Blog 87

View from the kitchen window. 

The first days of September
- photos -

It seems like we have been back at work for a long time. Summer seems like a distant memory, regrettably.
Some actually argue that it was over a year ago ... considering the very unsummer weather we had through most of this July and August. Even now in September we celebrate the rare time of sun we find between days of over-cast and rainy conditions.
It seems the bummer summer has brought the bears down the mountains as well. The story goes that the berry crops were not very good, causing the bears to look for food farther down into the valleys. We've had a few visits. They are really healthy looking animals actually, but ones that we still keep at a distance.

Being back at school is good in that it returns us to a routine and to conditions for which we were made. Summer break opportunities are good while they last but our Creator really intends us to be occupied with our daily vocation.
So we are back at teaching and some administrative tasks. In addition to two art classes I have two new subjects to prep for: a Planning 10 class and a group of 9 grade 8 students in Woodworking Shop. Both courses are good challenges yet quite time consuming to prepare for. Ian and Timon are adjusting well. Wilma finds herself extremely busy with course preps for her, over 30, new students. In addition she still manages domestic achievements that will impact our family for a year or so.

Last Friday we started on our firewood collection. We found a good spot some 12 km out of town where it is easy to get to standing, dead bugwood. Cutting some trees down, bucking them and loading them in the truck only took us two hours. I think we'll do more of that in the weeks to come.

On Friday I attended a principal's conference in Houston. It was a very worthwhile day of learning and sharing. One thought that I took away from it, maybe not even directly related to my work, is the notion that Christians do not fear bad news. No worry about the next pending disaster, breakdown or mishap. Have a read in Psalm 112. That really is a great thought to start a new week.