Gleaning Facebook: Another Eagle Project for AES

Thomas Fitzpatrick and his completed Eagle project.

Update for Halloween: Today I got to take three classes for tours of the Nature Trail at Armuchee Elementary by way of the new entrance, stairs, and bridge built as an Eagle Project by Thomas Fitzpatrick and his buddies in Boy Scout Troop 113. The leaves at Armuchee are about at their peak. I hope the gorgeous leaves will survive the rain tonight.

Boy Scout Troop 113, sponsored by First United Methodist Church in Rome, gathered at Armuchee Elementary School on Saturday, October 26, 2013 to help Thomas Fitzpatrick finish up his Eagle Project.

Looking up the bridge and stairs from the creek  bank

Looking down the stairs from the entrance

Thomas's bridge and stairs project is the sixth Eagle project that I have been privileged to be associated with at Armuchee Elementary, and the twelfth Eagle project on our campus overall. Thomas was a great fourth grader on our team several years ago and has grown into a fine teen.

Besides helping Thomas finish up the stairs and bridge, the scouts tidied up the entire trail along the creek, trimming back overhanging limbs, cutting out fallen tree trunks, blowing off the trail to better mnark it, and clearing out debris from under the three bridges.

The week of the Eastern Gray Squirrel

I have been working at developing a different lesson for each grade level that visits Arrowhead, and seven lesson plans for our "outreach" lessons for kindergarten -- we visit each kindergarten in the Floyd County school system seven times during the school year. My plan is to introduce a different Georgia animal in each lesson, illustrate several of the Georgia Performance Standards for that grade level through that animal, and tell a story that involves that animal to reinforce a few of those standards. 

I've used the wonderful American marsupial, the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) with several second grade classes. It's a fascinating animal, and I just happen to have several stories in my repertoire that feature this animal.

With kindergarten I've taught about the alligator and the box turtle and used native American stories about how alligator lost his beautiful smooth golden skin, and the time turtle went on the warpath. Watching kindergartners respond to real live animals like these two is a lot of fun.

We have had lots of "outreaches" and field trip visits so far this year, but on Wednesday we had our first Third Grade field trip of the year. I decided to make the ever-present Eastern Gray Squirrel our third grade animal. It is a very successful species as homeowners know. As any bird-feeder knows. As British folk know, since invasive Gray Squirrels from America have all but obliterated the native squirrels of Great Britain.

One of my old standby folktales is the old "Sody Saleratus" and, ta-dah!, it features a squirrel. So I prepared a squirrel coloring/memento sheet, read up on those fascinating critters, -- They can turn their rear feet to face backwards which allows them to run head-first down a tree trunk! -- and practiced my story. I had a great time with the Cave Spring third-graders. 

Our "Coloring Sheet" for Third Grade

We had a lot of work done on our house last year, as some of you will remember. One job I gave the contractor was to squirrel-proof our attic. They made a heroic effort, nailing up hardware cloth inside the attic eaves. Still I have heard occasional tale-tale scurrying footpads over my head, and this week as colder weather arrived the bushy-tailed rodents relocated in noisy numbers to our attic space. I made a mental note last night to buy some more hardware cloth.

Then came today. 

Sheila rises early twice a week to exercise at a local gym. She was dressed this morning and going out the door when she noticed our lights playing games. They would dim down to a faint yellow, then suddenly glow brightly, then just as quickly blink completely off, then bright, then dim then bright then off, etc. Up the stairs she comes to tell me. About the same time my consciousness is beginning to comprehend that something is amiss. I smell a rancid electrical burning and hear periodic pops and crackles. My first thought was: Eastern Gray Tree Rats! --errr, squirrels.

After walking around the house, turning things off, hearing more pops and watching the continuing light show, and ascending the stairs to even stronger acrid smells, I decided to call 911 and keep our 144-year-old from burning down. 

I was too busy trying to find fire to take pics of the wonderful firefighters
who came to our rescue this morning. They came is several vehicles, 

including one that looked a lot like this.

The firefighters were here in no time, in force, armed with some pretty impressive technology. Their heat-seeking video gun soon located a burned out surge suppressor on some of our computer equipment in our bedroom. But the popping light show was undiminished and they decided that cutting electricity to the house was the best course till Georgia power could check things out.

The bucket truck

Sheila HAD to get to work -- big deadlines this week, so she showered in the dark while I waited on Georgia Power, and the fire department were barely out of the yard before two friendly and efficient linemen for Georgia Power showed up with a bucket truck and more amazing equipment. 

The bucket truck

In a matter of minutes they had isolated the root cause of our problems. 

 The section of shorted wire 

Yep. You guessed it. Sciurus carolinensis, the good old Eastern Gray Squirrel. There, right at the old telephone pole at the edge of the road at the driveway, the insulation on the Georgia Power supply line to our house had attracted the attention of a squirrel, and as a result it was shorted almost completely out. 

I enjoyed talking with the two men as they worked, demonstrating the marvelous advances in technology that allow linemen to avoid much of the danger and muscle strain of past decades. They taught me how to read the poles along our street. The new pole across the street with its recent tag with a "12" nail signifying 2012 installation. The many climbing spike wounds and darkened square (from an old-style Georgia Power metal notice) that showed the pole at the drive to be a 1940s pole. The one on the corner with two bands of faded paint that used to denote a bus stop when Georgia Power ran the city buses.

They let me keep the bad section of wire to show off and walked with me to our electric meter and main cutoff so we could let the energy flow again. And they left. 

Sheila was ready to head out to Kennesaw. I showed her the wire. She told mer about our friend Welton's recommendation of Purdy Electric. And she was gone. I walked around the house checking on stuff. The stove was definitely damaged. The microwave was dead. Lights and electronics in the downstairs hall were off. A clock-radio had expired. The laser printer had bit the dust. There may be more. 

Two fine young fellows from Purdy Electric showed up about noon. They got to work, first carefully checking the circuit breaker panel. they found the breaker for the front heat-pump buzzing and hot, and so replaced it. They climbed into the attic and checked out the wiring and junction boxes there, then crawled under house and checked the wiring there. One of the guys is from Trion, the other from Armuchee. He came through our school but missed me by way of Nancy Smith's fourth grade class.

Tomorrow morning North Georgia Equipment will be here to check out the AC/Heat System. It seems to be working fine. And I guess I'll have to get out and find a stove and microwave.

My friend, former student-teacher, present "boss" at Arrowhead, and genuine animal lover, Vivian Davis Chesley kept a pet Eastern Gray Squirrel named Charlie for more than a decade. She loved that rodent. So I hesitate to tell of my current emotions regarding Eastern Gray Tree Rats.

Gleaning Facebook: Get the Point

 Several items from this date on my Facebook page:

___________

At my very irreverent retirement party/roast a young man spoke who was much kinder than my mean old roasters. Bill Fortenberry, who was my student in the mid-seventies, brought tears to my eyes as he remembered our days in that corner room of the "new" building. Now I realize that he was just fulfilling his promise to mention me "often in my speeches". He isn't President yet, but that may yet come.

" Dear Mr Shaw

You know how much I like you. You've always been nice to be (sic). Kinda anyway. My parents like you. And when I become president I will mention you often in my speeches.

So Mr Shaw Ive made good in all your classes.

Your Fan Student

Wm. Fortenberry

P.S.

Get the point

(Drawing of sharp pencil)

Comments:

Keith M. Padgett: You were honestly one of my favorite teachers also. You actively fed my hunger for reading by letting me read well above my grade level and even helping me devour the Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 4th grade!Because of this my love reading blossomed and it has allowed me to create quite an extensive vocabulary. Also, who can forget your classroom reading (in character voices) and the "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!" march around the school?!

Terrell Shaw: How many AR points did you earn that year? It was a bunch. Had to wrestle books out of your hands to get to anything else! 

Keith M. Padgett: haha, I don't remember how many for that year. But I do remember getting around 800 points the following year. 

Rita Lawler: Precious! This belongs in the Rome news

Bill Fortenberry: Did I ever tell you about the year I represented Georgia at the National Title I conference? Sure enough, I was asked to speak, and sure enough, I spoke of you (and Mary Ruth Lewis). This photo, and your comments, made my day. Thank you! Your imprint on my life (and so many others) remains.

P.S. Does class president count? PHS '81!

Terrell Shaw: I've been looking for a college memento tonight and keep finding unrelated goodies. I love the "Kinda anyway."

Denise Shiflett: IT COUNTS Bill!!! You were the BEST!

Shelly Burkhalter: I was so honored to be one of your students. I didn't know Bill was too. You taught me so much and widened my experience early on. You taught me how to play chess. You fried squid for my class. I didn't 't like it, but I will always remember that prior to calamari showing up as an appetizer on most menus, there was Mr. Shaw with his wok encouraging his students to try new things. I was also in your all day class on the day that Reagan and Brady were shot. The things you remember...

Chandler Gray: I know Bill. Great guy!

Ruth Pinson: Terrell, you know I could have filled my speech with endless glowing compliments, but I was told it was a roast.....not a toast!!! You know I always loved working with you and Bill's memories were just symbolic of all the kiddos you've influenced. Glad you're loving your new opportunity to continue teaching!!

Terrell Shaw: You've made my morning Shelly. I hadn't thought of the squid in a long time. We "stunk up" that whole wing of PES! 

I think there may have been only one year when I managed to talk the county into bussing McHenry & Midway kids to Pepperell one day a week for Kaleidoscvope. I loved having my "own" room that year - one grade level each day. That may have been the year they turned me down on my pages-long mobile classroom proposal. I wanted to take part of the seats out of a bus and convert it to a classroom on wheels so I could take my classroom to all the schools and even on local field trips. 

Do you remember that we sent get well cards to the President?

And you get to continue your outstanding teaching with those grandkids, Ruth! I am jealous. You know, with Marilyn and me together at Arrowhead, a certain blonde comes up in conversation often!

I got a kick out of the roast, Ruth. Though I hadn't expected my coffee-stained shirts to play such a prominent role! <grin> That was definitely counter to my (delusional) self-image! =;-O 

Of course I expected the peninsula story, and was not disappointed.

For those who haven't read about my embarrassing moment:

http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/2008/03/whoops.html

Tracy Cordle Baker: I told my daughter last night how we made cameras out of oatmeal containers and developed our own pictures, how we sat on Kaleidoscope Rock and wrote poems, I remember the squid and Ed Park brought us seaweed. I remember when your wife was pregnant with your first all the crazy names you had us convinced that you were going to name her. I remember walking through Marshall Forest and the opening of the Braille trail like it was yesterday!

Terrell Shaw: Yes, I wanted to follow the example of my good friend Michael J. Burton who gave Gola Burton the middle name Inita(?) -- a portmanteau of her grandmothers' names, Irene and Burnita. My mother is Ruth and Sheila's mother's first name was Esther, so I wanted Brannon Shaw to be named Rooster. Why wouldn't that work?

Has anyone heard from Edward Park lately?

Tracy Cordle Baker: You also said polly and ester and her name would be Polyester! Haha Ed came to our 20 year reunion and looked exactly the same. He is on facebook. Lives in Atlanta and has 2 beautiful children.

Terrell Shaw: Well, I lied sometimes. 

 I'd forgotten Polyester.

Kathy Wilson: This is a classic!

----------------

Pack rat Terrell has a number of collections. One of my favorites is "Student Portraits of Old Man Shaw"
Here are the three from those prescious little girls who started in my second or third grade class back in the eighties... Tracy Cordle ( Tracy Cordle Baker )....

Like the other two, Tracy took great pains to capture the wild hair.

... Lori Cochran ( Lori Cochran Villarreal ) ...

Notice the pencil behind the ear.

...and Shelly Burkhalter. I was looking for something else entirely and here were these three creations.

Shelly emphasized the wire-rim glasses.

Gleaning Facebook: Foggy Morning at Arrowhead

Got to work on this foggy morning and decided to get some fogtography...

The beaver pond in the early light.

Looking east from the Nature Center.

The Nature Center from the Fish Pond

The Nature Center at eight this morning.

The boardwalk from the sunny side, about 8:30 a.m.

North of the lake at sunrise.

The new lunch shelter/ outdoor classroom, built with the help of Ducks Unlimited. I was thrilled with this pic.

The boardwalk and rowboat looking east from the yard of the Aquatic Center.

The sun tries to penetrate the fog to light the boardwalk near the Aquatic Center.

Gleaning Facebook: Make Government Work Better

 We need to remember the first sentence of our Constitution and remind each other of it every time we see our initials: our government is officially "US". Even when any of us don't like the way things turn out, it's on US. We are the ones who can do something about it. And as long as things are run by US and not THEM or HIM or HER, it will only work by following the precedents set by the guys at Philadelphia in 1787. They were civil, listened to each other though stubborn and outspoken in pursuit of their preferred outcomes, and, in the end, agreed to painful compromises in order form a more perfect union ("make government work better").

One of the reasons I admire our President is that he approaches government with the attitude expressed in the paragraph above.

Gleaning Facebook: Announcement

 ANNOUNCEMENT

To my many much-loved friends and relatives with whom I have political disagreement: There is sometimes some confusion about the purpose of my posts. Please accept this announcement as a friendly reminder.

You may notice that I rarely comment on opposing views on others' walls. I post on my blog and on my own FB wall in order to non-confrontationally express myself. My political posts are not intended to begin or extend debate but to simply express myself and give some support to those friends and relatives that may, like me, feel a bit lonely in Northwest Georgia in regard to our political views.

Still I welcome polite discussion from all points of view.

However, if you want to express your opinions:

• espousing fake scandals (Benghazi/IRS, etc);

• that I have a delusion about an earthly savior in [whatever is your preferred insulting substitution for the president's name];

• that I am brainwashed:

• that I am blind to some grand secret conspiracy to destroy America;

• etc.;

... then do that on your own wall.

Lots of Comments:

Terri Morgan

I need a "LOVE" button for this!!!

Ruth Baird Shaw

Sadly..in today's political climate...this seems to work both ways...with " Liberals" believing Conservative"s are "brainwashed " and "Conservatives" believing" Liberals" are "brainwashed."...

David Marlin Rains

Can I get a Witness?

David Dake

Terrell. Thank You

Can I share that?

Terrell Shaw

Of course, David.

Rob Friar

Terrell, well said...sometimes I prevent myself from stating a particular political belief or thought on my wall because I feel like I will offend someone or start a mindless "flame war" forgetting that, dog-on-it, its' my wall and I can say what I want, and if people who have friended me dont like it, they can hide me, or if they choose, they can join in a civil, logic based, fake-news-free, discussion....thanks for reminding me of this... :>) can I share with a few modifications?

Kathrine Johns

Amen!

Christie Hufstedler Boyd

Have you seen my latest political post? There are two pages of comments on it and I have one or two small comments. The rest is just two people having at it and then another jumped in. It's my page, I don't have to say anything to post something I want. I'm with you, Terrell. It's my page.

Jim Howell

Thank you so much for your teaching and guidance through the years

Eric Wright

you are such a great man! thank you for being a great example for all!

June Lovenbury Warfield

You commented about finding like minded people in North Georgia. There must be at least 20 like minded people in Rome, since there is a UU church there and it has 20 members! There seems to be a huge correlation between liberal theology and progressive political thought.

Terrell Shaw

Of course you may share, Rob. Thanks, Jim. You and Joe, and your Dad and Aunt Ellen all have permanent spots in my heart. And Eric, I am far from a great man, but I try. Thanks.

Thanks, June. I have been pleased, though, to find quiet support for progressive politics from a sizable minority in my own very active and evangelical Methodist church.

Bill Cox

Terrell first I want you to know I think the world of you and you are a much more educated and wordly man than I. After that Pauline intro I must say you are as far left as the Tea Party is right. When one is obsessed on either side I cannot fall in line with their politics, because in a multi-party system and a nation as diverse as ours there are no black and white solutions to every issue.

Betty Smith Franklin

Years ago, there were 40. We went to see Gandhi in the theater on a Sunday afternoon and knew everyone there.

Terrell Shaw

"... in a multi-party system and a nation as diverse as ours there are no black and white solutions to every issue...." I absolutely agree with that much, Bill. That is why I have continued tp support the president despite some of the painful compromise positions he has taken. 

BTW I think Bill Cox can hold his own in any discussion.

There are plenty of folk to my left, but certainly more to my right --- evidently a whole lot more here in our section of Georgia.

Seven years ago, during GW Bush's second administration, I wrote a summary of my political beliefs called "Why I Am A Democrat" (link below). I think it still says it pretty well. And I still maintain that my individual stances are mostly well within the mainstream of American political thought. I would point out that I have voted with the largest group of voters in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections. And we came pretty doggone close in 2004. 

http://aloneonalimb.blogspot.com/.../why-i-am-democrat.html

Laurie Craw

Terrell Shaw is "as far left as the Tea Party is right"??? I don't think I'll live to see the day when Terrell shuts down the U.S. government and threatens to crash the global financial system...or votes for any "far left" Congressman who would. Glad you speak for the lonely minority in my beloved home state.

Terrell Shaw

Thank, Laurie. As I've said, one reason I speak out is to let folks know that, even near the birthplace of John Birch and in Larry MCDonald's old district, there are people, without horns and tics and tin-foil hats, who see things differently from the JBS (basically the same folks now called the Tea Party).

Erskine Thompson

Mr. Shaw: I probably disagree with you diametrically on most all things regarding the body politic. However, I absolutely respect but you and your opinions. I hope this country, and by extension the online universe, never reaches a point at which we are not free to "agree to disagree," make our opinions known, and still be friends at the end of the day. As we learn in elementary school English class, opinions are never right nor wrong; they are always simply opinions, and yours always are, if nothing else, good for thought. God bless.

Julie Ingram Gatanis

Very well said, both here and the blog. Have you thought of running for office? 

Terrell Shaw

Been there, done that. (1984 - got whupped good) A great experience, but never again. 

Bob Doster

Changing tactics I see.

Julie Ingram Gatanis

Maybe 84 wasn't your time... Maybe now is...

Terrell Shaw

Unlikely Julie. 

Kathy Cannon Rogers

Love your post. I'm a bit lonely in nw ga:)

Christie Hufstedler Boyd

Mr. Walton, I'm sorry but I don't agree with you. Under the Democratic state governments we used to have Georgia was steadily climbing out of the economic morose we have since slithered back down to the bottom of the barrel again. All the progressive movement in state government happened under the Democrats. I don't for the life of me understand how any woman could vote for a Republican. 

And I don't believe in just handing money out right and left. I earned my way through college with three scholarships and won the top honor out of 6000 students. I am still in debt for student loans though and try as hard as I can, I haven't found a job. That's okay, we may not be rich monetarily but we are rich in the things that count.

I work in the Free Clinic of Rome and at Women of W.O.R.T.H. We see patients at the Free Clinic for no cost just as the name implies. We have patients that work, we have Hispanic patients that have citizenship and some that never will. At W.o.W., we provide low cost reproductive health care to women. You'd be surprised how many patients of ours work. They don't make enough money to afford insurance or they don't get enough hours to qualify for insurance at their work. Our patient ratio of abnormal paps is about 21%, that's nearly 3 times the national average. If we could do paps on women every year and catch problems before it turns to cancer, lives would be saved. Instead, the state of Georgia chooses to do nothing for women in these circumstances but will give them Medicaid if they are diagnosed with cervical cancer. It costs about $45,000 for each patient for the first six months of treatment. Where's the sense in that?

Terrell Shaw

Thank you Josh. I respect your heartfelt belief, and share bits of it. Yes, we must maintain innovation, energy, ambition in our communities. The President has offered longterm solutions, though some disagree with them. Politics and greed will always exist in every place where two or more are gathered. And there will always be fraud and inefficiencies in government as there is in business. At least in a republic we have that vote, and the political power of the common man has a better chance of results than his power to influence insurance companies and corporations.

Ruthy Countryman

Terrell, you're not alone in NW GA!

Raymond Atkins

not by a long shot...

Laura L Adams

I know some Liberals still in the Closet because of the hostility of others. Can't wait for the mid-term elections. Georgia will remain red but we might regain a Congressional Majority thanks to the Shutdown!

Deborah Lake Dawson

Say it again!