I'm writing this on Wednesday, May 11, and the sun is shining. Boy, it turned from cold to hot in just a day.

We went to the 4-H Grounds Friday to pick-up food from their Pork Chop Dinner. Pick-up time was from 5 to 7 p.m., and we pulled in about 5:02. There were already cars lined up from the office building, around the barns, and waiting in line at the picnic shelter building to get their food. ,

As we waited in line, Dean and I were remembering all the good times we shared with our girls at 4-H fairs, the people we met, the projects our girls entered for judging which many times were last minute hurry-up things. Usually the sewing projects were, "Mom, I'm finished," and me looking over their shoulder with a serious eye and (they tell me) saying, "Wellll, that's Ok, but." They tell me they knew that meant tear out some stitching and do it again.

Anyway, there were some great lessons learned through 4-H, and still are. We watched that in play waiting for our meals. Kids were running, not walking, with the cooked pork chops to the main building for the final packing of the sacks. Adults and youngsters were all working together towards a goal.

When we left, we drove east towards Macomb, and cars were lined up in single file all the way back to the Elks Club entrance off Deere Road.

I called the Extension Office and asked how many they had served and was told they thought about 1,000 people. They hope next year to be able to go back to serving folks inside in addition to pick-up. Good job!

Then I called John Deere and asked about their new building. Yesterday was "official" groundbreaking at the site, although some work has already been done. They expect completion in December of this year.

Then, I called the office of the Macomb Superintendent of Schools, and asked about the progress of the new jr. high being built south of the high school. Dr. Twomey (I hope I spelled that right) said work was being done inside the building at this time...dry wall, painting, plumbing, electrical, heating,air. The concrete walls for the west side of the building were to have been delivered by the end of April, then it was moved to the end of May, and now it is a firm date for the end of June. He said once those walls were up, you would see a lot of progress being made.

He had an interesting story about the inability to get metal "clips" for the roof that produced an unexpected delay. There are only 2 companies in the U.S. that make them, and I believe he told me Amazon's expansion had depleted the stock at the time school new construction needed them.

The building will have a capacity of about 450 students which will be 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. The 6th graders will be in a separate part, and I think he said it would be like a "school within a school." Completion is hoped for by Christmas of this year.

The work being done along the street is for city drainage and believe it is water drainage. That will be another phone call and story.