Dear Cyndy,

I can't remember when you said you would be back in Hilliard.
I hope the trip wasn't too arduous, and that your foot didn't
give you too much trouble.

Konnarock is quieter than in recent years when it seemed on
the verge of becoming a vacation resort for campers and equestrians.
There seem to be far fewer cars on the road; I haven't seen a
single horse-trailer. The two country stores from which in the past
I could buy gasoline for the lawn mower and the chain saw are For Sale.
For the first time in seventy years there's no gasoline for sale in
Konnarock. Now one has to drive across the mountain to Chilhowie to
buy gas. The roads of course are much improved; what was once a bumpy,
hair-raising 50 minute drive at 15 m.p.h. on a dusty narrow single
lane serpentine dirt road cut into the precipitous mountain side,
is now a fast, easy trip on a highway so wide and straight that it's
difficult to resist the temptation not to apply the brakes but to let
the car have its way and coast into the valley at 60 m.p.h. or more.

The only pressing maintenance problems I haven't been able to manage
are the three leaks in the roof. One at a window on the glassed-in
porch which in a heavy rain deposits several ounces of water into a
bucket on the window sill, one from the flat roof on the second floor
shed dormer which I thought I repaired last summer, - but not quite.
The plaster is still peeling, and on occasion a lone drop of water 
is visible on the ceiling where it evaporates before ever dripping
to the floor. And then there's the leak over the dining room window,
from an improperly constructed valley between two intersecting roof
planes. That leak also I thought I had repaired last summer, but
even though no drop of moisture is ever visible, the patching plaster
that I applied keeps crumbling. This years, I no longer have the
strength to negotiate the transition from ladder to roof, or to clamber
up to the ridge. I must finally accept the fact that I am too old.
What should I do? Tomorrow, after we come home from mailing the
certified notice of appeal, I will telephone a Mr. Jim Blevins,
who years ago helped my parents with various maintenance problems.
He will come and try to be helpful, but I doubt that he will know
what to do either, - but at least I will feel less lonely with my
ignorance, and less guilty, finally having consulted a specialist.
I'll keep you informed.

What I have accomplished in these twelve days that we've been here,
in addition to the plumbing repairs, is to put together and paint
four brackets for the video surveillance cameras. These are now 
positioned around the four sides of the house. I test them daily
by getting new images, - I'll attach some samples. What remains to
be done is to drill a hole under the window sill on the porch for
the video cables which connect the cameras to the computer.  When
I have buried the cables under the sod, the installation should
be complete.

I'm also trying to work on my novel and on my essays, but progress
is slow, and I'm dissatisfied. I will try harder. - I hope that you
are well and happy, and will soon have occasion to write. Please
give my best to Ned.

Jochen