SEPT 6 2016

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT DELAY IN THE DD BECAUSE I MUST GET OUT AND GO" SINGING IN THE RAIN"-- IT WAS "POURING"  AT MY 1AM  WALK ABOUT....  AND IS NOW ONLY DRIPPING... BUT WATER IS GOOD.. THE PLACE IS WET,,, THE FIRE HAZARD OF LIVING IN A FOREST WAS GETTING WORRISOME...   I FEEL BETTER NOW. ******* AS FOR THE FOREST... LAST NIGHT JANINE AND S.O.  DONNED TYVEK SUITS AT MAIL CCALL... AND WENT OUT TO MARK A HIGH AND DRY PATH TO THE BAY STATE TRAIL FROM THE GATE IN "A".. I SAID MARK THE PATH... I MEANT MARK WHERE WE NEED TO CLEAR THE OLD PATH  LONG COVERED OVER BY FOREST.......-- IT WOULD BE A GREAT THING AROND HERE TO BE ABLE TO GET  INTO THE  FOREST WITHOUT GOING ON THE ROAD....-- AND LAST I KNEW ( ON HORSEBACK)  THERE IS A ½ HOUR CIRCLE WHICH ENDS IN THE BACK OF OUR POND....SO MAYBE 45 MIN ON PEOPLE FEET...  IT WOULD NOT BE GOLF CARRT PROOF  BUT DOGS AND DONKEYS WOULD LOVE THE WALK... JANINE SAID  YOU CAN SEE THE NEXT DUCT TAPE ON THE TREES FROM THE LAST TREE...  SO IT WILL BE A BIT OF A HIKE FOR RYAN TO GET IT MARKED BETTER TODAY.... THIS IS ALL THAT AREA  CARVED BY GLACIERS , I AM TOLD....WITH ESKERS ---STEEP UPS AND DOWNS WITH MUD AT THE BOTTOM--   IN MY YOUTH  ( 20 YEARS AGO)  I HAVE HAD SOME NASTY MUD EXPERIENCES OUT THERE-- SO I AM GLAD JANINE MARKED THE HIGH AND DRY PATH..IT IS A REAL FOREST  "WILLOWDALE STATE FOREST" ON THE MAPS... WHAT KIND OF NASTY EXPERIENCES??-- BADLY LOST TWICE ON HORSEBACK  ENDING UP SO FAR FROM HOME I HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE COME PICK ME UP WITH THE HORSE TRAILER...-  AND THEN THE   NOT SO NASTY..... WHEN WE FIRST MOVED IN HERE, I WAS TRYING TO FIND OUR  BACK STONE WALL IN THE DENSE UNDERBRUSH... AN DCAME TO  A FORD BRONCO  SUNK IN MUD TO THE HUBCAPS WITH 3 INCH TREES IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND-- IT HAD BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE...  STILL PRETTY NEW LOOKIG AND  HAD IT'S LICENSE PLATES ON IT... SO I STARTED CALLING...  TURNS OUT IT WAS REPORTED AS STOLEN- AND "THE INSURANCE MAN" CAME OUT TO CHECK TEH VIN NUMBERS ETC...  THE INS COMPANY WAS RESPONSIBEL FRO GETTING IT OUT OF THE SWAMP....- AND HE OFFERED TO- SAYNG HE WOULD JUST TAKE IT ACROSS TO OUR DRIVEWAY AND OUT...AND I SAID "NOT OUR DRIVEWAY" LEAVIN GHIM MILES OF FOREST TO BATTLE... SO I OFFEREED TO BUY IT FROM HIM FOR $150  IF HE GOT ME THE TITLE ETC.. SO HE DID...   WE HAD AN ANCIENT  CASE BACKHOE AT THE TIME- AN D IT TOOK  A FEW DAYS TO GET IT ON A CHAIN AND PULLED OUT- ONCE IN THE YARD AND CLEANED UP WITH SQUIRRELS AND NUTS REMOVED, , DARNED IF IT DIDN'T RUN- SO WITH A COUPLE NEW TIRES... I DROVE THAT FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS--  NOW YOU CAN SEE WHY I AM SO THRILLED TO HAVE A NEW CAR- AND NO LONGER HAVE TO DRIVE ONE I FOUND IN THE SWAMP. THAT WAS AFTER MY VW BUG PHASE-- WHICH IS A WHOLE NOTHER PERIOD OF MY LIFE...  WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG--- 50 YEARS AGO-- I ALWAYS DREAMED OF HAVING  ONE OF THOSE REALLY FANCY BRITISH VEHICLES LIKE ROLLS ROYCE  -- BUT AS I GREW WISER, I REALIZED IF A ROLLS BROKE DOWN YOU HAD TO WAIT FOR A MAN TO COME FROM ENGLAND TO FIX IT...  WHICH IS WHEN I STARTED MY LOVE AFFAIR WIHT  THE $100 VW BUGS  WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS....... EASILY STARTED BY ROLLING DOWN HILLS-- HEAT WAS SHUT OFF BY MOVING A HOSE...  THEY WERE WONDERFUL I LEARNED....YOU DID NOT BUY  EXCLUSIVE ITEMS-- YOU STAYED WITH SEARS ROEBUCK-- BECAUSE IF MAN MADE IT, GOD WOULD MAKE IT TO  NEED REPAIRING. MY FINAL VW  WAS YELLOW AND HAD A ROLLS ROYCE NOSE  TO DRESS IT UP.  THAT WAS TEH PASSING OF AN ERA TOO.... NOW I HAVE A CAR-- AND  I AM STILL AMAZED TO GO OUT AND TURN THE KEY AND IT STARTS. !!!! *********** HI  CARLENE THE DAY AFTER BAILEY WENT TO SLEEP YOU WROTE A GREAT POST ABOUT WHAT SET QUEEN BAILEY APART FROM THE OTHER DANES.  WHILE THE OTHERS DO A GREAT JOB, BAILEY LEARNED HOW TO LEARN....AND SHE TRUSTED YOU. I TEACH ADULTS WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE DUST OF THEIR POOR DECISIONS OR LIFE'S WAKE. MOST WERE NOT GOOD IN "REGULAR" SCHOOL.  NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO GET IT TOGETHER, EARN A GED, AND ASPIRE FOR OTHER EDUCATION OR TRAINING.  MANY FALL AWAY AND COME BACK TIME AFTER TIME UNTIL THEY REALLY COMMIT THEMSELVES TO THE WORK. ONE OF MY CURRENT GROUPS ARE STUDENTS WHO HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES THIS TIME.  THEY ARE MAKING WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS MOSTLY BECAUSE THEY ARE BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THEY CAN.   SO ONE CLASS I MADE A LESSON FROM CRAZY ACRES' MISSION, BAILEY'S LEARNING TO ENTER A FRONT END LOADER SO SHE COULD "CLIMB A TREE" AND YOUR RECENT BLOG.  THEY WERE FULL TILT INTO LEARNING ABOUT CRAZY ACRES AND HOW YOU VIEW CHALLENGES.  I INTRODUCED THEM WITH STORIES AND PIX.  THEN I READ YOUR BLOG TO THEM.  WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT SETS THEM APART FROM OTHER STUDENTS WHO HAVE COME AND GONE IS THAT THEY ARE LEARNING TO LEARN.  IT WILL SERVE THEM FAR BEYOND THE CURRENT CLASSROOM.   THEY LOVED THE TIME SPENT AND, I THINK, GOT THE HOME BASE MESSAGE.....LEARN HOW TO LEARN. THANK YOU FOR YET ANOTHER WAY YOU IMPACT SO MANY, CARLENE. ************ "FAR BEYOND THE CURRENT CLASSROOM".   I LIKE THAT CONCEPT.