For the summer, in addition to the occasional bus trip, trolley drive, and new bookkeeping job, I’m cleaning at one of our schools, the kindergarten and first grade school.  It is not a glamorous job and I wouldn’t recommend it.

There have been some interesting happenings though, unexpected and good for much needed humor, given the circumstances.  I probably spend half my time cleaning and the other half moving furniture, cabinets, desks, chairs, easels, book cases, filing cabinets, and even a plastic fireplace so the carpets can be cleaned.

In the process I’ve rescued  triceratops from a market awning, had a runaway teddy heading for the cafeteria, corralled out of control glue sticks, cleaned up a major train wreck in a hallway and woke up a sleeping bear.

I have moved untold numbers of little plastic chairs and sleeping mats.
I wonder what class in college teachers learn that primary colors are such a necessity to child education?

That I don’t dream in red, yellow and blue is a miracle, though I did dream one night of missed erasers and sequins in a corner after vacuuming.

School has totally changed since I went.  No more blackboards and chalk.  There are white boards and smart boards and computers in every room.  There are rocking chairs and bean bag chairs and toy kitchens.  There are stacks of toys and games, puzzles and Legos.  One room has a red-eared turtle named Michael Angelo, who begs for food if one gets too close.  The one familiar and comforting thing is the alphabet – still strung around the top of the boards in the front of the classroom, each letter with a matching picture.  A is still for apple and Z is still for zebra – phew!

I will not end the summer any smarter for the three months in school, but I will be in better shape.   Silver linings are sometimes scarce but always there.  🙂

A soggy field trip to Kerr Dam, southwest of town on the Flathead River.  Three buses went and, lucky for me and my group, we stopped at the dam first while the other two went down to the power station.   See one of the other buses down there?!

There are over 200 steps down to view the dam, but the climb is worth the effort.

They are filling the lake now (the lake is allowed to drop over the winter, partly to leave room for runoff but also to keep docks from being damaged by ice) so very little water is coming through the gates.   Runoff should have the lake at “full pool” by June 15 this year and then the gates will be opened to keep the lake at summer level.  I had never been to the lookout so was glad for the chance.

Then we took our turn down at the power plant.  I’ve been to the park area there to run the dogs along the trails that lead down to the river but never had a tour.  An impressive operation, the dam was completed in the 1930s.  The second picture is a bearing that connects a turbine to a generator; there are three of these.  It is moving VERY fast.
This was one field trip I was happy to tag along and be a student!

A ranch visit and a farm visit, all in one day!  The kids must sleep well after these field trips!  This one included apple pressing, tree house climbing, horseback riding and learning everything they could want to know about local agriculture.  Even I checked out this tree house, the coolest one I’ve ever seen.  I want one!

Then patient teachers and parents took kids for rides around the barn, again and again, on three very patient horses, who I had a nice chat with before they were saddled up and put to work.  Another gorgeous place to wait with my book and my camera.

Then on to a very big farm.  This farm in on my bus route, so I was glad to learn something about what goes on here.   I sent pictures of grain bins a few weeks ago and those are on the same property.

We learned that cattle forage grown here consists of peas, wheat and barley.  They ship 115 million pounds of potatoes a year – yikes – that’s a lot of potatoes!  And they turn on their big irrigating systems with their cell phones – high-tech farming!

During my lunch and reading time, enjoying the view from my bus, I was kept company by this big fella, a chukar, an introduced game bird.  It’s the first one I’ve seen!  He’s pretty smart, there’s spilled grain all over the place!