Minds like an open window, sometimes

Both of my parents had good ideas, but operated on different planes. My mother lived and loved the life of the mind, celebrating books and ideas and discussions and people gathered for that purpose. My father saw life's fulfillment in a job well done, finding a good value for a product or service, finding satisfaction in the elegance of the basics.
Back in the 50s, my mother started a group that would bring her joy for the rest of her life, a Great Books discussion group in Westminster. It started in a rather formal framework, based on the classics from the Great Books Foundation. Over the years, the group drifted from the rigors of classical literature and on to books of their own choosing.
For most of its time, the Great Books group met in people's homes. There would be a light meal or just a snack. Sometimes, just a handful of people would gather; in other times, they might have a couple dozen.
Although our house was pretty much finished during this time, there was always more work to be done.
One summer evening, it was my mother's turn to host the group. It was a hot evening, so all of the awning windows had to be open.
It was also an evening when my father found a great deal and so arranged for delivery of a truckload of fresh manure that he'd use to fertilize the new front lawn.