I don’t know whose chalks these are, but I completely understand why they didn’t put them away. Temperatures dropped precipitously last week, from above freezing to below 0F in an afternoon. I have a full beard, a scarf, and a good hat, but the cheeks and eyes complained pretty bitterly about being left uncovered. I imagine the child (of whatever age) who left these behind had little motivation to retrieve them.

To be fair, chalk is a consumable, not a tool to be maintained for a lifetime. And as long as it stays below freezing, I don’t think the elements will hurt these much. It just raises in my the perpetual question of workspace management. For projects that take longer than one session, that need to fit in the cracks of normal scheduling, how do you manage them? Do you get another desk and set up your tools and leave them there? Do you make a new toolbox and fit in everything you need, packing and unpacking on demand?

Neither really work for me. I do better if I schedule enough time to make it all happen in one go. Unfortunately, that often means projects get delayed for long periods. It would be nice to leave everything, run inside for hot cocoa, and not come back until spring.