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May 2000
Dear Junior Church Parent,
God created the birds of the air, the fish
of the sea and the beasts of the field. So
why do kids gravitate towards the things
that creep along the ground? But they do,
and the critters are calling again!
It is time for another Junior Church Hike.
This semiannual event, with a string of
consecutive reoccurrences stretching back
to near the dawn of time, was interrupted
last spring because of injury complicated
by old age (or is that vice versa?) This
year all systems look good so far.
After a year of trying to contain a group
of semi-wild children in a semi-civilized
setting for a short time at church once a
week, it only seems fitting that we release
them into a more natural environment for
the better part of a day. Can the natural
environment handle it? Well, it handles
floods on a regular basis and occasional
fires. Earthquakes are rare in this area,
and plagues of locusts are untested in
recent memory. But, reassuringly, each
time we return to the rivers, swamps and
woods, they seem to have recovered.
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Saturday, June 3, please bring the kids to the
church parking lot before 9:00 am. Guests are
allowed if they are of the 4th, 5th and 6th grade
age group. Volunteer parents are welcome (but seldom
seen.) We will transport everyone home at the end
of the day (or other destination of your
choosing.*) This is usually between 5:00 and 6:30
pm. We will be at one of several locations along
the Mississippi and Minnesota River junctions, the
exact location depending on water levels and
environmental impact applications.
The kids should dress for the weather. Long pants
are preferable because nettles can cause a terrible
itch for 15 minutes and poison ivy for 15 days. And
don't forget sun screen plus bug repellant. (We will
have some along as well.) Be sure their shoes can
tolerate mud as we will be hiking where water meets
the land and both meet the feet.
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We will provide snacks and lunch, although
if your young eating machine wants to carry
additional sustenance, that is fine. We will also
take pictures for a poster, the duplicates of which
will be distributed the following week. For these
expenses we ask a voluntary donation of $5.00. (How
much is a day of peace and quiet worth to you?)
If you need to contact the group during the day (and
are unable to get the required information from the
Strategic Air Command or the CIA global
tracking center), call Ross' beeper (612-538-6882,
when it rings and beeps, dial the number you want us
to call and then the # sign. We will call you back
on a cell phone.)
Which brings us to the flora and fauna question. In
addition to toxins from noxious plants and
involuntary attachment of small arthropods to the
skin, collections of living plant and animal
specimens often find their way into the van for the
ride home. If they are unwelcome at YOUR house,
please make that clear to your intrepid explorer.
("But he's cute, Mom, and I promise to feed him.
Ross says they eat small rodents.")
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Mark the day on your calendar. You can call Ross or
Mary at the numbers listed below, especially if you
think we may not have your phone number. We will be
calling all on the list for an exact count during
the week before the event.
Mary Anderson 612-824-5573
Ross Olson 612-824-7691
* Federal regulations normally prohibit crossing
state lines, but we will make an exception for any
Lundbergs who want to come along for old time's
sake.
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