Run Sheet
It's been quite awhile since I updated.
It seems that things happen all the time and I think "Jeez, I really need to write about that" and by the time i get a few minutes to sit at the computer I end up forgetting everything and staring at the empty screen.
I was away for a week in Port Alberni, a little pulp town on Vancouver island where the BC Fire Training Officer's Association had its annual conference. I was teaching a course there for new instructors. It's always fun to teach this course because there is usually an enthusiastic, driven class who all want to go back to their departments and make a difference. Guys like this are easy to teach, and it's always rewarding. This time was no exception. It's still hard work though, and the week was far from being a vacation. It was nice to get a change of scenery though, and good to meet some old friends inside the firefighting community.
One thing though, I fight fires as both a volunteer and as a career member. I'm involved in it 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. When I'm among 150 of my colleagues for a week straight, and the whole focus is firefighting, I confess, I get pretty goddamn sick of the subject.
Here at home the weather is seventeen kinds of crappy. It's june now and the rain is still falling. my bees are sitting inside their hives when they should be out making honey, the clock is ticking away steadily and the prime honey producing season is rapidly being whittled away. Last year was the same, I guess it's global warming or some other such stuff, whatever it is, I don't like it. There's honey to be made, and my bees should be making it.
Speaking of the bees, I went to a friend's classroom last week and taught her grade ones and twos about bees. I really love taking my little travelling road show out to schools and helping kids learn. The kids have a great time when I bring out my stuff and dress their teacher in all the protective gear, we ask questions of each other, and learn about what wonderful little creatures bees are. The highlight of the show, however is when i bring out the box I have with a frame of bees on it. The box is made with screened sides so the bees can't fly around, but the kids get to see a frame of bee eggs and honey, they get to see the capped brood and smell the wax, they get to hear what the bees sound like and see them move around dooing their thing. I never tire of looking at the wonder and delight on their faces when they witness the real thing, right there in front of them.
The teacher, as I said, is a friend of mine. She goes to my church and is a really nice lady who obviously loves her students. it was a really neat experience. Yesterday she sent a book her kids had made with pictures they had drawn of what went on and a litle "thank you" note from each. It was a really nice thing, but the part that amazed me was the pictures they drew of me. I was wearing black sweatpants, sneakers and a navy blue sweatshirt and black baseball cap. The pictures of me, however have me wearing red, green and orange. My two favorites both have me wearing the same outfit, a rainbow tee shirt and bright yellow pants.
Mary was telling me yesterday that at church the teacher said "I was really surprised at Bryant, he's a living contradiction, he's so gentle and nice to the kids, he's funny and friendly, but he looks like... umm. I dunno... he's kinda.."
"But he looks like a thug" Mary filled in for her. Mary told me about this afterward and we both had a good laugh. It seems that it's always been like that, I'm big and pretty rough around the edges, I swear a lot and my face is kinda bust up from many years of boxing and just plain streetfighting. But for some reason kids like learning from me. I guess I'm just lucky.
Two days ago I had one of those serendipitous experiences that I enjoy so much. I went in to the Honda dealership to get a couple of parts for my kid's Honda 50 that I've been working on slowly and steadily since September when money permitted. It's approaching halfeway done or so. While I was standing in line one of the Firefighters came over and said Hi. He was in there getting parts for his trail bike. We got to talking and he said his kid had just grown out of his Honda 50 and he'd like to sell it. We agreed to meet after work so I could look at it. Itended up being a 1981 as opposed to the 1969 model we've been working on, It's complete and it sorta ran too. I paid him what He was asking and took it home, knowing that the price was right, and I'd be waaaay further ahead with a complete, running bike if only from the point of view of aggravation. It didn't run really well, but it ran, so I knew i had something to work from.
Once I got it home it took about 15 minutes to get it running way better, and the boys were able to blast around the yard for an hour or so till it quit again. It still needs lots of work, but its a running bike. the boys were thrilled roaring around crashing into things and slidng on their butts in the grass and gravel. Once we put it away for the night and went in to bandage scrapes I looked at their faces and knew their joy. Thirty years later I still vividly remember the first time I ever twisted the throttle of a Keystone minibike in a field and felt the wind whip past me and the little Briggs & Stratton vibrate under me and knew what heaven was.
Those smiles were easily worth
the two hundred bucks I spent, all the ones that are coming will be a bonus.