Transition Weekend to Summer

Academic spring ended at Bradley University this past week, and May Interim starts tomorrow.  Thursday evening, a coal train derailed along Kickapoo Creek (not too terribly far from the one on Labor Day weekend in 2010).  We are guessing that the tracks were weakened by the recent floods.  Another apparent  effect of the floods is that there have not been any Saturday night races at the local dirt track (not too upset about that).  On Friday, Kristine took her 8th grade class trip to the Six Flags amusement park near St. Louis.  It prompted some very dim memories of my own 8th grade class to the Six Flags amusement park near Chicago - thirty years ago!  Kris reports that she had fun.  Katie and I planted our veggie garden on Friday. On Saturday, Karen, Kris, and I helped with Project Sunshine, where we helped renovate a house for a foster family. We got full of paint. I had to leave early for Bradley University's graduation reception, but Karen and Kris kept on painting (and Karen is pretty sore today).  Today I accompanied Katie for her bike ride at Bradley Park in the warm sunshine.  I have also included some pictures associated with the maple tree helicopters that have been swarming our neighborhood, including a sort of abstract micrograph of the veins in the seed and also a picture of the seeds getting caught in a crack in our driveway and standing upright.  Kris noted that our driveway has a mohawk!