Conner Prairie

There is a state park up in Fishers, IN, called Conner Prairie.  It is an interactive, "living" museum/community that is "frozen" in 1836.  The social studies teacher on my team has arranged for the 8th grade to take an April field trip to their program called Follow the North Star, which is about the Underground Railroad in Indiana.  It is a role-playing situation where students are fugitive slaves trying to reach freedom.  Conner Prairie staff provide the realism.  Because of the nature of the experience, teachers/chaperones are required to go to a training session/walk-through of the event.  We did ours today.

Did I mention that it was a really cruddy weather day?  We were told to wear boots and other outdoor clothing...and I'm sure glad we did!  We were outside for about 1 1/2 hours, trudging in the wind and rain, through ice, slush, snow crust with water underneath, mud, muck, and animal manure.  Yee-haw!  At one point, we walked about 1/8th of a mile in 6 inches of unmelted snow crust (tough walking!) followed by a steep uphill climb.  This ol' lady was a-huffin' and a-puffin', but I made it!  The rest of the walking was in rather serious mud and snowmelt.  I hope the students appreciate what we went through for them today!  I've been totally worn out tonight...

We stopped at Boston Market on our way back to school...and made it back just as the buses were loading at dismissal.  I went in to prepare lesson plans for tomorrow because I decided to take the day off--for me.  (Long story.  I hope it has a happy ending!)

My daughter and grandchildren are coming down tomorrow afternoon for my 60th birthday.  None of us has any money for celebrating, so I'll probably cook us a steak on the grill and just enjoy their company, even if everyone is sick! 

We had a major snow melt today.  Most of the stuff is finally gone, except for the big piles...leaving everything wet and yucky-looking.  We had a thunderstorm this morning.  Went to school with lightning--first of the season.  Tragedy in Alabama with a school getting hit by a tornado.  God deliver us from such a fate!