In the years I was at Tambo, 1964 to 1967 we had unique teachers. I am mathematically challenged (need walls to my mind to keep facts inside) but the best classes for me was when Mr. Dave Lotz taught Algebra II. I loved the class and was able to understand the work. But best I loved his tests. He gave us the final exam, on a Friday, to be handed in I think by Saturday Morning but am not remembering for sure. He trusted the students, which I believe made everyone of us do the work without any thought of cheating. The test was hard, challenging all we had learned but not over long. I seem to remember only 5 problems.
On the Saturday Morning, fellow student Charlotte Metzgar and I were up at dawn. Charlotte had really struggled, but finally finished, as I had. But, we both were a bit wound up over the test. We dressed, leaving everyone sleeping, and went out in the hills on the other side of the main road. I had personally never explored in this area before, in all my wanderings. It was wonderful, the cool morning air and lovely crisp sun beginning a wonderful day. We went up and up the hillside til we heard the rising bell ring out and knew we had to be back at school in a half hour. On the way back at a run, where we could, we rounded a corner and there across the pathway was the largest spider web I had ever seen. I ran into it and did not break it. It had the toughness that reminded me of the web in the cave holding Frodo in. And BIG black spiders! My memory was they were not tarantulas. What a breath stopping fright.
We were allowed a great deal of freedom in the years I was at Tambo. There were hills all around, and a great river running below the school.
I remember one day coming down the hill up behind the dorms, going up to the Pista, and found a group of students all standing looking up the hill, a few hundred feet from where I had been. I asked what they were looking at to be told they had just seen a mountain lion. Boo Hoo, I did not see it then or ever.
Anna Foster and I often took off on Sundays and wandered the hills. There were all kinds of fossils to be found and what we really were amazed at was the present of sea fossils up at 6,000' above sea level. I can remember carrying fossils back to the school but as I have none, I obviously never kept any.
When my mom and dad visited for school events I can remember my dad often being busy and Mom and I would go out and wander in the hills and along side the river. I remember the year I graduated we waded into the river in our tennis shoes (not deep, but very rocky on the bottom and with a fairly strong current) and holding hands to keep up from slipping and falling in we walked up the river. This is a favorite memory. I thought my mom was so cool and determined that if I ever had children I would try to keep doing fun things with them. Mom was 53 that year I think. Of course, I am now 60 and know 53 is still young.
1 comment:
I too remember those spider webs (how could anyone forget?!) These webs were often stretched between two cactus trees. You might not see the web, but the dozens of BIG black spiders suspended there would make you stop short. The only way ahead was to find an alternate route. I never had the nerve to try to run through it as you did! Definitely not tarantulas, but no less scary looking.
I visited Tambo in 1999, and looked for these webs. However now, the area across the highway is fenced. A few cattle eat what they can find on the hillside, and are not deterred by spider webs. So it seems the spiders have had to move on to remoter sites.
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