<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">I followed this piece all the way to the
conclusions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">I thought It was, for the most part, well
written.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">But I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font size="3">didn’t see the connection between what you had just written and your
conclusions.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">The conclusions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></font><font size="3">seem to be</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">just stuck on to the
end, with nothing to support it.</font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">I read<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">the
new version, and it is more</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3">
</font></span><font size="3">consice</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">with a greater economy of words. </font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I have no problem with the first part of the
essay. </font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">It is even better written<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">than it was the first time.</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">It is how you segway into the conclusions<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">that I have trouble with. </font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">This is
done on the first rendition</font><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><font size="3"> </font></span><font size="3">of the piece
and may not comply with the changed version.</font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Inspired by
listening to others on the July reader's workshop with theme summer magic</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">622 words</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">My Summer
Vacation</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">by c. s. boyd</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
The first week of school was a time for everyone to tell about their summer
vacation. I kept my head down embarrassed because I didn't have a story about
going to one of the many tourist spots in our nation. If I had told about my
summer vacation, the teacher would have marked it as unacceptable because it
wasn't the kind of story she was expecting.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">For me, summer
was a time of work and preparation.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">After the long
winter, there was fence mending and other repairs to be made around our small farm.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">We had an orchard
made up of one row of apple trees, 2 apricot (my favorite), 2 plumb, 1 red
cherry, 1 white cherry, and 2 peach trees. Two white and two purple grape vines
grew along the wooden fence that divided the north east corner of the property
from the rest of the two and one half acres. Each year we planted a garden of
corn, green beans, black-eyed peas, okra, tomatoes, and watermelon. The garden
had to be watered, and, when ready, The vegetables and fruit had to be
picked and prepared. We ate a good bit of it and canned the rest to eat during
the upcoming fall and winter.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I also churned
butter, helped with dressing the chickens my father killed, fed the livestock,
and other chores.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">I remember
laughing at my dog chasing the sprinkler. making apple dumplings, grape jelly,
apple and cherry pies, snapping peas, and green beans, canning vegetables, and
fruit to store for the fall and winter ahead</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">You already said that you prepared fruits and
vegetables<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></font><font size="3">for the winter . </font></font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">This is redundant.</font></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">There was no
money or time for trips to see Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone</font><font size="3">
</font><font size="3">Park</font><font size="3">, the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad
Caverns, the </font><font size="3">Washington</font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3">Monument</font><font size="3">, the liberty bell, </font><font size="3">Disney</font><font size="3"> </font><font size="3">Land</font><font size="3">,
or any of the other historical and national vacation spots other kids got to
visit.</font></font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">No going to the
movies, watching TV, play at the local swimming pool or sleeping until
noon for me. There was work to be done, and I rose at 6:00am to help get
it done.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">As a child, I
longed to see and do the things the other kids talked about. At first, I thought
I would do it as an adult, But, I didn't have the money and didn't have paid
vacation. Besides, others my age had already seen all these things. They were
into ski trips, and traveling abroad. So, I thought I would do it after I
retired. Then, I went blind, so I missed out all round. Oh, I know I've heard
blind friends talk about going on vacation and how they love the description
people give of the places they go. That's ok for them, but I can hear a
description without leaving home, and I've seen pictures. It's not the same as
going and seeing it for myself.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">Now, we have
people who want to remove the monuments to our history. Vacation spots are not
safe. The founder may have something objectionable in his past that means what
he created has to be torn down. Long established names have to be changed
because they could be offensive to someone. I think sports should be banned as
well. These institutions are evil. They exploit young black men by promising
them a free college education and pay them millions of dollars to get them to
play for teams that buy and sell them like meat at the market. This will leave
us with no history, therefore, there was no revolutionary war, no slavery,
thus, no civil war, and, finally, we make the utopia complete by removing all
laws and law enforcement leaving us with 328 million unrelated people living
together on the bottom half of the North American continent.</font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></span></u></b></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"> </font></span></p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font></div>