Daylight's Coming...

Dear Maria,

Good morning. I forgo the exclamation mark as most folks I know unlimbered pretty slowly this morning most likely. Even the hawks must have moved their clocks ahead as they are crying out before dawn. And now a crow’s complaint—perfect, not a songbird to be heard yet. Of course, I am up regardless. The powers that be can call it 4:15 or 5:15 as so moved.

You will laugh to know that I allowed my hackles to be raised a bit over a question about the new direction taken for the SAT. With the ease that comes from having no immediate vested interest in a subject, I launched into a dismissive comment on the test, a swipe at the ACT’s marketing and lobbying strategies—Pearson’s, too—and a diatribe on why Gates et al will be foiled because they can’t remake the population into the workforce they choose. That I should for even a moment become embroiled in such folderol. Foolish me.

I did take a look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics projections for job growth and part of their summary concludes that “Two-thirds of the 30 occupations with the largest projected employment increase from 2012 to 2022 typically do not require postsecondary education for entry”. No further comment from me on educational or economic planning. For now. And no comment on my reading choices from you, please.

Saturday I added three double-knockouts out back and a small Japanese maple—now there is some optimism, adding a slow-grower like that to the landscape. The greater excitement was the addition of a bird bath that both Max and the birds can drink from at their ease. A plump robin gave itself a rousing splash-about without so much as a second glance from Max. Good boy.

Just after I settled the new additions into the garden, my neighbor Frank insisted on the two of us spending about half an hour mending the fence, a forty-year-old wooden specimen that he wants to be always leveled and with nary a board out of place.   As we finished up, he duly noted two boards badly bowed along a stretch between my yard and another neighbor. I did confess my awareness of the two miscreants. All in due Daylight Savings Time.

Last week reads included Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos—see not all BLS documents on the reading list.

Have a lovely week. 

Yours, of course, srk