WISHING ANOTHER HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL Y'ALL!

 We've been in Georgia for two months and we're still pleasantly surprised by how polite and gracious people are here.  More often than not I hear, "Yes Ma'am" or "Thank you, Ma'am."  When I tell the school children on the train that my name is Joan, they refer to me as "Miss Joan."  It's refreshing!  And, I still have to chuckle when Julie, our volunteer coordinator, talks to our group and says, "Would all y'all like to..."

We had a fun experience yesterday.  They asked us to meet at the train to help the local SWAT team run through their terrorist/hostage drill.  We were asked to play the part of passengers, and a "bad man" would be coming somewhere on the train.  Our instructions were to react (or act) however we thought we would if it were a real situation.  But they also told us to do whatever the SWAT team said because if they said to, "GET DOWN" and we didn't, they would put us down (and it might not be too gently) because they weren't playing.  There would be shooting but we were assured that their rifles were only loaded with "paint" bullets, and if we did as told, we shouldn't get hit.  We wore protective masks just in case.  WELL, I CAN CROSS THIS OFF MY BUCKET LIST!

 

SWAT getting instructions

 

They're heading in with guns ready
 

Barb was  getting into the action!!

 

We've decided that the weather here in southwestern Georgia is not as agreeable to us as Arizona.  To me it still feels like winter except there's no sleet and snow.  The trees lost their leaves a few weeks ago so that's kind of drab.  And, while the temperatures are higher here than at home, it seems like it's often overcast or raining.  

On one sunny day last week, I went kayaking on the lake with our friends Don and Barb.  It was neat to paddle under the Spanish moss hanging from the trees, and we could get pretty close to the rafts of coots before they took off.  Coots look like small black ducks with white bills, and when they take off, they stay low, skimming across the water.  

In the weeks before Christmas, there were seven excursions, several with school groups.  On one, Keith and I hosted a group of about forty from the Georgia Academy for the Blind.  And on another, we had a car full of second graders who got off at the Plains lay-over.  While they were out, there was a downpour and they came back soaked.  I handed out paper towels for them to dry off a little.  Some were very upset, others (mostly boys) thought it was fun.

Another first...we were in a parade.  SAM Shortline had a float in the Cordele Christmas Parade and they asked the volunteers to be a part of it.  Thankfully, it was a short parade since I chose to walk.  You weren't allowed to throw candy if you were on the float, and I wanted to be a candy thrower! 

Riding the float to the parade staging area

 
We celebrated Christmas quietly this year with dinner at Red Lobster in Albany (that's Awl-beny' to the locals) and then a visit with Don and Barb who were spending time with their family at Albany's Chehaw Park.  Before leaving, we drove through the park's Festival of Lights.    

The last excursion of the month was called the Supper with Santa/Lakeside Ltd.  It was a 45 minute ride where the train leaves the park and stops on the nearby bridge over Lake Blackshear.  The passengers were given a boxed meal and had their picture taken with Santa; then back to the park. 

There is only one excursion planned for January and one in February, on Valentine's Day.  We'll fulfill some of our volunteer hours by taking inventory at the Depot and taking down Christmas decorations.  Hopefully, they'll find some other odd jobs for us till we leave our host assignment at the end of February.