Witch Hazel (I love the fall colour of this shrub)

I think I have finally recovered from the trauma of my French Teacher interview last week. I'm fairly sure that I aced the written part but the rest was very awkard. When I arrived at the interview the receptionist seated me in a side room and told me to begin the written exam (an essay on a pedagogical question). Five minutes into this an interviewer (retired school principal) comes rushing into the reception area upset that an interviewee is either late or missing. Of course the interviewee in question was me. The much agitated interviewer insisted that I stop writing and immediately follow her for my oral interview. She introduced me to her colleague who would be asking me questions in French. They then proceeded with a tag team interview: one question in French, the next in English the next in French etc.... This I had not expected. I thought that the French part would only be casual questions and totally separate from the English interview of pedagogical questions. I had prepared my English answers, but I could not orally answer academic questions in French. Of course at the elementary level students know only the present and past indicative tense and I had not expected to be questioned at a higher level. Naturally my discomfort with the alternating French questions affected my response to the English questions. I can only hope and pray. They will give me the results by the end of the week.

Molyneux

Life is crazy busy. Moylneux is still blooming even after our hit of frost. Dahlias and chrysanthemums are still at it too. I have only had time to look at the garden not actually be in it or do any work. It has been very rainy anyway. I have been supply teaching almost daily and filling out job applications. Some of these applications have deadlines of only 24 hours. I have been at this with no interviews for too long now so I finally decide to do something daring. I applied to teach Elementary French. I got called for an interview within two days. Can I teach Elementary French? Probably, but the real question is can I pass the School Board French interview and exam. French is not my teachable. I only use it for personal use and research. I stopped studying it after first year university. To add to that french teacher burn out is the fastest of all subjects. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I'll write again after the exam on Thursday.

Tigerella (unripe)

This is my first post for October. I have been very negligent about writing. Either I am not in the mood or I am totally preoccupied with job hunting. Job hunting must be one of the worst full time occupations ever. Very intense. Much too intense. But today was different. I actually got to teach today. I was called in this morning for a day of supply teaching at a small private school. I had a drama and a science class with grade nines. My modest selection of dama games were well received. I learned everyones names and they had fun. In science class they explained logic truth tables too me, since I had no science to teach. The day ended with a party for a departing teacher.

Last night was the first frost. I was ready for it. I wrapped the zucchini plants and some of the tomato plants (including the ones above) in floating row cover cloth. The day was sunny but ended with actual snow flurries. Fortunately I captured some good fall garden photos on the weekend. I will try to post some in the days to follow.