Phone Pics

Over the last two days I read chapters 11-13 of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings out loud to all 5 of my classes. I have no voice. Well, I can talk and when I do I sound just fine, but golly gee my throat burns afterward.

So Ben's just enjoying the quite and I've decided to take my phone pictures off my phone and onto my computer. I forgot about most of them. Here they are.This one goes back a while. Ben has to go home every year for the Boone County Fair. Which, I must point out is not even his native county. It is the county over . . . a tiny little one like Millard. But they managed to have a lion and tiger show, in the back there is a baby liger. I repeat, a baby liger. She was like 4 months old but the size of all the other cats. I was pretty proud to see my first liger.
This is my classroom after I finished getting it ready for the kids. When Ben walked in and saw it he just laughed "Let me get this straight, they made you leave Dunbar, to come here?" I flung my arms around and said "Welcome to my promotion." It is amazing that these two schools are 4 miles apart, run by the same head honchos.

Oh, I went to Dunbar this last Tuesday to support Emily, my friend and colleague who took over the volleyball team. It was so fabulous. The football team was just hanging out by the locker room. The seniors on the football team this year are basically all my little sophomore students from my first year. Ikeem was so happy to see me he was jumping up and down. His head almost hit the ceiling (he is about 6'5"). Marquis just laughed with joy "The only teacher who ever gave me a good grade." I hugged him and reassured him he earned it. When I saw Day Day I couldn't even help myself. . . "Day Day, they haven't thrown you out yet?" They all busted up laughing. That kid had more run ins with the law last year than any of my actual thug students. I was so glad to see he straightened himself out. Then there were my three geniuses from first period. It always broke my heart that Maurice, Vance and Vernard were stuck at that school. Three of the best students I've ever seen anywhere. So polite, so athletic, so brilliant. At Dunbar, so sad. I really hope they make it to the Turkey Bowl (the championship) cause I will tie Ben up and drag him there with me if I have to. I forgot how much I love those boys.

I also got to see several of my students from last year. I think they were on some sort of punishment, because I know they aren't affiliated with any of the sports teams and when they ran to say hi to me some drill sergeant dude yelled at them. I reminded Wes he failed my class on purpose cause his mom was going to make him go to summer school no matter what. He just laughed and reassured me he had changed. I also was able to go watch the end of the girls basketball practice. Tru reminded me he and Linda told me being let go from Dunbar was the best thing that could happen for me. They were right, but gosh I miss those kids.








Much like I miss this little dude and his princess sister. I forgot I even had taken these while we were waiting for Annie at Tuacan. He was so good that whole night.

Now this is the picture I actually got on my phone for. And I swore I took like four others, but this was the only one I had. Boooo. This is atop Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. Last weekend Mara and I went down there for a hike. This picture does it no justice. I wish I had just lugged my real camera all the way up that mountain. It was so gorgeous. I know the mountains out here are wussy, but all those trees make up for it.

It was a perfect day for a hike. Slightly overcast, and when we reached the top we were in all sorts of fog, which just added to the beauty of all the orange, red, and yellow that surrounded us. It wasn't too cold, we just wore our long sleeve shirts and called it good. I could definitely move to that little valley in there and be happy for the rest of my life. The small towns back east are so romantically beautiful.