Bittersweet

Time for the final valentine cards 

of my teaching career... 

Found almost everything I needed in my sweet "suitcase" from a giveaway several years ago that was sent by Bernideen. BTW, she has fabulous giveaways! With all my leftovers from years past, I had enough cards for all my  kids,

except the kindergartners.

This year because of scheduling issues I am in-class support for both the kindergarten teachers. So with 50 cards to make I got busy with the card stock, printer, and some cute stickers. Yes, I know it would have been cute to spell BEE, but "kinder kids" need to learn their words the correct way.

I didn't have enough stickers so each class will either have bees or bugs!

Happy 

Valentine's 

Day!!

♥♫

Pawnee Buttes

Towers of Time 

Icons of the Plains 

Our stone lithograph in the living room shows them looking to the south. We always think of them looking to the north.

Our last visit was right before Sarah was born, thinking a little trip might hurry her along! That didn't work-she arrived when she was ready. Yesterday she had a notion to visit them again.

Google maps did not send us on this more direct route, but we followed it on the way home.

"The tops of the Pawnee Buttes were once a continuous part of the surface of the High Plains. The land surrounding the buttes has been eroded away, revealing fossil bearing rock layers that represent the passing of a hundred million years." from signage at the parking lot.

There is a nice parking area with sheltered picnic tables and a restroom. And off in the distance a lot of windmills generating electricity. Tall monstrous things, gently turning in the wind. If you click on the picture below you can almost see them looking like pins stuck straight in the ground along the horizon.

Beauty on the vast, 

almost colorless prairie. 

Here's a good link with information about the hike to the base: Pro Trails.com. Back in 1981 we drove almost to the base of the towers. Now you must hike a few miles to get that close.

There was a chilly wind blowing, but otherwise a beautiful February day. Deep washes formed by water and time.

We returned home on the more direct route, wanting to be back on smooth paved roads. We did laugh at the horrible washboard road. This drive is not for a sissy car!

The road looks like it goes on forever, but just over the top there are some great curves due to the rock outcroppings and gullies on the prairie.

The air was full of dust from all the oil trucks we passed going to the drilling sites in Weld county. I thought we'd actually be the only ones out there on the road!

Thanks, Sarah and Alex, for the wonderful trip and birthday weekend out here on the eastern plains.

♥♫

Distinguished and Recognized!

Wiggins Elementary was notified we were honored as a Title I distinguished school this past November!! Only two schools in our state, out of around 600, were chosen for this honor. We are the Category 1 winner because of exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years. We were told there used to be a monetary gift with this award, but no longer given due to budget cuts.

HOWEVER,

At a meeting after school we had a visit from the "State" and were congratulated and presented with $10,000 for our school! How cool is that?!!!!

You are able to read about our school at this link to the National Title I site.

♥♫