So, the first full week of school has come and gone and now even the kindergarteners are in full swing. Things have gone pretty well for me and my bus. I am getting into the groove and figuring out times. The first week of school, all bets are off and they expect the buses to be late at least once. I had to readjust my route by 5 minutes....4 to be exact. I had a stop added on and if I leave the shop when my route sheet tells me to, than I am getting back into town when traffic gets heavy around the high school and than the middle schoolers are getting to school just when the bell rings (which means they don't have time to eat breakfast or get to their lockers before class) and than I am pushing to get the grade schoolers to their school before the bell rings. I used to take minutes for granted. Being 5 mins late was not a big thing, but now, being 5 mins late is HUGE! It is the difference between early and almost late and phone calls pouring in from concerned parents because the bus hasn't come yet.
I love how rual part of my route is. Things are starting to get harvested. This past week was the mint harvest. The mint ripening in the sun smells so yummy and it clears up the sinuses. Durring the harvest though it smelled like a toothpaste factory. The last cutting of hay has been baled and the corn will be chopped here in a few weeks. Just subtile signs that fall is comming, that and the need for a jacket in the mornings.
This morning, one of our drivers and her aid resuced a cat! They saw 3 kittens dead in the road and a fourth standing on the side of the road. So they stoped. The cat is now named "Buster the bus cat" and the aid is the proud mommy of a new cat. A super cute grey kitten, not more than a few weeks old. He fit into the pocket of her sweatshirt perfectly and was properly loved on by all the women bus drivers :P
