“In basic science we work in an atmosphere of curiosity, uncertainty, likely failure and humor.” — Lewis Thomas in Lives of the Cell from Carol Bly

Tuesday was possibly the last day of warmth for a while but one is never sure.

Mello is staring out the south window and Fred is laying on the back of the couch looking for something to bark at and I’m taking in a layer of dust that settled in from workers who are carefully tearing down the back room.

The workers who redid the upstairs some time ago are now faced with Mello and Fred. Instead of wagging their tails they respond with power barking. In time they settle down.

They prefer to look out the front window and ignore the pounding and I’m reading.

Mello supplies art to the front window with her wet nose designs while Fred is off to make a room check as student’s pass by — some of them crossing the street to evade that barking intensity.

It’s good to read that unemployment claims in southeastern Minnesota dropped to the lowest level in five years and that is the good news. But then there have been the Republican contenders.

There was a welcome column in the Star-Tribune the other day with Michelle Obama where she is defined as the president’s most stalwart advocate, shines when the going gets tough. In the article Barack found out her displeasure saying “She feels as if our rudder isn’t set right,” Obama confided, according to aides.

The first lady’s former chief of staff said: “She does think there are worse things than losing an election. Being true to yourself, for her, is definitely more important.”

Said Axelrod: “To me, she seems more content than I’ve seen her throughout this process since he’s been running for president, which is a very good thing.”