Isaac Long Barn, Manheim Township, Lancaster County

I was sorry to skip last week's blog post, but things just got too hectic around here. My kids have four paws and a tail each, and they're in no way getting ready to go back to school, but the end of summer seems to afflict my household with an uptick of activity nevertheless. Throw in the unsettled weather patterns we've been having lately, and your friendly neighborhood walking barometer finds herself down for the count more often than she'd like.

Fortunately for me, one good thing about history is that it happened in the past, so it doesn't seem to mind waiting around for me to catch up with it.

George Wolf, Bath, Northampton County

Well, friends, August is off to one heck of a start. Not only did this blog recently surpass 500,000 all-time views, which I still can't fathom, but the numbers rolling in are increasing by the day. I don't know how you're all finding me, but I'm glad you're here!

In last week's puzzle-y post, I promised that this week I would explain the big event for which I was preparing. It was another interview, but it was a way bigger deal than any interview I've given yet. I spent a very pleasant hour speaking with Sydney Harris-White of America250PA, our commonwealth's celebration of the sesquicentennial, for an episode of their podcast series! My guest appearance will be featured in an episode going live in a few weeks, and I had a great time telling some of my favorite marker stories and explaining how all of this got started. (I even got to plug my beloved Zenkaikon a little bit.) The podcast episodes have been airing all year and have covered a wide variety of topics; I learned about it when Jim, of UncoveringPA, was the guest in two episodes back in the spring. Definitely check out what they've done so far - you can either listen to the episodes or download the transcripts by visiting "Start Here, America Did" and browsing the extensive listings. And as soon as I have a link for my own episode, I'll share it.

Meanwhile, it's back to the usual this week, so let's take a look at the life of another one of Pennsylvania's 48 governors to date. This one left a legacy that has impacted every child in the commonwealth, even if they don't know it.