

* It was 5,990 days ago in front of our closest friends and family; for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center. It was a great day with friends and family. 

* I have now lived 3,128 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 1,782 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,287 days, I've now outlived him by 1,632 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 360 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know. 

* I have 2,004 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows, though, doing what I do I may never retire.

* There are only 325 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

* 161 more days until Phil steps to the center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

* 114 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted. 

* There are 107 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 92 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah, I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days since I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,491 blogs in what is now 22 years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well. 

* They are taking out the turn at the top of Van Voorhis Road, it is now open and you top the hill differently. 

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding. 

* Not much else going on, I can always see on the ring camera when Michelle gets another Amazon order for the baby and watch them deliver it. 

* Have a great day. 

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end—but if you’ve got to wrap up the weekend, today’s a pretty exciting way to do it. Now it’s time to take our collective noses and press them firmly back onto the grindstone of life. Back to work, back to the hustle, back to doing our part to make this spinning rock a better place.

Kiwi and Peanut both decided this morning neither one of them want to go to work with me today, they were up all night studying and mastering the fine workings of the office stapler. Since most of my products are electronic and digital, they decided to go to work with Mommy for their stapler internship. They plan on mastering the age old trade and then moving on to another resume builder, licking stamps and putting them on envelopes. They are so talented. 

I am still working the 10-hour shifts and have been since May, and plan on continuing that for the immediate future, as we are trying to make GIS the statement of record for all things geospatial. We really do have a great team between the three sites (Morgantown, Parkersburg, and Strasburg, Ohio). I created a product for data integrity over the past year that they are going to use when we contract out our flyover data capture the first week of October. Plus, the large analysis I did using 150 million vehicle data point locations that we had to identify well roads, which is not exactly a dataset you can create from public data, especially when it is specific to your company. I really do enjoy what I do, and believe it or not, I don't watch the clock, and my days fly by.

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit in a semi-quiet household; Kiwi and Peanut are still talking about last night's game as they switch from being WVU fans to Steelers fans today. They are still both complaining about last night's game being past their dad's bedtime, and they had to remain quiet as he slept. The Steelers play the Patriots this afternoon, and they both hate them. 

You know, I did run into an old picture of me yesterday, one that I knew existed but didn't have a copy of it. Yes, that is your favorite blogger years and years ago. It was actually about a month or so before my niece Valarie was even born. Back to October of 1983, I was walking up and down Sunnyside after we had just beaten Pitt 24-21, or the game Jeff Hostetler beat them with a late touchdown in the 4th quarter. I think I was walking up to the Bullpen to meet Smitty to the best of my recollection. 

So what is on today's agenda? Watch some football and prepare for the upcoming week at work. I know we have our menu planned, and Meatloaf is on today's menu. I get to peel the potatoes because you can't do instant mashed potatoes with homemade meatloaf. 

Have yourselves a great Sunday. 

Saturday

Here I sit in a quiet household, or should I say that's a lie. Kiwi is singing (Bee Gees) and Peanut just wants to sleep in. It's Saturday and she feels she has earned that right. Kiwi has always been an early bird and Peanut is more of a night owl trying to nap all day when we aren't around. 

Michelle is going to do the grocery shopping this morning, no home game today we are playing in Charlotte against the University of Eastern Virginia (That's just Virginia) this evening (7:30 kickoff). I may try to get out weather permitting as it has been a couple of weeks since I cut grass. Grass cutting season is drawing to a close, but we are not there just yet. 

Those are our big plans for the day, so to speak. I know I want to replace mine and Michelle's iPhones in the near future. They are iPhone 11s, and maybe it's just time to think about upgrading. Michelle is wanting a phoen with more storage capacity for the baby that is coming, Grandma wants to take lots of pictures. 

Have yourselves a great day, 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!!!!

Are you ready for a little bit of High School Football? Morgantown looks to be off this week, but University High is playing up on Bakers Ridge and taking on Wheeling Park. Clay Battelle will also be at home this week out in Blacksville as they take on Tucker County. 

Not a whole lot planned for us this evening, shopping at Sam's and eating dinner. Same old boring Friday night once again, I just have one question though. Where did Peanut and Kiwi get a Sears Christmas Catalog? Everything is done on the internet in this day and age. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Happy Birthday Calvin McClain

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Nephew Calvin a very Happy Birthday today.

 Don't ask me how old he is all I know is that all of my Nephews and Nieces have passed me up in age and I'm still only 21 (he's 3) Calvin is someone Michelle and I have watched grow up and mature more than any other family member since we have been together. 

He has matured into a fine young man and now has a beautiful wife and now a wonderful young Son to share his life with. I'm not sure what Jeanetta or even Jax or my sister Pam have planned for him today, but I will say it'll be memorable no matter what it may be. It has been a real honor watching this young man grow up into the man that he is today. 

Not sure what Jeanetta and Jax has planned for him, but you can guarentee it will be magical and memorable. 

If you happen to see Calvin today, make sure that you wish him a very Happy Birthday today. Happy Birthday Calvin.

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week, I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from somewhere on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up, recalling or reliving the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes it's not that easy, but one thing it has always been a lot of fun.

This is one my niece Amy did a few years back; she took a picture of her during her childhood and recreated it with Kynlea. I would call this a great example of some mother-daughter twinning 25 years apart. 

She can be very creative; she just has that gift and has done some remarkable work and taken some keepsake pictures through the years. 

Have yoursleves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

September 16, 2026

Dear Journal,

I have discovered something today that I am almost embarrassed to admit.

We went snipe hunting.

Yes, dear Journal.

Snipe hunting.

And if you don't know what a snipe is, apparently neither do we.

It all started this morning when Kiwi came flying into the living room carrying an old flashlight.

"EVERYBODY GET READY!"

Peanut didn't even look up.

"Ready for what?"

"SNIPE HUNTING!"

I sat up.

"The birds?"

Kiwi nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes!"

"The actual birds?"

"Absolutely!"

Peanut finally looked up.

"Kiwi, you are a bird."

"I KNOW! That's why I'm an expert!"

Before I could ask any more questions, there was a knock at the door.

It was Gracie.

And right behind her came the Ghost of Maybelline, floating through the doorway.

"What are we doing?" Gracie asked.

"We're hunting snipes," I explained.

Maybelline stared at us.

Then she started laughing.

"Oh, this is going to be good."

---

THE SNIPE-HUNTING EXPEDITION

Peanut decided that every serious expedition needs equipment.

So we gathered:

• Flashlights
• Blankets
• Buckets
• Nets
• Binoculars
• A cooler
• Three bags of dog treats
• Two bags of sunflower seeds
• And approximately seventeen completely unnecessary pieces of equipment Kiwi insisted we needed.

The Quackers brought two fishing nets.

I asked why.

"We don't know," they said.

"Good answer."

Kiwi had somehow acquired a whistle.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"Calling the snipes."

He blew it.

FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Every bird in the neighborhood took off.

Kiwi looked pleased.

"See? They're responding!"

"No," Peanut said. "They're fleeing."

---

We headed into the woods just outside Morgantown.

Maybelline floated ahead of us.

"Remember," she said, "snipe hunting is usually done at night."

Kiwi looked worried.

"Why?"

"Because snipes are nocturnal."

Kiwi immediately put on sunglasses.

"Good thing I brought these."

"It is nighttime," Peanut said.

"Exactly."

---

We reached our hunting area.

Peanut had a plan.

She and Gracie would hide behind some bushes.

I would sit near a tree.

The Quackers would stand in a clearing holding their nets.

Kiwi would fly overhead looking for snipes.

And Maybelline would float around looking spooky.

"What do I do?" I asked.

Peanut handed me a bucket.

"Wait."

"For what?"

"Snipes."

"What do they look like?"

Peanut paused.

"I don't know."

"Excellent."

---

We waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The woods became completely quiet.

Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes.

The Quackers froze.

Kiwi whispered,

"TARGET!"

He flew toward the bushes.

The Quackers threw their nets.

Gracie jumped forward.

I jumped backward.

Peanut jumped onto a log.

Maybelline floated through the entire scene.

And out of the bushes came...

A raccoon.

Everyone stared at it.

The raccoon stared at everyone.

Kiwi pointed.

"That's a snipe!"

"No, it isn't."

"IT COULD BE!"

The raccoon grabbed a cracker and ran away.

Peanut shook her head.

"Well, at least someone got dinner."

---

About twenty minutes later, we heard another noise.

Rustle... rustle...

Kiwi whispered:

"Snipe."

The Quackers whispered:

"Snipe."

Gracie whispered:

"Are you sure?"

Kiwi nodded.

"One hundred percent."

We all got ready.

The noise got louder.

Then something jumped out.

It was...

a plastic grocery bag blowing through the woods.

Kiwi stared at it.

"That was a very advanced snipe."

Peanut finally lost her patience.

"KIWI!"

---

Then Maybelline decided to demonstrate how it's done.

She floated into the woods.

Everyone waited.

A few seconds later, we heard her voice.

"I FOUND ONE!"

Everyone ran toward her.

Maybelline was pointing at...

a squirrel.

"It's not a snipe," I said.

"I know."

"Then why did you call us?"

"I wanted to see how fast you could run."

She started laughing.

We had been ghost-pranked.

---

By midnight, we had caught exactly zero snipes.

We had, however, caught:

One raccoon.

Well...

We didn't actually catch it.

It caught a cracker.

And then escaped.

We also caught:

Two plastic bags.

One stick.

Three leaves.

A moth.

And Kiwi's hat.

Which he had accidentally thrown into the woods.

---

Finally, Peanut called everyone together.

"Okay. We need to admit it."

"Admit what?" Kiwi asked.

"We don't know what a snipe looks like."

Kiwi thought about this.

"Maybe the real snipes were the friends we made along the way."

Everyone stared at him.

"That was surprisingly profound," Gracie said.

Kiwi nodded.

"Thank you."

Then he added:

"Also, I found a birdhouse. I think that's a snipe condo."

Peanut walked away.

---

We packed everything up and started heading home.

As we walked, Maybelline floated beside me.

"You know," she said, "I've been around a long time."

"I know."

"I've seen some pretty strange things."

"I believe you."

"But this..."

She looked at Kiwi, who was carrying three nets, a flashlight, and a bucket.

"...this is probably the strangest."

I couldn't disagree.

When we got home, everyone was exhausted.

The Quackers immediately fell asleep.

Gracie curled up on the couch.

Peanut disappeared into her favorite chair.

Maybelline floated through the wall and said she was going to haunt Kiwi's dreams.

Kiwi climbed onto his perch.

"Tomorrow," he announced, "we're going squirrel hunting."

Peanut's eyes opened.

"Don't you dare."

Kiwi smiled.

"I'll need bigger nets."

I think I'm going to hide the nets.

Until next time, dear Journal...

If anyone asks whether we caught a snipe tonight, the official answer is absolutely yes.

We just have no idea what it looked like.

Paws, feathers, quacks, ghostly giggles, and one very empty snipe bucket,

Lucy 🐾

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Monday is once again over with, time to get back to making this rock a better one to live on. 

* It has been 22,894 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,543, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 8,149 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. Has it really been 22 years? 

* 6,742 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,946 days ago, I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day. 

* It was 5,983 days ago in front of our closest friends and family; for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center. It was a great day with friends and family. 

* I have now lived 3,121 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 1,775 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,287 days, I've now outlived him by 1,625 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 353 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know. 

* I have 2,011 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows, though, doing what I do I may never retire.

* There are only 332 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

* 168 more days until Phil steps to the center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

* 121 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted. 

* There are 114 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 99 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah, I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days since I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,483 blogs in what is now 21 11/12 Almost 22 years) years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well. 

* They are taking out the turn at the top of Van Voorhis Road, it is now open and you top the hill differently. 

* Hershman's House on top of Van Voorhis is gone. It's not only gone, they have torn up the landscaping and it looks like they are going to build some more apartments there. 

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding. 

* Not much else going on, I can always see on the ring camera when Michelle gets another Amazon order for the baby and watch them deliver it. 

* Have a great day. 

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday

All good things must come to an end—but if you’ve got to wrap up the weekend, today’s a pretty exciting way to do it. Now it’s time to take our collective noses and press them firmly back onto the grindstone of life. Back to work, back to the hustle, back to doing our part to make this spinning rock a better place.

That statement is true if and I mean if you are Human. Kiwi and Peanut have informed me that they aren't going to work today, as it is a three-day weekend for pets. Something about they have a day planned of making popcorn and binge-watching Animal Planet. I think their biggest decision today is going to be whether they add sunflower seeds to their popcorn, Kiwi wants it Peanut does not. 

Still working 10's this week, I joke at work since I am always there that they charge me rent and my office includes my wardrobe since I do wear a different outfit every day. Still chugging along trying to integrate two different databases where GIS will ultimately be the statement of record for everything. We're building something pretty awesome geospatially on the back end that is going to be a useful tool with a lot of information of our system. 

Michelle is doing Michelle things at her work. She does love her job and the people she works with. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday Morning Ramblings

Here I sit yet once again in a quiet household. Kiwi and Peanut are both excited from the game yesterday and are now switching gears and putting on their Steelers merchandise because the NFL Starts today. 

Not too much planned for the day. Michelle got all the shopping done yesterday morning; I just have to do my things around the house this morning, and the rest of the day is ours. 

 My doctor's appointment last week was rescheduled. My Doctor, Dr Amy, as I call her, was out of the office, and we had to reschedule to December. It was just a 3-month follow-up from my initial consultation with her since I switched from the Physicians Office Center. 

One thing I did notice, as did Michelle. When I was leaving work Friday, Michelle said they had invaded the town center with the spotted lanternfly. They are an invasive species that kills crops; if you see any of them, kill them. 

Have yourselves a super fantastic day. 

Saturday

Here I sit once again in a quiet household. Kiwi and Peanut jumped on the PRT this morning, and they are both downtown on campus, looking to play a little bit of pickup basketball with a couple of naive students. Kiwi things he can take off from beyond the 3-point line and dunk it all day for 3 pointers from above. 

Michelle is going to run out and do the grocery shopping and I'm not planning on doing too much today other than watching the Mountaineers this afternoon. We play UT Martin this afternoon at 1:00 on ESPN+.  Hopefully we can get out of the day with a win today, we should as this is a warm up game. 

Other than that we won't be getting into too much. I just cut the grass on Monday afternoon, so it doesn't need to be cut. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to, when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!!!!

Are you ready for a little bit of High School Football? Morgantown High is on the road at Hedgesville this evening. University High is on the road against Washington, and Clay Battelle is on the road against Valley Wetzel. I don't know why or how all three Monongalia County teams are all on the road this weekend, but that is what the schedule says somehow. Both Morgantown and University High only have 4 home games each this season (out of 10); that makes sense. 

Not planning on getting into too much this evening. WVU does play at home tomorrow against UT Martin, but that is just another home warm-up game before the tougher teams appear on the schedule. Michelle is going to be doing the Sam's Club shopping after work, like she does every week. 

Have yourselves a great day and the start of a great weekend. 

Oh and today marks 22 years since my first blog post. 

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week, I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from somewhere on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up, recalling or reliving the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes it's not that easy, but one thing it has always been a lot of fun.

This pic was from a very special day in my life; it was the day that I graduated from WVU, and everyone took me out to dinner at Prime Thyme when it used to be on Grafton Road. It was a long day, and one with three ceremonies I went through (Department, College, and finally University-wide); then it was out to dinner with some very special people. 

This was 22 years ago, I had not even written my first blog yet. I was about three months from even figuring out what blogging even was, and it started with a line from a co-worker that he was a grogger not a blogger. I know a groger was a beer drinker, but had no idea what a blogger was. I guess I didn't learn everything in college. 

Have yourselves a great day.

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

 

September 9, 2026

Dear Journal,

Today began with Peanut reading something on the computer that immediately caused absolute chaos.

And when I say chaos, I mean Kiwi was wearing a backpack within five minutes.

Peanut had apparently discovered an article talking about the old days when people could find empty pop bottles and return them to stores for money.

She slowly looked up from the screen.

"Wait a minute," she said.

Lucy—that's me—looked over from the couch. "What?"

Peanut pointed at the computer.

"It says people used to find empty soda bottles and take them back for money."

Kiwi nearly fell off his perch.

"YOU MEAN... PEOPLE THREW AWAY MONEY?!"

The Quackers stopped quacking.

Gracie, who was visiting, tilted her head.

Maybelline's ghost floated halfway through the wall.

"For money?" she asked.

Peanut nodded.

"For money."

There was a long silence.

Then Kiwi screamed:

"WE'RE GOING BOTTLE HUNTING!"

And that's how our day began.

---

Operation: Pop Bottle Fortune

Within half an hour, our entire crew was assembled.

There was me, Lucy, the responsible one.

Peanut, the self-appointed Treasurer.

Kiwi, Director of Aerial Bottle Surveillance.

The Quackers, who had somehow acquired tiny backpacks.

Gracie, who was supposedly there to keep everyone out of trouble.

And the Ghost of Maybelline, who floated along because she said she could "look under things without bending over."

Peanut had even made a sign.

THE MORGANTOWN BOTTLE RECOVERY TEAM

Underneath, Kiwi had added:

"WE ACCEPT GRAPE SODA."

---

Our first stop was around town.

We searched sidewalks.

Nothing.

We searched near benches.

Nothing.

We looked around parking lots.

Still nothing.

Kiwi flew overhead.

"NO BOTTLES IN SECTOR ONE!"

"Stop calling it Sector One," Peanut yelled.

"THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL OPERATION!"

---

The Quackers were particularly enthusiastic.

They waddled around looking under every bush.

"Found one!"

Everyone ran over.

It was a pine cone.

"Not a bottle," Peanut sighed.

Five minutes later:

"FOUND ANOTHER!"

It was a stick.

Then:

"FOUND ONE!"

An old shoe.

By the fourth false alarm, Kiwi threatened to take away their backpacks.

The Quackers were deeply offended.

---

We eventually made our way toward downtown Morgantown.

Surely, we thought, there would be empty bottles somewhere.

Peanut inspected every trash can from a safe distance.

Gracie looked behind benches.

I checked around sidewalks.

Maybelline simply floated through a few objects.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Nope," she said, floating back out of a recycling bin. "Although I did find three pennies and something I'm not going to describe."

"Probably for the best," I replied.

---

Kiwi, meanwhile, had developed his own search technique.

He flew from one light pole to another yelling:

"BOTTLE!"

Everyone would look.

"Never mind!"

Then:

"BOTTLE!"

We'd all run.

"That's a water bottle!"

Finally, Peanut shouted:

"KIWI! A WATER BOTTLE IS STILL A BOTTLE!"

Kiwi paused.

"Oh."

There was another long silence.

Then he flew down and picked it up.

"WE HAVE OUR FIRST INVESTMENT!"

---

Unfortunately, finding bottles was much harder than everyone had expected.

People apparently weren't walking around Morgantown tossing pop bottles everywhere like they did in the stories Peanut had read.

We found plenty of coffee cups.

A suspicious number of fast-food wrappers.

Three tennis balls.

One tiny plastic dinosaur.

And something that Peanut insisted was "definitely not touching."

But very few returnable bottles.

---

Then the trouble really started.

The Quackers spotted a pile of recycling containers behind a building.

"JACKPOT!" they yelled.

Before anyone could stop them, they waddled straight toward it.

Unfortunately, Kiwi flew down to investigate at the exact same time.

Peanut ran after them.

Gracie ran after Peanut.

I ran after Gracie.

And Maybelline simply floated over everyone.

For approximately thirty seconds, Morgantown witnessed what probably looked like a very unusual parade consisting of two ducks, a cat, two Shih Tzus, a green bird, and a ghost chasing each other toward a recycling bin.

We found exactly...

Zero pop bottles.

Kiwi stood on the edge of the bin.

"I have been betrayed by recycling."

---

By lunchtime, we were exhausted.

We sat together and counted our findings.

Peanut cleared her throat.

"Okay. Let's see what we have."

One plastic water bottle.

Two aluminum cans.

One bottle cap.

Three pennies.

A tennis ball.

And Kiwi's sunflower seed shell, which somehow ended up in the collection bag.

Peanut looked at the pile.

"This is not going to make us rich."

The Quackers looked disappointed.

"So...no retirement?"

"No."

"No Quackers Mansion?"

"No."

Kiwi looked at his tiny backpack.

"So you're saying I wore this for nothing?"

"Pretty much," Peanut said.

---

Just when we were about to give up, Maybelline floated quietly beside us.

"You know," she said, "maybe the fun wasn't really about finding money."

Everyone looked at her.

"It wasn't?" Kiwi asked.

"No. It was about going on an adventure together."

I smiled.

Gracie wagged her tail.

Peanut nodded.

Even the Quackers seemed to understand.

Then Kiwi suddenly looked at the collection bag.

"Wait."

"What?" Peanut asked suspiciously.

"We found three pennies."

"Yes."

"And a water bottle."

"Yes."

"And TWO cans!"

"Kiwi..."

"We're practically investors!"

He jumped into the air and flapped his wings.

"THE MORGANTOWN BOTTLE EMPIRE HAS BEGUN!"

Peanut sighed.

"I knew this wasn't over."

And honestly, dear Journal, neither did I.

Because tomorrow, Kiwi wants to search every parking lot, sidewalk, trail, and recycling bin in Monongalia County.

The Quackers are designing matching uniforms.

Peanut is working on a business plan.

And Maybelline has offered to haunt the competition.

So apparently, our bottle-hunting adventure is just getting started.

Until next time, dear Journal...

Keep your paws on the ground, your feathers in the air, and if you see Kiwi carrying a backpack—run.

With wagging tails, confused quacks, ambitious feathers, and absolutely no fortune whatsoever,

Lucy 🐾

Wednesday

Tuesday's Tidbits

* Extended Holiday weekend is over with, time to get back to making this rock a better one to live on. 

* It has been 22,887 days since I was born, that is 21 years using my new,  new, new, and improved 1,069-day Calendar. Mom is at 30,536, which would make her 28 according to my new and improved calendar. 

* It has been 8,142 days since I graduated from WVU with a Degree in Geography. I love what I do and am thankful to still be working in my field. Has it really been 22 years? 

* 6,735 days ago, Michelle and I had our first date together. Life has been much better since then. 

* 5,939 days ago, I proposed to Michelle in the backyard at 4:00 in the morning. I've been the luckiest guy since that fateful day. 

* It was 5,976 days ago in front of our closest friends and family; for the most part, Michelle and I became husband and wife at the Marilla Center. It was a great day with friends and family. 

* I have now lived 3,114 days longer than my Dad did and I'm still going strong, slowing down but still going. 

* Michelle has been living a clean and productive life and beat that alcohol demon 1,768 days ago today. 

* My older Brother Jonathan lived 21,287 days, I've now outlived him by 1,618 days, making me Senior Supreme Sibling once again! 

* Old roommate Gregg proposed to his fiancée 346 days ago, I'm happy for those two. I asked him a couple weeks ago if they set a date yet, he said we would be the first to know. 

* I have 2,018 days to go until I retire, give or take a few hundred days here or there, but I love doing what I do. Who knows, though, doing what I do I may never retire.

* There are only 339 more days to go until Michelle and I celebrate our 16th Wedding Anniversary.

* 175 more days until Phil steps to the center stage once again for Groundhog Day. I'm still mad at the damn rat

* 128 more days to go until my Goodbye 2026 Blog is posted. 

* There are 121 more shopping days left until Christmas 2026. 

* There are 106 days until I hit the age of 63. Yeah, I know, I'm really older than 21. 

* It has been ∞ (infinity symbol) days since I have hated both Pitt and Penn State.

* I have written 8,473 blogs in what is now 21 11/12 Almost 22 years) years of Blogging.

* Still working 10's this week and probably next week as well. 

* They are taking out the turn at the top of Van Voorhis Road, it is now open and you top the hill differently. 

* Progress on my Selfie in Space, right here. We are ready for liftoff and holding. 

* Not much else going on, I can always see on the ring camera when Michelle gets another Amazon order for the baby and watch them deliver it. 

* Have a great day. 

* Hi ho hi ho

Monday Labor Day

Happy Labor Day, for those of you who can extend your weekend another day and make some memories. While Michelle, Kiwi and Peanut arer enjoying their day off, I am working again today, albeit from home but I am working none the less. So I get to do what it is that I do (GIS) to make this a much better rock to live on. 

It is the unofficial end of Summer and Michelle is planning on grilling out this afternoon, of course she is going to have herself a couple of Supervisors to overlook what it is that she is doing. 

I have a Doctors appointment tomorrow, hence why I worked yesterday to make up the time and today to make up for the Holiday, but I'm doing it from home so it won't be too bad. It's the life of a contractor I guess. 

I hope everyone has a great day, make it memorable and spend it with the ones you love. 

Hi ho hi ho

Sunday

Here I sit in a semi-quiet household. Kiwi and Peanut are up, writing a long email to Rich Rodriguez about the second half of yesterday's game. Neither of them is happy about how we came out after halftime. They were all happy in the first half, but that all changed with a dismal second half. 

We ended up not making it to Amy's yesterday for the Tailgate. The weather in the morning was less than cooperative, so we just watched the game from here. We did win 31-24, so I guess that is all that matters, but I do have a number of concerns as the season goes on. 

So what is on my agenda, being tomorrow is a holiday, and I have to leave early Tuesday for a doctor's appointment, I need to make up a few hours. So I will be working both today and tomorrow, but neither will be a full day. I figure that between the two days, I can more than make up for what I would be missing, and I'm working from home both days. 

Have yourselves a great day

Hi ho

Saturday Morning Ramblings and GAME DAY!!!!!

Here I sit in an absolutely not-so-quiet household. It is Gameday, and the Mountaineers play today!!! Kiwi Peanut and their crew are all going to assemble later this morning to watch the Mountaineers at my niece Amy's house at the outdoor pavilion. The quackers have invited their normal crew of misfits to join them. 

It is going to be a busy day and a busy weekend to say the least. Michelle will be up and out the door early to beat the crowds to get the grocery shopping done before we head to Amy and Ralph's for the day. Amy wanted to do this tailgate to honor the memory of Nick who will be cheering on and helping the Mountaineers with us today as well. 

Oh back to the busy weekend gripe: everyone has a nice three-day holiday weekend; for me, that just means I still have to work if I want paid. The good news is I can work from home this weekend and can spread it out and do it at my convenience as we are trying to get a large project completed and are a tight deadline to complete it. So I'll be working tomorrow a few hours as well as Monday to make up for Monday plus a few hours for my Doctors appointment on Tuesday. 

Have yourselves a great day and weekend, spend some time with loved ones and enjoy some Mountaineer Football. 

Big Ole Hairy Friday

Yes, it is once again that time of the week that we all look forward to when we can take time to cease the labors for the week and take a little bit of needed time out to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is again the dawn of another weekend and a Big Ole Hairy Friday!!!! 

Are you looking for a little bit of High School Football? Morgantown High will be at home this evening against Jefferson, a team they defeated in the Semi-Finals last season on their way to a State Championship. University High will be making a trip to Parkersburg to play Parkersburg South. I think that Clay Battelle is off this week; it seems kind of early to take a Bye week, but what would I know. 

Tomorrow, Morgantown will be quite busy as the Mountaineers play host to Coastal Carolina. This is actually a replacement game; we were scheduled to play Alabama, but the SEC is making their Conference teams play 9 Conference games this year, and they decided to drop us rather than some other non-conference game. This game was supposed to be in Morgantown too. 

Have yourselves a great day, make it memorable. 

Hi ho hi ho

Photo Flashback Thursday

Once a week, I like to take a little bit of time out, time to look at some of the 30,000+ photos that I have stored on my computer. Little lost moments in time that I either captured with a lens, scanned, or just stole from somewhere on the internet. I like to find just one and post it up, recalling or reliving the picture to the best of my ability. Sometimes this is a pretty easy task, and sometimes it's not that easy, but one thing it has always been a lot of fun.

This is the last "album" I have ever bought. It is very meaningful to me as it was still in it's original format (78 rpm). It's a song by the Green Mountain Boys (Ellis and Bill) called My Little Home in West Virginia. It was recorded on the RCA Victor label in I think 1952 off the top of my head. Ellis is better known to me as Grandpa Hall who raised me and I lived with until he passed away. A very good man who was very influential in my life. 

Funny story, Grandpa was signed to the RCA Label by a man named Steve Sholes, whom I have a picture of with Grandpa Hall and Bill Addis hanging in my home. 

Have yourselves a great day. 

Hi ho hi ho

Lucy's Journal

 

September 2, 2026

Dear Journal,

Today began with a very serious announcement.

Well...at least I thought it was serious.

Peanut was stretched out in the middle of the living room floor, Kiwi was hanging upside down from his favorite perch, and the Quackers were conducting what appeared to be a very heated discussion about a cracker.

Then Gracie came through the front door.

A moment later, the room got noticeably cooler.

"The Ghost of Maybelline has arrived!" Kiwi announced.

Maybelline floated through the wall.

"I heard we're having a meeting."

"We are," I said. "And it's an important one."

Everyone gathered around.

I explained that we needed to start thinking about the back bedroom.

The idea was to clean it up, remodel it, and turn it back into a proper bedroom and nursery so that Hayley will have a nice place to stay overnight when the baby arrives, if she needs to.

Everyone nodded.

Peanut immediately looked concerned.

"Does this mean we're actually going to have to clean?"

"Yes," I said.

She sighed.

"I was afraid you'd say that."

---

We started by making a list of everything that needed to be done.

Clean out the room.

Sort the boxes.

Move the furniture.

Clean the walls.

Paint.

Fix anything that needs fixing.

Set up a bed.

Make room for baby things.

And, most importantly, make it comfortable for Hayley.

I thought we had a very good plan.

Then Kiwi grabbed a pencil.

"I have an idea!"

That's when I knew things were about to go downhill.

He drew a picture of the remodeled bedroom.

Unfortunately, it looked like a birdhouse attached to a nursery.

"Where's the bed?" I asked.

"Up here."

"Why is the bed on the ceiling?"

"Because we're maximizing vertical space!"

Peanut stared at the drawing.

"Where is the baby supposed to sleep?"

"In the hammock."

"Absolutely not."

---

The Quackers decided they should be in charge of interior decorating.

They waddled into the back bedroom and immediately began inspecting everything.

One duck found an old blanket.

The other found a pillow.

Within thirty seconds, they had built themselves a nest in the middle of the floor.

"This is our office," they announced.

"It's not an office," I said.

"Quack."

"Temporary office."

---

Gracie had a much more practical idea.

"We should start by cleaning everything out."

Everyone agreed.

So we began moving things.

Peanut took charge of the small items.

She carried one sock into the hallway.

Then another sock.

Then she found a piece of cardboard and decided it was hers.

"Peanut," I said, "that's trash."

She looked at me.

"It's a very interesting piece of trash."

Then she walked away with it.

---

Gracie and I tackled some boxes.

Kiwi volunteered to help.

His job was supposed to be simple:

Take small things from the bedroom and bring them to the sorting pile.

Instead, he brought everything to the same place.

"I've created a universal sorting system!"

"What does that mean?" Gracie asked.

"Everything is in one pile!"

Peanut stared at the mountain of boxes.

"That's not sorting."

Kiwi looked confused.

"It is if you don't know where anything goes."

---

Then Maybelline decided to help.

She floated into the closet.

A few seconds later, several boxes came floating out through the wall.

Everyone stared.

"That's cheating," Peanut said.

"It's called having advantages," Maybelline replied.

She floated a dresser across the room.

Then a chair.

Then a box of old blankets.

"Maybelline," I said, "you're going to be doing all the heavy lifting from now on."

She laughed.

"I knew becoming a ghost would eventually pay off."

---

Once the room was mostly cleared, we stood in the doorway and looked around.

It actually looked pretty good.

There was plenty of space for a bed.

We could put a crib or bassinet in another corner.

There was room for a dresser and some baby supplies.

And we could make it warm and comfortable for Hayley.

Everyone became excited.

"Maybe we can paint it!" Gracie said.

"Maybe some nice curtains!" I added.

"Maybe a comfortable chair!" Peanut suggested.

The Quackers wanted a duck-shaped rug.

Kiwi wanted a chandelier.

"A chandelier shaped like a sunflower!"

"Absolutely not," everyone said at once.

---

Then came the most important question.

Who was going to help paint?

Everyone slowly looked at Kiwi.

Kiwi looked around.

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

"Because you made a huge mess the last time you tried painting," Peanut said.

"I was expressing myself!"

"You painted the wall, the floor, the chair, the curtains, and yourself."

"I call that immersive art."

---

Maybelline floated beside the wall.

"I could probably paint the ceiling."

Gracie smiled.

"I'll help with the walls."

"I'll organize the nursery," I announced.

Peanut nodded.

"I'll supervise."

"You're not supervising," I said.

"Fine. I'll supervise from the bed."

The Quackers quacked excitedly.

"We'll test the crib!"

"No," I said.

"Quack."

"No."

"QUACK!"

"Still no."

---

By the end of the afternoon, we had a plan.

Tomorrow we'd start cleaning and sorting.

Then we'd figure out what needed repaired.

After that would come painting, decorating, furniture, and finally getting everything ready for Hayley and the baby.

We all stood there imagining what the finished room would look like.

A cozy bedroom.

A beautiful nursery.

A comfortable place for Hayley to stay.

A peaceful little space waiting for a brand-new member of the family.

It was a wonderful thought.

Then Kiwi broke the silence.

"Do babies like bird whistles?"

"No."

"How about duck sounds?"

"No."

"Cat sounds?"

"No."

"Dogs?"

"No."

"Ghostly howling?"

Maybelline laughed.

"Definitely not."

Kiwi sighed.

"Well, I'm going to have to rethink my welcome ceremony."

I looked at Peanut.

She looked at Gracie.

Gracie looked at Maybelline.

The Quackers looked at each other.

We all knew one thing for certain:

Remodeling this room was going to be one heck of an adventure.

And somehow, I had a feeling the paint wasn't going to stay on the walls.

Until next time, dear Journal.

With paws, feathers, quacks, ghostly floating, and one very ambitious remodeling crew,

Lucy 🐾