The Country Mice

In a surprisingly sane and sage cost-savings venture, the local island school has cancelled school bus pick-ups one day a week.

That means Fridays now require that island children get to school on their own steam — er, their own two feet.

The alternate option would have been to cancel one route pick-up entirely — can’t you just hear the outcry reverberating across the Rockies? — or have everyone share the drama and wend one’s way to school independently.

Bowen is a small island, a Malta-sized 20 square miles at last count, interwoven with regional parks and wooded trails.

Fairly decent in the walk-to-school department.

We parked our vehicle on the side of the road, about two kilometres from home, and meandered slack-jawed through old-growth greenery.

There’s a fish hatchery right next to the recycling depot across the road from the solitary gas station (closed Sundays, full-serve, $.10 surcharge per litre).

And after 20 minutes our goal comes into view, for the Princess at least. Homeboy must forge a few other streams and forest trails before he gets to his institute of higher learning.

A refreshing start to the day.

Note to self: Don’t forget to pick them up.