On the road

We’ve just landed at our motel in Clearbrook, settling in for an afternoon of books (me) and hockey playoffs (Don).  We’ve got all the necessary components for a road trip night in, cheddar popcorn, salt and vinegar chips, all-dressed chips, little plump powder sugar donuts, spearmint leaves, maltesers and ranch cornnuts.  Don’s got some disgusting sun dried tomato Pringles, but they don’t count because I don’t like them.  I don’t count his Bounty bars either.

Why Meg, you might be saying to yourself, what’s all this about?  After you worked so hard to drop those 12lbs for your 50th birthday, why are you indulging in junk-food galore?  But I’ll let you in on a secret.  See I can eat whatever I want, because “road trip calories DON’T COUNT!“  Betcha didn’t know that did you?  Yeah, well it’s a little known meg-fact.  A made-up one, but I find if I say it to myself often enough I believe it, that and, “I’m going to get back on the exercising wagon when I get back home.“  Those are two doozies that really work well at leading me astray when I’m on the road.

It’s been a couple of hours since I left the elementary school in Hope, but I am still flying high from the reading.  Such a great school.  Really liked the students from the other school that attended as well.  Good questions, interested faces, hands flying in the air.  My only regret is that I couldn’t answer them all.  Wish I could have pointed to every hand that was up.  Couldn’t believe how fast the time flew.  Seemed like we just were getting down to some serious fun when I got the last question signal. 

And then how they clapped and cheered.  Made me feel very loved.  Made me glad I had written this book and driven out here to visit this school.  It’s students like these that make me happy that I spent all those hours slaving away over my computer. 

And I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Hope before, but the scenery is staggeringly beautiful.  Huge snow capped mountains towering over the little town nestled snug in a valley.  It was sunny today, warm, the promise of summer lingering in the air.

Agassiz was beautiful as well.  Different from Hope, a larger valley.  Terrill Scott (the librarian who set this all up) had put us in a lovely Bed & Breakfast for two of the nights we were on the road, and there was a hiking trail out behind the house (quite steep, but we managed, huffing and puffing) and at the top, they had built a little platform and there were two chairs and a little table and we could see for miles and miles, out over the valley, to the large looming mountains.  There was a silver creek, rippling and dancing in the little snatches of sunshine that managed to make their way through the leafy trees.  Every thing green and hopeful. 

I love Spring, when all the buds on the trees are blooming, and flower pedals drift down like bridal confetti.  I love how the tender new leaves are that pale translucent green.

And I was very touched by what the teacher who brought the students to Agassiz Library said at the end of my talk.  And enjoyed the chat with the students who lingered behind after the talk.  Very sweet. 

I LOVE the beautiful “place mats” the students at the Mission library made for me.  Their teacher is reading them Porcupine and the pictures they drew, the detail, oh my!!!  So beautiful.  So much talent.  And especially nice (for me) was that in looking over the artwork they had done, I could tell that they were really great listeners, because if someone couldn’t read well, they could just look at the pictures that these student made and they would have a very good idea as to what Porcupine was about.  Thank you so much, if any of you are reading this.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them.  And they most definitely will NOT be used as place mats!  They are way too special for that.

So thank you to Terrill for arranging this.  And my thanks to the wonderful and supportive librarians and teachers and students that we met on the way.  We have had a blast!

And tomorrow, Clearbrook, my last library.  I’m almost sad this road trip is coming to an end.

Posted by Meg Tilly on Thursday, April 15, 2010 in