Driving to Canyonville should only
take 11 minutes according to Google.
Though I have arrived at the school in less than 20 minutes, I generally
allow myself at least 30 minutes on the road and arrive to the school just a
few minutes early which allows me time to store my belongings in the staff
room.
When I start to approach exit 101 and
see I have plenty of time, I will take the ramp that leads to Stanley park and
avoid the 99 exit. Sometimes I have
missed the exit and will take the off ramp at 98 – which is where the school is
located just on the left hand side. But
it also requires turning left onto Main Street (which can get busy during
certain hours) and make another left into the parking lot. Google maps, the GPS and other sources will
always have car exit 99 and drive through town.
I left the house earlier than normal
yesterday morning as Roland mentioned that it was cold and foggy. I entered I5 at the 106 ramp, and it was
foggy. Three miles of thick fog. I was focused on the broken white line until
I got to 103. I could see the fog was
lifting. It would have been nice if it
had to have that for the rest of the drive.
Just as I neared exit 102 – the sun taunted me with its blinding
rays. Oh, please. Slow the car down. I can’t see.
I had to get off exit 101 as I know
I was going too slow for the freeway. I
like the drive when I feel like I am the only car. However, it felt like the longest stretch of yesterday’s
drive. I finally arrived at Main Street
and was able to turn without any problems.
Many of the drivers that use exit 99 – particularly the trucks, don’t
seem to go beyond the truck stop or the casino.
The road I travel after exiting 101 brings me behind the casino on the
left-hand side. Then I make my way into
town.
Whoa! I had left the house much earlier than I
thought. Surely that’s what it was. I can’t imagine I had been speeding during
the fog and I know that I slowed down to barely moving once the sun glared in
my eyes. I played on my kindle for 20
minutes before walking up the hill to help monitor the first ten minutes of “before
school starts” recess. And then I went
to class.
I had worn a jacket as some of the
classrooms get really cold. I think
Canyonville School has the oldest building of the five that are in the
district. The ventilation says it is
anyway. In the morning I had my long
green coat scarf and hat in addition to the jacket. By lunchtime I had just my jacket – sometimes
my hat – depending on whether I was standing in shadows or not. Just before school let out, I had removed my
light jacket. The air had gone from 39
degrees to 63 within four hours. That
isn’t very nice. I think the weather
change needs to happen more gradually.
