The First Day of School

It was a beautiful fall day today; the sun was shining, the sky was the bluest blue, the temperature was perfect.

And it was the first day of school! This is quite an experience for the entire village.

In keeping with tradition, the kids were all picked up along Chalet Hill by a yellow school bus. The distance between the top of the hill and the school is less than 1/4 mile, but we have to make sure no one misses the first day. So beginning at 8:45, the bus started up the hill. Of course there were many challenges along the trip. There was the couple who cried and tried to keep their kids off the bus, there was a weaver weaving a rug in the middle of the road; there were some Roman (I think) soldiers in a fort who attacked the bus at one point. Then just beyond that, there were some laundresses blocking the road while folding blankets on a long table. At the top of the hill some people were having the last camping trip of the summer in the middle of the road with their tents set up sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows. One of the students was dressed as a piece of pizza and had three security guards surrounding him to keep off the bears, chipmunks and hungry people gathered to watch the goings on. On the way back down the hill, the bus was stopped again by a road construction crew and had to wait until the way was cleared.

The bus was finally filled up with students, some Holden School alumni who were visiting, a few parents, the security folks (with pizza boy) and various and sundry others who happened to hop on. Then, of course, the bus driver got lost and drove the wrong way down the road, up, up the hill to the old mine portal. The bus driver claims she thought that was the school....but we knew better! Then she finally drove back down and "found" the real school where all disembarked and had group pictures taken.

The bus is stopped by some stargazers

Are these guys Roman guards or what?

This weaver was taking advantage of the beautiful weather to work outside (in the middle of the road, of course)

The Agape Security Force guarding Pizza Boy from munchers on the bus

The crazy bus driver actually thought this was the school. Very suspicious!

The kids FINALLY got to school!
Here are the 2008-2009 students in all their glory.
It was almost 10 a.m. by this time! And, yes, this is the entire student body of the Holden School.