Blue Shadows Farm: A Novel

27 Modern Nature Educators, Inc.—November 2000

Emma November 2000 As I drove to the high school, I was still thinking about William Steele. He sure thought he was the biggest toad in the puddle. If Modern Nature Educators was anything like him, I doubt I’d want much to do with them. I was surprised how quickly it got dark these mid-November days. The weather forecast had said snow was on the way, starting this evening and continuing tomorrow. A little early, but not unusual . A haze had gathered around the streetlights in front of Link Lake High School, creating interesting shadows on the brick building . I saw people walking through the doors to the gym. I glimpsed the Reverend Ridley Ralston and several of his followers near the school. One carried a big sign: “The Bible First.” I wondered what that was all about. I had gotten there a little early, as I wanted to see first hand what this Modern Nature Educators group was all about. They sounded good on paper. I especially wondered why they seemed interested in buying my farm. At least it sounded like they were interested. But 160 27 Modern Nature Educators, Inc. 161 Modern Nature Educators, Inc.—November 2000 I’m a skeptical person. I sure didn’t think much of William Steele. Typical “keep your hands clean” city person. But first impressions sometimes prove wrong. The meeting had been well publicized. I read an announcement in the Link Lake Gazette. It was a front-page story with the headline “Modern Nature Educators to Share Development Plans.” I’d also heard the announcements on the Willow River radio station yesterday. The meeting had been set for seven o’clock, and here it was just a little after six and people were already pouring into the gym. When I pulled open the gym door, I spotted several rows of computers, their screens glowing, set up on tables on the right side of the big room. I never bought a computer, expect I never will. Kate Dugan said I’d find a computer useful for sending and receiving e-mail messages . If I have something to say, I write a letter, call on the phone, or talk to the person face to face. I call it talking to people by hand. It’s worked for me for as long as I can remember. Can’t say it makes much sense to change now. If people want to get in touch with me, they’ll find me, seems they always have. “Folks just don’t have time to do that these days,” Kate said. “Well, if they want to talk to me, they need to find some time,” I said. That pretty much ended the discussion about e-mails and computers . I noticed that Kate was shaking her head, and I’m sure she thought I’d slipped a couple notches. Only a few of the gym lights were on, so the big room had an eerie feeling, almost an ominous sense, at least it felt that way to me. The first computer screen I stopped by featured a forest fire game. A young woman from the company stood near it. I glanced at her name tag: “Jenny Abramson.” “Students learn about fighting a forest fire, the equipment used, the risks involved. They learn it all by playing this game,” Jenny said. “The game players choose different roles. One is the communication director, another is the pilot of a plane dumping fire retardant, and still another is a smoke jumper. It’s fun, but it’s also educational. The players cooperate to put out the fire. The game has three levels of difficulty,” Jenny said, enthusiastically. “And, need I add,” she said, smiling, “it’s perfectly safe. No one is ever in any danger. The forest fires portrayed are actual fires filmed on location in Colorado.” I must say, I was impressed. I’d never seen anything quite like this. Three enormous screens stood in front of the gym. Images of frogs, turtles, enlarged views of molds and fungi, a paramecium seen through a microscope, the respiratory system of a mammal, the vascular system of an oak tree, a visual description of the water cycle, the structure of a snowflake, and much more flashed on and off as people found seats. I noticed scale models of the proposed Modern Nature Educators , Inc. buildings on four tables on...