A Volunteer's Day

June 21, 2011

Another day, another couple volunteer hours. Two for MNs via Stream watch. Had a great time in the office with Rose, Clementine (her dog) and Becky Minor. After some file work, I got up to go to the bathroom and the door opened. It seemed it was a couple from Oregon looking for information about the Moorman's River which his ancestors had settled with a plantation a couple hundred years ago. . their name was Moorman. (You just can't make this stuff up!!) They are river keepers on the Columbia River where John and I were four years ago. And they had been on 4H Way . . where the camp I work at is. . . so they were happy to get the camp phone number and caretaker's name from me. And they were also happy to learn that there is a wonderful overlook in Shenandoah National Park that looks all down the Moorman River valley. "So, are you going to the Albemarle County Historical Society?"

"That's our next stop. . .do you know where it is?"

"Oh, yes, I spend time there every fall for the Spirit Walk. You want to talk to the librarian, Miss Margeret. She knows where to find everything you need to know. . . .Do you need to speak to the Fluvanna County Historian, too? How do you get there from here? Well, you turn right when you go out the door, .. . ." You get the picture.

"You want to know where Fluvanna, Albemarle and Louisa Counties come together. Let me mark that for you on this Rivanna River Watershed map. You'll need to get off I-64 at this exit, take this road and this road. . . . . " What a hoot!

And after all that fun, I got to use the microscope to look at bugs. It just doesn't get any better than that!!

Unless of course it was this morning at Vacation Bible School. Poor planning! My former students won't believe it, but we ran out of activities to do and the kids got smarmy. So we started making up games. In the middle of the "most sit ups contest" I looked out the door and said, "Quick!! Look religious. . the pastor is coming." He came in and proceeded to do push ups with claps. That's when we decided it was time to go outside and run a "Dress and Strip" relay. The kids had to go one at a time and put on grocery bag boots, a T-shirt, lei and hat, strip it off and run back. I left the pastor to field the parent phone calls. And since there were still five minutes, told them to have a 'screaming meemee fit' which they proceeded to do. . fortunately well away from the church. If you were driving on I-64 and heard screams at 11:45, don't worry. It was us. What a great group of kids! And what great fun. If you're thinking of us, you might say a prayer for them and for the leaders.

So, hope you are having fun today. Someone today told me I needed to write an autobiography. I'm not sure the world is ready for that!!