Day 1594: Packing Up

Food, cooking gear, supplies are packed and ready to be loaded on the truck tomorrow.

We did a few hundred other jobs, too.  In the morning we'll pick up the cheese and bagels and then move all the perishable food into the coolers.  In the afternoon, our volunteers will come and the equipment and cook bags will be loaded into their cars.

We made a few more personnel changes today, provided directions for more parents.  Accommodations for everyone.  Steve ran into Doug tonight at the firehall and asked about the box truck.  He requested it months ago and the principal took care of it.  However, no one ever spoke to the person who actually drives the truck.  How fortuitous that Steve saw him tonight.  As I've said before, the hiking is the easy part.

Day 1593: Snow on the hills

As we cruised through Arkwright on our way to Arab Hill, snow pelted the windshield.  We were out scouting the route and Steve wanted to check with the new owner of a property we regularly cross as we exit the oil well access road.  He wasn't there, but the fellow across the street connected them.  It seems that a group of horsemen came through his property, tore up his trails and gave him lip when he confronted them.  The confrontation turned him sour on trespassers and he was not willing to let us pass through.

So, what to do as an alternative?  Fortunately, we can connect to Sanford Rd, dreadful Sanford Rd, via a trail and an oil well access road.  But, the cost will be an additional two miles.  Yikes!  But, we'll use this change as a teachable moment.  That makes two properties that we are no longer able to cross, not because of our actions, but because of others who were disrespectful to the private landowners.

The whole morning I spent working on an electronic thank you note.  Apple print products suck.  I designed and ordered the card multiple times, but the site would never let me order it. Then I tried Shutterfly, Walmart and Walgreens.  Finally, I gave up and went to Walmart and made them in about ten minutes on one of their machines.  It looks terrific!

We also outfitted our Swedish exchange student to participate.  She's pretty excited.  Steve talked three sets of parents through the process of picking up their kids for NYSSMA and the Super 8 track competition.  I mowed again, even with a few flakes falling.  Now the yard is set till we get back.  Did more laundry, checked the weather a dozen times, packed a bit more, adjusted the roster again, posted photos to the Quest site.  I'm certain there will be more changes over the next two days!

The trees still are not fully leafed out!  

Spring comes late to Arkwright. 

Day 1592: Disappointment

We calculated we spent a total of seven hours on the certificates and photos for each student. 

Two hours of photo editing, making prints at Walmart, trimming each photo to fit frames and then stuffing each frame with an individual and group photo.  Sent names to the print shop to make certificates, proofread all of them,  matched them to each photo, organized them into hike groups.  

Yesterday we were so hopeful of winning the best musical performance tonight, but it wasn't meant to be.  Although we were very disappointed, we we feel nothing but pride in our students.  They are a class act.  We were honored to be awarded best costumes and technical design,  but wanted so badly to win the whole thing. Clarence won again, three times in a row each year they were eligible.  

Very proud to be part of this amazing and creative team.

Day 1591: Good luck!

Walking down Temple Street, I spotted this four leaf clover near the sidewalk.  When I bent to take its picture, I found another, and then more, at least a dozen.  Such a lucky patch!  And what does it mean?  When we arrived home, the weather report stated that the temperature would be in the 60s with no rain while we are backpacking!  Just what we hoped for!

Another glorious treasure along our route

We finished expanding and mulching the dogwood garden in the front yard.

New lilies arrived in the mail today, birthday gifts from Nancy.  

I placed "Paddy's Place" on the far right, second row. 

"August Wedding" was planted in the Birdbath Garden.

We also finished the Forest Garden out back. 

Three down and twelve more to go!

Day 1590: Last class

Forty-eight classes and today was the last one, thank goodness. I have enjoyed most of them, but not today.  Nine boys went to a track meet early, so I had to meet with the coach so he could give them all the essential information for Wednesday's departure.  Not one fulfilled their responsibility of informing us.  We only found out because one parent emailed us and then we contacted the coach.

Then, the HS girls basketball coach had a meeting after school for next season.  Three girls had to go and tell her they couldn't attend and were gone for ten minutes.  They couldn't go at the end of class because they had to leave early for a softball game.  One boy didn't come because he had to get help in science.  Not a bad excuse, but he has missed the last two classes and the 2 day hike.  "Just give me a packet and I'll read it."  Sure, that will work.

Two other kids didn't show up.  No idea why.  So, we had fifteen minutes to cover a half hour of material.  When we were done, I put on a slide show of all the photos I took during the two day hike. No comments.  No excitement.  No enthusiasm.

Then at the very end of class, a boy called me over and said, "Oh, I'm not going on the four day.  I have baseball games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "  I suggested he come for Wednesday and Thursday.  "No, I don't want to be tired for the games."  "Was this your idea or your coach?" I asked. "It was my idea."  OK.  What else could I do? He had made up his mind.

The next job was to make arrangements for two kids going out on Friday to NYSSMA and one going to a math competition.  The bright spot was taking care of our exchange student's pack, tent and gear needs.  So glad she's joining us.

To celebrate, dinner at Whiskey Hill.

The first completed flower bed!  The dogwood garden is half done and the forest garden is weeded and ready for mulch.  Very pleased with our progress.  I got so warm working this morning that I jumped in the pool again.

Day 1589: My happy place

A new iris, a birthday gift from Laraine

In just about two hours, we went from closed pool covered with stinky winter cover and leaf net,

to a bright blue haven!  It was easy, uneventful and surprisingly clean, thank goodness.  Everything is cleaned and tucked away till fall.  Now all we need is sunshine and summer heat!  The water was dreadfully cold at 57 degrees, but I jumped in anyway.  Last year, I swam 100 lengths on May 11 and May 12 and ultimately tallied five miles in May.  That doesn't look likely this year.  

Day 1588: Our Brocton friends

For seven years I have made twelve trips per year to Brocton for backpacking classes.  We have always been welcomed warmly by staff and administrators, though the students have not flocked to backpacking.   Enrollment has ranged from three  to five to one  over the years and we have often questioned whether the small numbers warranted our time and effort.  The answer is definitely yes!  Today, I quickly covered the essential information for our departure next Wednesday.  What to bring, where and when to report and so on.

The fun part came when I ran a slide show of all the photos I took over the weekend.  They were like new people!  Animated, lively, excited and joyful!  "Oh, there's Mindy!  I loved Mindy!"  "Vince was so cool!"  "Mr. Nowicki is so funny!"  "I loved going down the slope! That's was really fun!"  "The cheesecake was delicious!"  "I met so many new people and made lots of friends!"

I couldn't stop smiling after that.

Hiking the trail near the beaver dam

Cows from the Lesch farm

The final trek just before we reach Ludwig's knob