What a Dump!

Today, we had the first sunny day we'd had in a week!  It was the perfect day for a FIELD TRIP!

Ramsey's preschool class had been scheduled for their very first class field trip this year.  Location: the landfill.   I had offered to  to help herd children to and fro and chaperone at "the dump".  I wasn't sure what to think, but Ramsey's teacher had previously assured me it would be a FUN time!   I was slightly dubious, but very curious.

Our "tour guide" was a gentleman named Mike who managed the landfill.   He was one of Ramsey's classmate's grandfather.   We got the grand tour, starting with some of the heavy equipment.   They had a lot of earth-movers and dozers!

 On the way, the kids steered towards a large pile of dirt.  At least, I hope it was just dirt (my [rather-naughty-today-orange-hoodie-wearing] little boy thought he needed to climb the "dirt" pile).

 Then, off to climb the ginormous hill.  On the hill top of the hill reads "WELCOME", spelled out in white-painted tires that can be seen for a few miles before you get to the landfill.

 Everywhere we looked, there were surprising fun things to see.  Some of the kids found the cement deer on the top of the hill to pose with.

Ramsey found an old punching bag to climb on.

 When we got to the top, Mike and his colleagues had some fun things planned out for the kids; tire bowling!

 Ramsey thought this was rather fun and let his tire go!

A couple of kids' tires collided and Ramsey was none too pleased about that!

 We sat the tires back up and rolled down again.   Many of them hit the refrigerators below, one jumped into an open door on one of the trailer houses.  Mike rolled a huge tractor tire down the hill.  It smashed a golf cart that was sitting at the bottom of the hill.   It made Ramsey sad to see it get crushed.

 Then, we hopped on a trolley and got the full tour of the rest of the landfill.  Some of it was what I was expecting.   Some of it was even more interesting than I'd imagined!.

Mike had one of his workers get out "the crusher" and smash up a boat.

 While most of the kids clapped and cheered, Ramsey started to cry!  He shouted out, "NO, NOT THE BOAT!!!"   I told that maybe once they smashed it, they could recycle it into something new.  That helped... a little.

 Mike stopped the trolley at the new ravine that they'd been working on since May of this year.  He said they'd moved over 600,000 yards of dirt to create this area which will start holding garbage as early as next week.

 At the end of the tour, the kids took a picture with all of the kid-sized motorized vehicles that they have set up by the gate.   I asked him if there was anything wrong with them (thinking what a shame it was that they were all there).  He said that most of them really just needed batteries.   From personal experience (buying a battery for Ramsey's yellow Hummer), they're about $75.00.   Still though....

 I'm not sure what their next adventure will be, but we'll be looking forward to it.  Ramsey and his class had such a good time!