J-term is a time of mini-classes that are fun and unusual, and CVCA started offering J-term three years ago. This year, J-term is for seven days, and it started today. Both Mer and I are teaching J-term classes this time around. Mer is teaching A Taste of Italy: Italian Language and Culture, a class that introduces students to a smattering of Italian language, and exposes them to Italian culture, film, history, food, and so on. Mer is pretty excited about it, and says her first day went well. Today she covered geography and major sites of Italy, and her students picked Italian names and played a little bocce (for a reward of the candy called “Baci” – “bocce for Baci”).

Along with my boss, Jim, and a co-worker, Vicki, I am leading Hiking NE Ohio, a class where we hike somewhere different in the area each day. We actually have twenty-six students in the class, although one student was out sick today. It surprised me that that many people wanted to hike outside in January.

We had decent weather today, with temperatures in the lower twenties, with some intermittent sun. It was supposed to be windy, but we were in the Valley, and the wind was not an issue. We hiked the Towpath Trail today, starting at Boston Store and going about three miles south, past Peninsula, to the Deep Lock Quarry Trail. Deep Lock Quarry is an old quarry used to make the canal, and it was a pretty place to end the hike. We saw four of the canal locks along the way, and we had plenty of time to explore the quarry, which included climbing around on some of the rocky areas (carefully, since they were snow-covered). We hiked about four miles total, which is pretty good considering the snow cover we had (about six inches of snow, although the snow was well packed on the Towpath from other hikers). I was pleased with how the hike went – everyone was dressed warmly, and I did not hear any complaints.  The students seemed to especially like the quarry, and everyone came back safe, if maybe a little tired. Here is hoping the next six hikes go as well.