As regular readers can tell, I changed the blog theme yesterday. I did this to highlight that there have been a few changes here on the site and in my working life as well. Yesterday was my first day volunteering at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in Manhattan. This is really an honor and a privilege and I am excited about the coming months. I spent a good part of yesterday shadowing the rangers and getting to know the lay of the house. TR’s life and times were fascinating on so many levels and there are numerous interpretive possibilities to explore. The staff are incredibly knowledgable and bring a passion to what they do. I find it amazing that such a gem of a site is right here in the heart of New York City. If you are coming to town, make it part of your itinerary.

If you look in the lower right corner you will note that I created a Facebook page for the blog. I intend to use it for posting quick comments, photos, etc. of a more social nature than what I might put on the blog. It is very much a work in progress and I sure it will morph over time. I had wanted to do this for a while, and was waiting until I received my new iPhone. With it, I can take video and better photographs. It gives me the means to do some things on the fly as well. I downloaded the WordPress and Facebook apps, which will give me more flexibility in my blogging and social media. I am going to blog and Facebook about the writing of the Joseph Roswell Hawley biography as well. Fall is filling up.

(image/Smithsonian)