I looked out the library door and could not help but notice the eight Ladies of Mature Years who were settling down at two tables in the lobby, along with cards and scorepads. I don't know if the (large) lobby of the Caroline Richardson Building hosts this sort of thing on a regular basis, but I suspect it does from the total lack of interest of the regular staff of the library.

I have been eating my lunch out there since I've been working downstairs, sitting on a soft chair and putting my feet up on the low table sort of thing. So, since I wasn't in the way or anything, that's what I did today. I walked over with my cane, sat down, put my feet up, ate, and read. I rated barely a glance from the ladies.

I shall probably finish the second of several boxes on Friday. This one has been a doozy, with bunches of stuff just tossed in there without folders.

And the boxes that I did upstairs have come down to "roost" on the shelves which butt up against each other until you crank them enough to make walking room.

This afternoon there was a lot of crackling noise in the library proper--it was a "dry run" for pre-evacuation work. All the stacks will be covered with plastic which is being placed on top of the bookcases in readiness. Of course, if it floods, that will do no good. But if the windows break it will protect things and Belfor won't get tons and tons of money for drying everything out--again.

Most of my time today was spent reading the files about the attempt to have a history of Newcomb written. They settled on someone, but her first two chapters were not satisfactory. I read them and they are hard going and dry as dust. Details, details, details--showing extensive work on source material, but they really drag. And this book was meant for both an academic and public audience.

She had brief notes about the planned content of the rest of the chapters, and I think I shall try to do that with my proposal.

Next Wednesday is the "Gulf States Women's History Conference," and I really want to have something concrete to show Pat. I mentioned something about the GSWHC at the center and one of the women looked a bit confused, since she had nothing of the sort on her calendar of all things related to Women. I explained.

Still no sign (or smell) of Freckles. Tomorrow I'll take the big flashlight and give a good look under the house. I would have bet on her passing first, as thin as she was getting, but then maybe Fella was just as thin under his really thick coat.

No rain today (yet?) so it's still on the warm side.