Well, well, well. My little town of Johnson City has an upgrade. Highway 290, as it travels about five blocks through the city, now has a turn lane. Big improvement.

The 21st century is coming to my little town in a relatively big way. A bank of charging stations for electric cars is being installed next to the gas pumps by our local small box supermarket.

I had no idea, when I decided to take my week-long sabbatical, that the return date was the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. But it is, and here I am.

No fireworks to speak of yesterday. Mostly I did the one thing I love to do. Read a book. Almost all day. A sort of fitting book for the Fourth, Freedom’s Forge by Arthur Herman. It’s the story of how American business mobilized to help win World War II. Great story.

I always visit my books on Veterans day, writings about men at war. Granted, I enjoy seeing all the pictures of fresh-faced soldiers, my parents and grandparents included, but they only tell part of the story.