Prairie Pedagogy

Notes from the Real World
May 9th, I jump into my 'Lil Red Chili (Saturn Vue) and begin the drive back to CA to finalize my online class. Oh, how I still love teaching, and the teachers who are the graduate students in my class!

Prairie Pedagogy
As you may have read in other parts of WW, I have just returned from a TESOL (Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages) conference in NYC. And, while I normally do not talk about my professional work in Prairie Pedagogy, in this case I make an exception, as I'm sure that mine was the only presentation in NY, which was prepared in 5 to 10 minute segments, while running back and forth to see a new calf or a new colt. A friend wrote and told me that my presentation would be more GROUNDED because of my rich, authentic life. I assure you that I could ~ground~ anything in just the dirt which comes in the door every day...

As many long-time readers of WinkWorld know, we, on the prairies, have been the epicenter for the drought for the last 8 years. Our dams and our neighbors' dams have been totally dry. Without water and prairie grasses growing, ranchers have to go out of business. It has been very serious and sad.

Great News!
May 1: We had 3 honest inches of rain, and during that night the temp dropped to 32 degrees, and the rain turned to sleet.
May 2: We had great snow.
May 3: The temperature suddenly rose and the snow melted, and the creeks and draws began to run putting water in many of the dams.
Spillway south of Prairie Parlor
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/spillway0508.jpg
The new dam south of the ranch house
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/newdam0508.jpg
Joan, north of the house
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/joanranch0508.jpg
Northwest pasture dam
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/pasturedam0508.jpg
Calf in porch: I'm trying to get him to take milk from my finger.
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/NewcalfMilkonthefinger32808.jpg
Joan in the snow
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/joanranch0508-2.jpg

Update on Wink's Truck Washout, the Royal Flush
http://royalflush.goldenwestsecurity.com/
Username: royalflush
Password: Please email Dean at dwink@gwtc.net and he'll send it to you.

For those who are ~really~ retired, you can watch the trucks and Wink come and go. We assume that when the grandkids get here, we will have some fabulous water fights in the hot weather.

We love our mamas and babies.
Dolly and baby
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/Dolly-baby-08.jpg
Blue Moon and baby
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/BlueMoon-baby-08.jpg
Mama and baby (early April)
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/Mamababy32708.jpg
Baby calf near hay.
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/Babycalfhaystack32708.jpg

Family Pix
Austin and Garrett
www.joanwink.com/gifs3/Austin-Garrett0408.jpg

To Reference This Web Page Wink, J. (2008, May).
WinkWorld: April-May 2008
Retrieved ,
from www.joanwink.com/newsletter/2008/news0508-prairie.html.