Written and posted by Hannah - I haven't had time to update my blogs yet, so I'm copying the tour blog. :)
Okay, so this morning I get up around 6:30. Everyone's milling around
getting ready. After a bit we're all packed up and about to get in the
car when Dad needs to call someone about our hotel reservations getting
mixed up. Mom, Amanda, and I chill (literally) out in the car for
awhile, commenting about the seagulls and a bird that could possibly be a
kittiwake.
When I told Mom what I thought about the bird she said,
"Kittiwinks! AAw, that's ADORABLE!" Amanda corrected her. Mom insisted
that kittiwinks would be a much cuter name, and that's what they were
called now.
After sitting around for a few minutes I noticed something
on top of a telephone pole. Turns out it was a black squirrel just
slumped over, asleep. I snapped a picture (but it's not very clear).
He's that little black blip just over the middle of the tree line.
Eventually Dad got free and came on out. We drove to Niagara Falls for a
quick glimpse of lots of water before running off to our first school.
Pretty cool, even with the small view we got.
Mist from the falls.
A boat I saw while we were crossing a river.
First we went to Calvary Christian School, the one we were at yesterday,
to sell books, since lots of kids forgot their money the day before. I
wasn't doing too well, so I sat out in the car for that one. After that
we drove about an hour and a half to our hotel and checked in.
Our hotel is *right* next to the fire house. We were excited to see a
group of fire fighters doing a training drill with the Jaws of Life and a
four car crash scenario. Mom, Amanda, and I watched from the fence
while they pried two doors off a car.
Mom decided that if she left some guys might come over and talk to us.
Funny enough, after she went to help Dad unload the car, the supervisor
came over and chatted.
The supervisor told us they were currently training on how to keep a crashed car steady. (note the supports)
We learned that the Jaws of Life used to be called The Hersh, after the
company that produced them, but when people heard: We can't get them
out, go get the Hersh! they thought someone had said the hearse. So they
renamed it something a little more reassuring: The Jaws of Life. It was
quite amusing.
Using the Jaws.
Prying off the door.
The supervisor called lunch break a little after we left.
When we did leave most of the guys waved to us. :)
Off we went to Immanuel Christian School. I was squirreled away into
an empty class room to do my Switched-On Schoolhouse Health Class (the
kids were on an Extreme Wilderness Hike). I sat in the 7th and 8th
grader's room for about 2 hours, and managed to completed 8 lessons,
their short open-book tests, and two quizzes.
I had no idea how much
time had passed (even though I had a watch), so after that I packed up
and found Mom and Dad in the 5th and 6th grader's room. Dad was
finishing up. The kids in this class room were really excited and even
asked Mom and I for our autographs. I got about 4 kids wanting my
autograph. Needless to say, I was a bit flattered. We packed up and went
to our hotel.
The kids gathered around the book table
Dad talking with his sword.
Amanda signing paper slips for a little girl named Bell. And Dad's face there in the corner.
There was this nifty tree right outside the building (that I *really*
wanted to climb but wasn't allowed) that Mom and I decided was an elm
tree.
I decided to randomly play around with the leaves. This is a sprig on top of our car hood.
Holding it in front of the side walk and messing around with the focus.
I thought this one was kind of cool, playing with light and focus.
Now this one was definitely nifty. I set the camera on action and tossed
a rock into a puddle, achieving the desired effect. The dry rock in the
middle of the water wall is the one I tossed.
Now then. Lots of pictures, eh? ;) I hope it made up for yesterday.
