What a delight to receive all these enthusiastic thank you notes!
When a friend asked me to speak to her three eighth grade classes, I put a lot of thought into how best to present the material. My goal was to create a presentation with information that would sink in and stand the test of time. On December 8th, I spoke to all three classes at Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor. The enthusiasm and the feedback I received were so positive that I really want to get this valuable program on writing, revision and research into more schools. I plan to put a flyer together after the holidays.
We hiked to that little building on top.
Look at that, you don't need to sweat or strain, the chairlift (left) is next to the hut.
In the morning, we lingered, not wanting to leave.
On September 11th, we hiked to Rifugio Lagazui (a hut) in Passo Falzarego in the Dolomites. Limestone chips and chunks slid beneath our feet as we hiked this steep, rocky, strenuous trail. As we got higher a cold, metal railing aided our steps on precipitous ledges. I was slow and careful hiking this baby, but it was
WWI tunnel
oh, so exciting.
There were remnants of WWI scattered in the towering spires. After trekking uphill for some time, we came to one--a tunnel! Limestone slurry trickled down steep steps as we gripped the icy railing and made are way up the mountain in darkness, aided only by headlamps. At a nearly 45 degree angle, the steps were exhausting. Every now and then we'd pass a window. We hiked in darkness for close to 45 minutes.
Near the top, we peered in a rocky room with bunk beds and leftover warfare. The tunnel was narrower, so we had to watch our heads (this might be a helmet recommended hike). The rifugio was perched on a cliff, so it had a magnificent view. At dinner we sat next to Ed and Sarah from San Francisco and Steve and Terry from Maine. It was great to be at a table of Americans for a change.
