Me? a School Bus Driver? 2

In this part 2 of my story,I take you to the present.

But first a few more thoughts on my start.

Our son had started Gr.1 in September,this meant that now he and I left home together in

the morning ad came home together in the evening.

We did not need a sitter and I was earning some extra money as well.

That first year I drove a van which had been converted to be a school bus.

I still felt that this would be a temporary job,although

I did enjoy the driving and the extra money.

Well,that was 1979,now at the beginning of October 2009,

I am still a bus driver.

I have upgraded my license several times,and now hold a Class 2.

I have also had countless hours of training through the years.

From a 15 passenger van to today's bus able to carry 72 students.

I have also changed routes several times.

For the last several years i have had the privilege of having an in town route.

After years of navigating muddy,snowy and just plain miserable roads,

this is quite a treat.

Over the course of all these years I have experienced many things,

some funny,some sad,and many just plain frustrating.

Some years ago at the urging of my fellow drivers,

I started putting some of these things on paper.

Since I am not an author it is not super great,but it does tell the story

of the life of school bus drivers.

Maybe some day I will share some of these stories.

For now I give God the Glory for giving me this job,

and allowing me to do it for all these years.

I also Praise Him for keeping me safe on the road and accident free.

The following verse seems to be written just for me.

Before they call I will answer;while they are still speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24

Me? A School Bus Driver?

First off let me say that today the pictures have nothing to do with the rest of the content.

I am just adding some random shots to break up the commentary. The title of this post kind of says it all.

Back in 1979 I had no desire to become a school bus driver.

I had been told by my doctor that I needed to get a job outside of the home.

He felt it would be good for my mental health.

Jake and I were living 8 miles from the nearest town and had only one vehicle,

which Jake needed to get to his work.

Our son was starting school in September,so what was I to do?

I had heard of the need for a bus driver for our rural one room school.

This sounded good,but I was quite sure that I could never do this sort of thing.

I didn't really 'want' this job,but after talking abut this with Jake and also some

of our friends,I thought I might be able to do it for a year or two.

I decided to not apply for the job,but,I do remember one morning

during my devotions,praying about it.

I soon found out that God has a sense of humor.

My prayer had gone something like this,

"Lord, I am not going to call about this job,but,if you want me to have it

let them call me".Amen.

I had no sooner said 'Amen',when the phone rang.

The voice on the other end was the person in charge of hiring a bus driver.

He asked if I would be interested in this job.

I started to hem and haw,and then could almost hear God say,

'What did you just pray?'

At this point I said,'Yes,I would like to have the job.'

I signed some papers that same day and started my training.

Back then training meant to upgrade my license to a higher class.

This was fairly easy and by the middle of October 1979,

I was the official school bus driver for the Mason School.

A Walk Down Memory Lane 9

May I remind you that all the pictures in this series are taken from slide scans,

many of which were taken many years ago.

Today I start with a picture of our Agriculture Research Center located in Morden.

Many roses have been developed here ,as well as other crops.

The next two pictures are a tribute to Jake's Dad,he pains takingly built these replicas

of the school house and teachers home in his district.

This school was operational until just a few years ago.

Our son had his first 6 years of education here.

You will notice here the two out houses,yes these were common fare in years gone by.

By the time our son attended here,they had indoor plumbing. This plane and the car which follows were built by Jake,from kits.

I had to add a few fall scenes,because of the time of year.

The following three pictures show the huge flocks of geese passing through during migration.

I have to say that I have not seen them in such numbers in along time.

In looking at these pictures,I think they were probably taken in spring.

Take a good look at this one.

The B-52 is a massive plane and a pleasure to watch in flight.

This one never has flown,it is another model which Jake built.

A little creative photoshoping,took out the wires on which it was suspended.

The following are all real planes.

Because I would probably give them the wrong names,just enjoy the show.

We have spent many hours at air shows and therefore have many photos of the planes. Canada Geese need no explanation.

The Western Meadowlark in that perfect light.

A bull Moose at sunset.

This was taken several miles west of Morden.

We used to see Moose there all the time,but they seem to have disappeared.

A playful Cottontail Rabbit on our yard.

When we lived out in the country the rabbits had become very tame.

If we called them they would come out of the bushes looking for carrots.

Yes,these were wild Cottontails.

In fall when I had a pail of carrots standing on the steps

the rabbit would come and help himself.

I kind of miss those times.

I hope you have enjoyed this set of pictures.

Value the beauty of the changing seasons.

Butterflies and Thoughts

This year the butterflies have been few in number,so I went back to 2008

for a few pictures.

I am adding some thoughts I found in my collection.

I hope they help to brighten your day in some way.

Just for today!I will begin the day by praying: "this is the

day the Lord has made:let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Just for today! I will not worry about my needs,for

"...my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

Just for today!I will not fear, :For God did not give us a spirit of timidity:

but a spirit of power,of love,and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 Just for today! I will not harbour doubt and lack faith,for"...without faith it is impossible to please God,because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 Just for today!I will not lack strength,for "... the Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1b

A Walk Down Memory Lane 8

On today's Walk Down Memory Lane,I continue to show you more fall scenes.

The pictures may have been taken years ago,but the beauty is timeless.

A reminder that all these are taken from Jake's old slides.

The next five pictures are at Lake Minniwasta,just west of our town.

Morden gets all it's water from this lake.

Doesn't this just make you feel like going for a walk?

Two more scenes of Lake Minniwasta.

This one is Rainbow Falls in the Whiteshell Provincial Park.

Walking across is our son Steve,obviously taken many years ago.

This is a road through our Pembina Valley.

Yet another thre views of our lake.

A road in the valley.

Here is a picture showing what we enjoy doing,hiking through the woods.

This is me(Ruth) and Steve.

Two more fall lake scenes,this time with some canoes.

I invite you to enjoy the rest of the pictures,without commentary.

Today,look for the hand prints of God everywhere.