The Cardinal Direction

Our First Time as Poll Workers On November 3, 2026 Mary Beth and I spent over 14 hours as poll workers at an election site in Richmond Indiana.  The setting was a polling location at an African-American Baptist church. The day was peaceful and cooperative, with no disruptions, no illegal electioneering, no protests, and no threats. However, the process of helping over 400 people vote during the 12 hours the poll was open was a physical, psychological, and vocal marathon.  Training and Arrival Polls were open from 6am to 6pm. We arrived at 5am, along with five other poll workers. They included an owner of local rental properties, a home school advocate, a teacher, and a gardener and marketer of tonics and fermented foods. We left most of our lunches, snacks, and extra drinks in a break room and then unlocked the room in which voting would happen.  The equipment and supplies for the voting process had been delivered by the county voter registration office the day before. La...

Autumn is in the Air Today the air was crisp, topping out just over 50૦. Fall is definitely here. Up to now autumn weather has been much like Tucson in the winter. Daytime temperatures have been 65-80૦ and nights cool. But tonight it will get into the high 30s.  From the desert around Tucson I always posted some photos of its scarce but good fall colors. Limberbush. Coral bean. Desert cotton. But here there is definitely more color. Fall colors have generally not been as spectacular as some New England locations, but we have enjoyed a lot of yellows and some oranges and reds. Here are a few photos.  Maples seem to have the best colors. A range of colors on a nearby street.  Muted fall colors on trees along Brookville Lake. The walnuts behind our house have already lost all their leaves.