June 6 Nurseries

June 6 Nurseries, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

Today I went with a good friend to Oneonta to participate in a bike ride along with her daughter. The cause was Opportunities for Ostego. The entry fees went towards the food bank, I believe. It ended up being a beautiful day and a beautiful 35 mile ride. It was a hilly course but we all survived. After the ride and a tasty lunch thanks to Brooks bar-b-que we headed for home. But along the way we made a few stops. Besides biking we both enjoy working in our gardens and drinking wine. So, we stopped at two nurseries and loaded up the back seat with new plants. We loved these hanging baskets but passed on that temptation. We also stopped at the Bear Pond Winery as well for a tasting and we each purchased a couple of bottles to take home and enjoy. It was a fun relaxing day which is just what we needed before heading into the rat race of the last few weeks of school!

June 5 Farm Fest

June 5 Farm Fest, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

Today almost 1000 3rd-5th graders visited this farm for Farm Fest. Farmers gathered here at the largest family owned dairy farm in the county to teach the children about farm life and where their food comes from. I did not attend but after school I took my daughter, seen walking here, and we headed up to check out the events for the general public. We sampled some good food and recieved a great education from the tractor driver that drove us around the "block". One of my student's families owns the farm and as a 5th grader she is hoping the farm will still be there when she graduates from college so she can help run it. But she knows economically it's hard to keep the farm going and it's possible that won't happen. Farm kids have some of the best work habits and it's because of what they're expected to do to help out at home. I hope things improve soon for the family run farms and that it's still there for her. She will make a great farmer.

June 4 Saranac Thursday

June 4 Saranac Thursday, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

After i finished teaching my PD class tonight I sat down to get some report card grades entered before heading home. After I did a couple of classes I checked my phone and I had a message from my husband saying he was at Saranac Thursday. I quickly finished up a few more grades and then headed down to join him. The local brewery holds Saranac Thursdays all summer long. Local bands play and friends gather to drink a variety of the great Saranac products and enjoy the nice weather. When it's over many people wander down the road to eat from a street vendor or to visit the local bars. We headed home early and the joined our kids in going out for ice cream for dinner!

June 3 Plant Hanger

June 3 Plant Hanger, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

Just a picture of my favorite plant hanger. We picked it up at one of the street vendors at Bouckville a few years ago.

June 2 Busy Bee

June 2 Busy Bee, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

Recently I saw a bee shot on one of the flickr groups and it gave me an incentive to try and capture one a little harder this summer. I've tried before but haven't really put much effort into it. Today I began my quest. I probably took 20 or so pictures of this guy and deleted all but 3. This was my favorite of the day. I especially like the detail in its wing.

June 1 School Work

June 1 School Work, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

I'm back to listing 3 daily goals on Plurk like many of us did last summer. One of today's goals was to get one 1st grade podcast finished and posted online. The first graders not only talked a lot but the ummmed and paused a lot too. So that means lots of editing time for me! The Macbook belongs to the school. Garageband and the photos work but most everything else is blocked so I set my computer up next to it so I can check in with Plurk every once in awhile. And yes I got all 4 goals done today.

May 31 Family Bike Ride

May 31 Family Bike Ride, originally uploaded by ElementaryTechTeacher.

Today was our first family bike ride of the season. We rode the canal trail from Oriskany to Rome. When we got to Rome we rode to Fort Stanwix and walked around for a bit. Then headed back for home. The wind was very strong and it made for a creepy feeling to be biking along a trail covered with trees. However, we stayed safe and enjoyed our trip. It's nice to know that our kids, ages 16 and 20, still like to do things with their parents!