Retired teachers have been hired again this year to help with the hour-long one-on-one California English Language Development Test for Transitional and Kindergarten students. Schools only have 30 days to complete the initial assessment for new students. This is a great job to have: the students are delightful and the day goes by quickly. This week I was at Madison and Castori Schools.
Special moments happen every day. One girl say a song about Jesus to me right in the middle of the test. When presented with this page and prompted to “Say this word,” 
responded with “Giraffe, lion, elephant.” Although I had to bubble in the mark for Incorrect, I told her “Good job.” All language domains are tested, reading, speaking, listening, and writing.
One of the best parts of this job is running into old friends, like Ethel Smart, who was my aide at Sierra View long long ago.
Monthly Archives: August 2016
Zucchini Festival
Sponsored by the Rio Linda Grange #403.
Biggest zucchini contest:
Winners of the Zucchini Cook-off:
Susan Hanks:
Zucchini racers,
outside there were head-to-head matches.
In the garden, a couple of giant pumpkins hoping to win the September Country Faire “biggest” contest.
Carson’s Christening
The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento.
There were about 20 children being baptized this morning. Not a single child cried!
Meanwhile …
Brunch afterwards at Cafeteria 15L.
Carson’s feeding team: Thais the holder, Sophia the spooner, Avery the in-between-bites entertainer.
Back to Sac
Time to go home! Thank you Billie for everything. I had a great time!
Roanoke bike ride 3
I rode the Roanoke Greenway early this morning with Greenway Ambassador JD.
A few days ago, this part of the trail was impassable due to flooding of the Roanoke River.
Fun! Miles = 13
Roanoke bike ride 2
This morning, JD, Billie, and I started before the sun was up.
We extended the Airport Ride to include part of the Greenway bike paths. After coffee at Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea in downtown, we walked up the very steep Martin Luther King Bridge
over the tracks which run through the middle of town. The Norfolk & Western Railway has been headquartered in Roanoke for about 150 years and is famous for producing its own locomotives and hopper cars – in Roanoke.
Miles = 28
Roanoke bike ride 1
We rested a couple of days after getting back from our trip, but the roads around Roanoke soon began calling.
We rode very early to avoid the heat, humidity, and possible thunderstorms. We did the “Airport Ride” – about halfway around the perimeter
before heading toward the Grandin Road neighborhood for a stop at a favorite coffee shop.
A sliding scale for buying a small coffee:
L-R: Jore, Donna, Billie, me. Kenny, on his hand-cranked cycle, is quite active in the local MS society, rides in many of their bicycling events, and raises a lot of money.
Kenny and 4 yellow chicks
Pine Creek Trail – day 4
Because this would be a long day, we were ready to ride at 6:30 am. Lots of fish jumping out of the water for their insect breakfast.
Although we saw no bears, we did see hawks, bald eagles, and herons.
Every feeder creek was marked on the trail. Most of them were dry but all were worth a sideways look.
There were quite a few informational signs along the trail, but they were all the same: how to deal with timber rattlesnakes.
Just one slithered across my path – I felt lucky.
Billie and I decided the Pine Creek Trail is the most consistently beautiful trail we’ve ever ridden.
At milepost 12, a sign for the Turkey Path. The path was wide and clear (please, no snakes ahead).
Stairs?
They continued steeply up the hillside!
The trail is extra wide so the horse-drawn covered wagon tours of the Grand Canyon section have their own path and don’t tear up the bike trail.
Nearing the end of the trail.
The final mile … sigh.
Miles = 41. Total = 140. We were back in Wellsboro by noon and got everything loaded. There are several decorated pianos on the Main Street available for anyone to play – as long as it’s not raining.
There was plenty of time left in the day for the drive back to Roanoke. My reward for lots of miles ridden:
Pine Creek Trail – day 3
Today we began our return trip going north on the trail using the connector trail to/from Jersey Shore.
The fallen tree from yesterday had been cleared.
There are a lot of gates along the trail – at every road crossing and driveway – but it was relatively easy weave through the openings.
Across the river, Hotel Manor in Slate Run
with its continuously wood-burning hot-water-making building at the back of the property. 
Miles = 29
Pine Creek Trail – day 2
Crossing the bridge from Slate Run back to the trail:
There were lots of benches along the trail, spaced well for our every-5-mile butt breaks. Some days are like that.
The south end of the Pine Creek Trail – Jersey Shore PA.
Sometimes we bring our bikes into our rooms, other times the hotel/inn/b&b provides a secure space. At the Gamble Farm Inn, we got to park our bikes in a garage where the owner keeps his vehicles. I wish you were here, Dave, you’d love this garage: 5 classic Camaros, a Hummer, Harley, a Dodge Viper … and tonight our two little bicycles.
Miles = 30
arletelouise 