Stan:
Where as I recognise the scenario you present, indeed my 'replacement', as such, is already retired and came back 2 or 3 days a week and has now accepted a years contract to fill in for me whilst they try to recruit a replacement it's not for me.
Experience had taught me not to look back but build on experience and move forward. A little travel , South Africa to see relatives, NZ to visit old friends, a bit of cruising out of curiosity to see what people see it it and an attempt to put some flesh and substance around ideas I have had circulating for years.
In 1957 - 59 my father noticed the garage roof was hot in the summer and he needed a source of hot water so he rigged an old washer pump to pump water round the roof and heat it up - Solar heating in 1957!!! he developed a semi automatic lawn mower to save having to follow the motor mower all the time, he also built the motor mower from a cyclemaster
http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike%20Directories/Raleigh%20Bikes/pages/Raleigh-Cycle-Master-55.htm
He built radio controlled systems out of tuned reed circuits excited by electromagnets and valves rescued from old radios despite not having any electronics training or background at all. Guess I get it from him.
Ill spend a bit of time making and breaking things for my own amusement rather than watching the kids do it. Maybe I'll even make a bit of money on the side.
Now that thing about tracking the rabbit - that looked challenging!!!
BUT I have most definably taught my last school lesson.