I do not like roller coasters. Never have. I was on one once and I kept my eyes closed the entire time. I have no desire to even get on the small one at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Literal roller coasters are one thing, figurative ones are another. I would just as soon experience days in which the events are on an upward or a downward spiral.

UP: Today as I was sorting out the fiction selection, a fellow named Shane and his wife and three children, one a small baby, came to the Meeting House and poured over books for two hours. It was sunny outside, but cold, the Meeting House is always warm. We all had a good time talking books – finally, right before 1 p.m. Shane and Company loaded up their SUV with books and children

Alys in her study

Then another woman, named Laura, appeared and said that she was wanting to get the place ready for church services Sunday evening. I told her that I had kids’ books, and she chose a boxful.

It was Saturday. Pete and Bill then appeared with more books. It was salvaging day. They brought in about eight boxes, the perfect amount for this week. Pete and I next did some distribution in town.

Down: On the way to dog agility, I checked my email. There was a message from Dorothy Adler who taught the First Responder class that Pete and I took two years ago. The email indicated that a classmate, 21-year-old Autumn Johnson, was killed in an accident. She was hit by a semi as she was attempting to save the life of someone involved in a rollover.

This, in my mind, was so in character. Autumn had single minded intensity of purpose. When I knew her, she’d just been accepted into the Kansas State pre-vet program. It was her senior year in high school, I told her that for this reason she could relax a bit. She just kept on working hard.

And she obviously had this single-minded intensity of focus as a WOOFER student. She just did what she was trained to do. She just didn’t look both ways when she crossed the highway.

I remain stunned because she was so young and had her whole life ahead of her. And so why this happened and happened in the way, it does seem to me to be nonsensical.

UP: Dog agility. New class, Pete and two other students, both who have dogs that are at a comparable level to Shadow. All worked on a course in which at the center was weave poles. Pete was told to send Shadow through the poles using his body instead of his hands. This worked.

UP: Pete agreed to stop in town on our ride home so that we might check out the main bookcase at Vagabond Blues. Whoa, it was Colony Christmas Days, and throngs of children and their parents were passing through. So I put on my Dr. Suess hat and began passing out books to children. The response was very gratifying – the kids were glad to have the books.

I think that in the future I’d like for my days to be a series of ups. The downs, I can do without.

Next: 343. 12/12/21: On the Most Beautiful of Days