Her "New Ears" Audiogram

Her last audiogram in 2013 w/her Freedoms

...and you can see her Speech Reception was at 20 db...meaning she can hear speech softer than that looking at the chart but not clearly enough to understand it until you reach 20 decibels.

Now with her new N6's...

 

 

She still hears very well with her CIs but can hear clearly at 5 db in the sound proof booth. That's a soft whisper!

 

We all know that in any type of noise that will dramatically decrease her ability to hear speech but we are very pleased with her new ears and the main thing is...she too is very pleased with them and that's the most important!!

 

She will be starting 5th grade on August 7th and as her team leaders, we have agreed that she can try the classroom(s) without her FM. She does NOT want it and this is the same grade Gage quit using his as well. We sought the advice from her Hearing Impaired Teacher and she agrees we could give it a try. If she needs it, we'll give it back to her no problem. I work at the school so I'm just a short walk away if she needs me.

Where are The Blakelys?

I can't believe I haven't updated this blog since June! Such a slacking blogger! The Blakelys are still doing well, thank the good Lord! We have been very prosperous in our garden this summer and canned many-a-vegetable! I have pickles, tomatoes, soup starters, pears, spaghetti sauces, and so much more just packing my storage room shelves for this Fall and Winter. 

Since I have taken on a second job, I basically work full-time hours just at a more random schedule so that I remain home with my family as much as possible...makes for one tired mom, but aren't we all? Gage is doing well (as far as I know) over at the high school...yes, I said it...his middle school is all located inside the high school so he's forced to be even more independent. He has always thrived on independence and as long as he's doing well, he should be just that. He goes back for his yearly visit with the cleft palate clinic in December when we will again discuss his orthodontics, his dental issues, his possible jaw distraction for later down the road and we also meet with his nutritionist...kind of a full yearly exam to make sure he is getting as much nutrition as he can, gaining weight properly, etc. As bad as I hate the six hour appointment, it is loaded with information, so we must go.

Brooklyn is doing well in the classroom also. She is well into the fourth grade, very independent though she does still use the personal FM system. Her teacher is one of the softest spoken people ever, but she hears her very well inside the room, along with the mic. I am in and out of the classroom a lot checking since I do work there as a sub teacher, and she appears to be on task, and not really struggling with anything other than math which she has always found to be a little difficult.

The kids have friends, they are happy, they talk, they talk back sometimes, they get into trouble...but they are The Blakelys...happy to call 'em mine!

Swimming with Cochlear

We were invited, along with a few other families, to try out the waterproof swim gear coming out soon from Cochlear. You really can't see the bags from this photo because Gman needed a swim cap to hold them on his little malformed ears but other kids were able to wear them with a small band holding them in place. Are they completely ready for the market, not exactly but with just a few small touch ups I think they'll be a huge hit.

Did they work? YES! They did the job. His implants did not get wet and for the first time, he could swim, and go under water, and still hear wearing his processors the whole time with only a slight compromise in sound quality. The echo from the swimming area was a challenge anyway but if I took him down to the other end of the pool, covered my mouth so he couldn't speech read, ask him questions....HE COULD ANSWER THEM!!

He had to be very gentle before he put the swim cap on ducking under the water very easily or the coils (magnets) wouldn't hold. He tried the headband the other kids were wearing and it still wasn't enough but a swim cap held everything on great! The best part? He loved it. He smiled and said he liked being able to hear while he was in the pool. I watched him splash and make noises with some of the swim toys just to hear them. That was pretty awesome!

The only negatives I could see: I would prefer a brighter color (not clear) because we go to lakes a lot, should one come off, I'd like to see where it is. Also, the bottom of the product needs to be less "stiff". It rubbed into his neck and was uncomfortable. It didn't appear to be a problem with everyone depending on the child but more than one person had this issue. I like the fact that they will be affordable but we would probably use like 10 a day during summer with both kids and both ears so it would be nice if you didn't have to rip the bag open to get the processors back out and reuse them all day and just throw them away at the end of the day.

My friend Lisa was there also and she did her best to "drill" Cochlear for inside information on the N6's or the next processors due out in Fall from Cochlear. We are holding off to upgrade Brooklyn until the new ones come out so we are hoping they are as awesome as they plan. Sounded to us like they will be better for the kids in classrooms and possibly come with a lapel mic for teachers to use in place of FM systems since the new chip would make things easier for the kids changing environments. We shall see and our hopes are high.

Not so Good

Well, we thought we were doing great.....however, after MAPping both children today, we popped them into the booth and obviously from the chart, they hear great with their cochlear implants...
(You need them to hear within or above the speech banana if at all possible which both of my kids do, thankfully)

...the bad news? They don't hear great in noise. In fact, you can see from the numbers over to the side, that they both drop to less than 1/2 of clear understood speech. Brook uses an FM in class and she does really well with it, however, little man has abandoned this as of fifth (really fourth) grade. So, he's trying a noise program right now (which he doesn't love) but he'll either adjust, use the FM again for class, or settle. I'm hoping the new program will help him out. I can't imagine only getting 46% of the information all day long.

On a lighter note, this is the difference in words they create outside the booth door while waiting on each other........

She innocently works away at Bat, Sunroof, and many other common words, while he is completely amused by his words Spaz, and turds...(boys)

Brooklyn is good for another year while Gman will go back in a month, see how the new program is working and we'll put him in the booth with this program and see if he can up his numbers any. Brooklyn doesn't seem to be that bothered in ordinary situations and since she has an FM at school, I'm not as worried about her numbers.

Lil Updates

I have become the terrible blogger. My kids have even updated their blogs and I have not! I'm telling you, between my two jobs (sub-teaching, accounting office), home, PTO, church, kids, husband...basically my busy and fun-filled life, I barely have time to sit at the computer anymore.

Brook: We are still hoping to upgrade her "ears" around March or so. She needs *and deserves* an upgrade since she's had these processors for over six years...and if you have kids, you know how much wear/tear these things go through in six years no matter how well you take care of them! She is also about to have a birthday...the day after Christmas but we celebrated early and had a very small pizza party Saturday. She wanted to invited EVERYONE but unfortunately that wasn't allowed and the ones she did invite got struck by the nasty virus that is going around the school....she almost didn't make it herself but got well in time to go for pizza w/a few family and friends.

Gage: He is great. He's a boy (lol). He has not used an FM system all year long (at his request) and his grades are pretty average now of what we would expect from him. He enjoys school, and he's really enjoying church these days. He wakes up each morning with his ADHD in full swing but right when I'm about to pull him down from the cabinets, walls, rooftop *lol*, he'll brighten my day by belting a church hymn from his breath and my day totally changes. We work closely with our doctor to manage his ADHD and we seem to have it under control for the most part.

One of his batteries died yesterday in class and went for a few hours with one "ear" but made it fine. I was at work and he said he didn't want to bother me so he just "made-do" for the remainder of the day. He is due for MAPping just after Christmas while they are on break from school and Brook will go for her yearly in January!

That's it from the Blakelys. Have a very merry Christmas!!

Blakely Updates

I think my child blogs more than I do now. That's what happens when you have two jobs, two kids, a husband and a wonderfully fun place to live! I keep extremely busy these days between all of that and PTO and church so I have my excuses for not blogging.

We finally have Brook's FM working again on both ears. She's back on track. Even though she's only in third grade, I never have to tell her to do homework, she just does it. The other kid is a different story and his grades reflect that! He just got his ears MAPped again so he's hearing better for now and will go back next month as usual. His nose bleeds have picked up once again. We were supposed to get that cauterized before, during another surgery, but we never had it written down for the surgeon to do, just a verbal thing, so with Gman's complications it got overlooked. We may end up having to take him back one of these days for a little procedure to fix that. He hates nose bleeds.

We are excited about Thanksgiving this week, and look forward to family time. I've actually been put in charge of two casseroles for the first time ever so let's hope they are edible. I'll be gone ALL DAY LONG on Friday for my annual shopping trip and we plan to put up our Christmas tree this weekend! I have so much to be thankful for and everyday is kinda like Thanksgiving for me so say your prayers, and let HIM know what you are thankful for this year!

Pumpkin Patch

So B is down to one "ear" inside the classroom. Both of her processors are working fine but part of her FM system is out for repairs so she has to make do with listening to her teacher via one ear until the other FM battery cage is repaired. It shouldn't take long so hopefully next week or so, it'll be returned.


We took the kids to the Pumpkin Patch with our church yesterday, they loved it! Even my Gman who is too big for all things childish. They had a band, they had food, they pumpkins, they had hay rides and huge jumpy things...My kids didn't go in the enclosed jumpies but they did do the slides.

they were supposed to make silly faces

The Hungry Child

playing on the cabin's porch

So we are faced with our ADHD challenges as we begin this school year, along with his troubled hearing. He seems to be okay as far as hearing in the classroom, his teacher is male and has the perfect LOUD and STRONG voice. However, I did get a note about his staring off into space and looking around the room (which that one could be hearing related I know). He's given up on the FM system and relies on mapping alone, which is scheduled for the first week in October. I've had my concerns over the last month that his medication wasn't handling his ADHD as well as it used to so I'll have to keep a watchful eye on that situation.

He still isn't gaining much weight and hasn't crossed over the 60 pound mark yet...and he's eleven. He does eat at least one breakfast (bagel w/Nutella or something hearty) before he gets a bowl of cereal and then he sort of snacks for lunch. He barely eats dinner but does another snacking meal instead and by bedtime he's famished. He stays up an hour or so after I do eating anything he can grab (after I've fed him several hearty things before I turn in for the night). I got up at ten last night after I saw his flashlight in the kitchen. He had found something to eat and when I woke this morning there was a note that said, "Val, fix me a bagel AND a bowl of cereal first thing in the morning! I am starving." I felt sorry for him so I'll have to make sure he starts eating the hour prior to me going to bed, because Mama just can't stay up late, I turn into a monster after 8 p.m.!!

School updates

So we've completed two weeks of school and getting ready to start our third. Gage is still having trouble understanding (there's a difference between hearing and understanding) but seems to be doing good in school. He loves how interesting his teacher is and comes home repeating lots of great stories. His teacher is male and has a very loud and deep voice so he doesn't seem to have as much trouble hearing him as he does us at home.

Brooklyn's teacher still hasn't started school unfortunately. She started having issues right before it started and turns out she has MS. She is trying to gain her health and strength back to come in and begin her year so we will say a little prayer that it happens soon, we want her in the best health possible. She is such a kind/sweet young lady. So starting the third week, B will have her third teacher. Hopefully this one will get to stay until the regular teacher returns because it's hard for the kids to understand each preference for each teacher and learn their lessons at a consistant rate (especially when we have to train each one with the FM microphone, etc. and try to get used to each changing voice). But Brooklyn is a champ and is doing way better than I probably would.

I have been busy subbing already. I've been at the local Trade School, the elementary and the high school and tomorrow I go back into the high school again. I look forward to each job since I get a variety of kids who all seem to teach me as much as I teach them (probably more). The down side is that I see needs. There are so many children (at all ages) who don't necessarily have the basics covered. It saddens me, it strengthens me, it burdens me. We don't really have a lot either, but if my kids are hungry, it's a choice. I may not have a full pantry at all times for them to choose from a full menu of items, but there is food in my pantry. There are children who would love to have oatmeal for breakfast on a Saturday, despite being out of Cocoa Pebbles. We are Blessed and I see that every day.

Week Two

We've started week two of school already here in Bama. Gage is having a difficult time hearing, we're having some issues with one of his processors changing/turning up when you slightly touch the side of it...he's already been kicked in the head (on accident, at PE again-what is it w/these boys?) but so far no issues have resulted from that.

I'm guessing if he doesn't improve (modify classroom/accommodations) then I'll have enforce the FM microphone system that he DOES NOT WANT TO WEAR ANYMORE!!

Brook is doing quite well. She's using her FM system, her teacher unfortunately had fallen ill unexpectedly and she's hoping to come back at the end of this week, so she's had a sub so far.

We went camping this past weekend and had a wonderful time as usual. The kids brought their bikes, they swam, and they fished. One of Brook's processors had issues though and it needed a new part (which was at home) so she had to go a full day with just one "ear". She hated it...but made it just fine.

Other than that, we are just enjoying ourselves. We love our friends, our family, our school, our church...what more could you ask for?

Ears, ears, ears

Yes, I will schedule an ear tune up an hour and a half away for child #1 and be back to school before 1 p.m. for child #2's IEP. Crazy I know but it worked.

We got the boy all fixed up. He sat drawing, rolling his eyes, making snide remarks, etc etc, as his wonderful Audiologist MAPped BOTH ears, fixed the MIX for his FM so he can possibly hear his classmates better when the mic is in use, returned Brook's FM system to me in less than an hour and a half. So the four and a half hour trip put us back at school 10 minutes early for Brook's IEP. Woop! Got her all squared away and ready for 3rd grade next year.

We have determined that Gman is still going to need MAPping monthly. We tried to stretch it to five or six weeks and he's reading lips by then. He's ALWAYS needed monthly MAPping so this is nothing new. He just "special" as he likes to say, when trying to one-up his sister, lol.

Bullet Updates

Sorry, I'm not a lazy blogger (maybe I am) but we've just been really really really busy. I can't wait until Summa time and we have less on our plates. Everyone seems to stay booked up when I work a lot (and I am) so we all have to pitch in and play catch-up when we get home which leaves little computer time for me.

• Brook's IEP is scheduled for Thursday-I see no problems with that, nor am I nervous or anything. Just a meeting with the teacher(s) and I see them around a lot anyway so I'm not scared.
• Gage is scheduled for MAPping before her IEP meeting. He needs it. Even his teacher says he's reading lips to get by. I will also get his mix adjusted on his processors so that he can use that again. He needs to hear the teacher and other students and right now he only hears her.

• We have our PEEPS in the Park event on Saturday. Yay. I get to meet up with a lot of other families from AL with kids with hearing loss.
• Can you believe my baby boy is about to be 11 ?? Just a couple of more weeks!! Say it ain't so!

IEP Number One

I wish everyone's IEPs were as easy as mine are...but I know lots of people have to basically fight for every little thing. This year is the first time I recall them getting input from Gage. I know I had asked him last night if there was anything he needed for sixth grade and he said, "YES! I have got to have more P.E. time. I mean at least fifteen more minutes! There's just not enough time right now!" Apparently he mentioned that to them too, listing that as his FAVORITE subject (such a boy).  

They will not test him for Gifted as it has been postponed for too long (he was referred in second grade) but now his SATs scores from the past few years weren't high enough for them to consider him (even though he did earn a medal for his scores!) He had surgery after surgery causing him to get delayed each year. So, I'm guessing I won't be satisfied until I know his IQ score which means I'll probably pay out of pocket and have those done this summer by the Psychologist who tried to test him before (when his ADHD was so bad and he couldn't even finish the testing) The good news is that his ADHD doesn't seem to be too bad right now so his meds are still working!

He basically has a similar IEP to last year, he needs his special equipment (static-free computer mat, FM system, cochlear implants) and he'll stay in the classroom except for ARMT testing which will be done in a quiet small group setting. He will not be testing on any movie that doesn't have proper captions and he won't be testing on material given over a pre-recorded device unless exact reading material is furnished that can be read while it plays. And no paddling without calling me first (shouldn't be an issue)

I shouldn't have any issues but if they do pop up, I'm certain his sixth grade teachers will be glad to get with me and we'll work to resolve any of these matters. She also asked me a quick question about his next year's IEP when he'll be going over to the high school. I almost started crying. I don't even want to think about my baby going over there!

I have got to get him in to see the Audiologist soon. His teacher stated that he's having a terrible time right now and is lip reading heavily! So I'll be scheduling that asap.

Now Brook's IEP is next week so hopefully her's will go as smoothly!

Bullet Updates

We have been so busy around the Blakely home. The biggest news is that the husband will become "Mr. Mom" for a few weeks as he recovers from minor hand surgery that will actually prevent him from working his real job for a while. He has no idea what he is in for.....and that's right, he gets to have them for Spring Break which is a whole week off from school at the end of the month! Here are some quick updates on the Blakely kiddos.

• Gage finally has mapping this week, and yes, the husband gets to handle that. He'll do great! He's done it before by himself so they'll basically have a DUDE DAY afterwards until it's time to pick up little sis from school. I am going to ask that they change his mix on his processors so he can use the FM and still hear the students in the room speak as well as the teacher. Right now it's too low and he can't hear what's going on.
• Kids are doing great in school, no real concerns there, they have friends, make good grades, get in trouble (occasionally *wink*)...the basics.
• We are getting new neighbors. The children's grandparents are moving on and have sold their house and we look forward to getting to know our new "friends".

I had a Mama/Son day today and naturally, we spent it muddin', riding four wheelers, exploring, chopping, and anything else he wanted to do. I'm so glad I'm still healthy enough to get out and be a kid when it really counts!

Blakely Updates

Can you tell it's tax season? I am usually a substitute teacher so I'm used to having off days which I use to play blog catch up but those "off" days are filled at the accounting office this time of the year so I rarely see them anymore. I'm usually at one place or another. I have just a few quick bullets for the Blakely kids and more on the way later...

• Brook will be performing as a Chipette tonight singing "Single Ladies". Yes, my deaf child will dance with her two buddies from church to music that she has been gifted to hear, and sing with a voice that God chose to give her even though He didn't have to. I hope to capture it on video and post a small section of later!
• Brook's FM mic is still out. She needs it, I hope it comes in next week so she can hear better in the classroom. She is doing fine without it, her teacher is fantastic but she needs her mic.
• Gage doesn't use his mic. I'm gonna talk to his Audiologist and see about changing his mix when the mic is on. They do a lot of class participation. He can hear his teacher fine, and clarity is much better with the mic. However, during class discussions or when someone else answers or asks a question, he can't hear them due to the mix on his processors. We have always had it set where the teacher is prominent and background is highly reduced but we are at a point where we need a more even mix so that he gets equal parts teacher and peers.
• He goes in a couple of weeks for Mapping again. He's always went monthly but we didn't have a Feb. appointment set up so he goes in March. He's already starting to need it too. For some reason, maybe his ear malformations, he can't "hold" a good map for more than five weeks. He never has. He's always went in monthly for mapping since he was three. Brook is at a point where she can go practically yearly, and for the common ci user, this is probably average at this point. She's had her's for 5 years now.
• Otherwise, the kids are doing great. They are talking, screaming, fighting, loving, "going out" with people (lol), hanging with friends, singing, dancing, riding four wheelers, going to birthday parties....basically the average kids.

I didn't hear the teacher

So yesterday, B's teacher tells me a story about something that happened in class where Brook misunderstood her. She felt horrible about the ordeal and she almost cried telling me about it but I assured her, I'd get with B and see if I can find out why she's not hearing her. She then reminded me that B's FM was out for repair. That's what it is.

When Brook got in the car she said, "Mama, I cried a little bit today. Mrs. J told me I could take a test on the computer...I thought she said in 3 minutes, but she said 30, so when I got up in 3 minutes I got in trouble. I started to cry a little bit and I told her that I couldn't hear her. Then she told me it was ok and it was fine to go ahead and take the test." I told Brooklyn that her FM should be back very soon and I know her teacher was reminded she can't hear well. Sometimes we all forget. I am just as guilty.

We work so hard to get our kids caught up that often they fit in too well. The fact that they are still deaf children gets masked by such typical performances in the classroom. No matter how well they are performing, deaf children often work much harder at listening than other kids do. That "work" becomes typical for the deaf kids and no one really knows how much "work" they are putting into just listening and trying to keep up with conversations. With any special needs, these kids might look around more often. What you might think is cheating, they are simply looking at the other kids to make sure they themselves are doing what they are supposed to be doing. What you might think is excessive talking, may actually be the kid trying to verify with a peer that they heard the instruction correctly.

I am very fortunate that Brook isn't scared of the teachers (I don't think she's scared of anyone! lol) and will self advocate when necessary. Sometimes she lets things slide with her peers that I wish she would address more but as she grows, matures, and learns that people aren't going to hate her for needing repeats, etc. I think she'll get more comfortable. I am very fortunate that my kids have such a caring group of teachers. Yes they are treated much like any other child. They forgive my kids when they make mistakes (and let's be honest, this is daily with these two! lol) and we in return forgive them when they make them. One thing is for sure, in some form or fashion, we keep them all on their toes.

Bullet Updates

Just a few quickies from the Blakelys. We have been swamped with gatherings, fun stuff, church stuff, school trips, and who knows what else. I'm subbing less now and back at the accounting office part-time during tax season as I do often to help them out so they don't get behind during their busiest time of the year.

• Went on field trip with Brook's class. We had ordered reserved seating front and center but upon arrival, the teacher asked for our "special seats" and they were taken. Her teacher in the most fabulous advocating fashion got us our seats...because we needed them and she had pre-requested them way in advance! Thank you and the theater was more than happy to accommodate. Love it.
• B's FM system has a low static sound over the teacher's mic. I will address this at our next audiologist visit which is soon. Both kids will be MAPped over the Christmas-break holidays...whew, that will be a long day!
• Kids are doing well in school, socially and academically as far as I can tell. They have friends, they are treated well, and as equals, they have great teachers. We get two weeks off soon and are looking forward to it.
• I can't believe my baby is about to be EIGHT years old...for real! Although we've already celebrated it, she will turn eight the day after Christmas.
• She did well in the church Christmas play. She read her line perfectly and sang right along with the other children. Never would have guessed that eight years ago!!!

University of Montevallo

To some extent she's right. Implants are almost impossible to buy. They are expensive (covered by most insurances) and you need a prescription (so to speak). That was her point. She went on to write "Save your money if you can't hear!!!"

We went to our (almost) annual visit at the University of Montevallo Monday afternoon to talk to the up and coming Deaf Ed/Speech Therapy majors. The kids' former SLP is the instructor/teacher and we had a great visit.

Everyone was very respectful again this year about our choices. There's almost always some students in there that sign only and this year was no exception. We had a bonus this year and found out one of the students was wearing a cochlear implant too! Neither kid wanted to talk.......at first. Then after they warmed up, they did fine. In fact, Brook stood next to me and mocked me as I spoke...fabulous. She really liked one of the interpreters (she's often present at events we go to and I've ran into this lady for years). Brook even wrote on the board, "The lady in the green jacket likes me." Gage brought a vehicle he'd created and spoke on that subject for a little while.

I discussed our background, Goldenhar Syndrome, school, FM systems, parenting, language opportunities, AVT, ADHD, and so much more! We talked about home life and how they communicate without processors on, and the difference between bilateral and hearing with one implant.

We hope we shed some light on how "normal" yet insane at the same time, we can be. The kids got a gift card as a reward which I happily bought them prizes with on Black Friday. We look forward to hopefully returning next year. My mother even came this year with us and she kinda warmed up and spoke a little too.

I still cringe

I know I've strayed away from "advocacy" for quite a while. I feel comfortable with my kids getting what they need at school. However, I still cringe when adults say to me "Oh, she could hear me!!"

Brook had mic issues the other day. According to her, the sub turned the mic on when it needed to be off and off when it needed to be on. They apparently had issues with Brook's behavior and I hate that. Brook immediately told me as she got in the car this day all of her troubles. Unfortunately, when no one listens to Brook, Brook gets very angry, and sometimes even disrespectful. She got in the car with ATTITUDE pouring from her. She vented, and I assured her, the teacher didn't hate her. I was gonna address it but when I'm met with the words "Oh she heard me!!" I simply brush it off as, why even try?

It's not always VOLUME she needs, it's clarity and people just don't understand. Plus the mic will buzz when it's out of range and on unnecessarily at times so I can see Brook's side. I however, haven't written down the steps for the mic to be left for sub teachers, and believe me, I know how subbing can be. You are lucky to have a clear moment to figure out anything much less technology.

I am only aggravated at myself because I've reached the point where we are too comfortable, and it's affecting my kids. I must put back on my advocacy hat at some point and go back to educating the public. Maybe I should just do a presentation somewhere, lol- like the old days. I shouldn't have ever got that comfortable--no, I won't be receiving Mom of the Year!! Darn.

School is in session

We survived the first day of school. I admit I was a little giddy dropping them off. I was finally going back to the gym after the summer off!

We have reached a point where Brook is getting hand-me-down teachers that have already had Gage so all I need to do is show them how the mic works.

This year, B has a student teacher in her room as well so there's two instead of one, that's fabulous. The more the merrier. And I had to remind all teachers to remove the mic before they go to the restroom, but I assured them that if they forgot, my kids would have told EVERYONE what they heard thru the personal FM before she even had a chance to return to class...so I confidently told them it would likely only happen once...then they'd never do it again!!!! lol

Brook has her first football game on Saturday (she's a cheerleader) so this will be interesting to see how she does in front of the crowd/team/spectators. I am expecting nothing but good things this year! Last year stressed me out beyond the max so I'm looking for some calmness.

We are looking forward to PEEPS in the Park on Sunday. I love getting together once or twice a year with the other families of the state who have children with hearing loss. Big fun.....hope the weather holds out.