Our final days here

We are moving inexorably toward our departure time, which is Friday a.m., fairly early. So we have two more nights here. I offered to treat everyone to supper at Melvins, but it was closed Mon. and Tues., and tonight, Max has band practice, so Thursday looks the only possible day for that. It will depend on when Paul and Jenny can get home. Meanwhile, I need to be making motel reservations, planning an itinerary. Here is how it looks: Friday: Drive to Flaming Gorge, N. R. A., Utah, look around, drive to Craig, CO, where we will spend the night (because the prices are reasonable there). Sat. a.m., leave early (7:30?), and drive over the Rockies to Estes Park, then on to Rob's house where we will eat lunch. Then after a visit with him, we'll drive into Boulder and meet Max at his work and then eat out. What comes after that depends on whether we go to Taos to see Susie, and then go to St. Louis to see Katie, or skip Taos and go directly to St. Louis. Either is possible.

Flaming Gorge National Recreational Area

Rob's home in Boulder where we'll be having lunch on Saturday. **************************************** Meanwhile, I am still working on both formatting and reading the resources on the Gospel of John that I picked up in Salem. Today I ordered two commentaries on John, classic ones by C.H. Dodd and C. K. Barrett, that I could pick uo reasonably. I'm not sure that is what we'll do first in Guilford Bible Study, but it is a possibility and I want to be prepared for it to some extent. Otherwise, it's pretty quiet here at chez Baker.**************************************************** LATER Ellen took Max to band practice. He plays percussion. I could have gone with them, but I was not really ready to go when they had to leave, which was at about 6p.m., so I decided to stay at the house, have some supper, and do my thing. So I didn't get to see Max's school, which is a shame. I'm sort of hoping Ellen might get some photos, but I'm not sure she took the cell phone, and even if she did, she might not think to take pictures. I often forget to myself. So I may just have to let go of that! But here are a couple of pictures from the internet:

Star Valley High School Marching Band - a photo from a previous year. Maybe someday Max will be in a photo like this. Right now, I don't think he even has a band uniform.

Star Valley High School. With the deer in the foreground, it makes it look pretty rural.************************************** This evening I watched (with Paul) a Frontline special on "Lies, Poitics and Democracy," which was a fairly compelling overview of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, his presidency, and the aftermath, all seen as a runup to Jan. 6th, and all with a focus on the impact of all of that on the Republican party. So it was a rehash - "nothing we didn't already know," as they say, but organized with a point to make - we can expect the Republicans to refuse to accept any defeat in 2022 and 2024. They are preparing to defy the election results if they lose, led by Trump. It is hard to deny that seems to be their intention. But would it succeed? What will be the response of the American people if they attempt to overturn an election? I guess nobody knows. I hope that a majority will not permit that to happen, but it is hard to see how that resistance could avoid being violent. I guess a huge unknown is - what will military leaders do? There is some evidence that the military - which has often been seen as a kind of enemy by liberals - might prove to be the last defenders of democracy and the Constitution! ********************** After watching TV, I did my exercises on the back deck and then took a short walk. It is warmer tonight, but I think the weather is turning cooler tomorrow.