No walking along fence.

fenceHere it is. I have been living on the periphery of Haisley School for closer to three decades than I feel strong enough to admit right now. Every morning, I walk past the Deeeeep Dark Scary Woods (and it is dark when I set out at this time of the year) and through the schoolyard, the first leg of my three-mile 0-skunk-30 powerwalk. The photo is looking toward the woods — that’s my entrance (and my exit). My house is on the other side of the woods.

I walk on the sidewalk if it’s not covered with huge mud puddles or glare ice. If I can’t navigate the sidewalk without reenacting the old pig fell in the mud joke or sliding down onto my you-know-what, I walk on the grass beside the sidewalk. The side of the sidewalk where the FENCE is. I don’t walk on the grass on the *other* side of the sidewalk because that side of the sidewalk is usually worse than the sidewalk, at least when it’s wet and muddy, ice is a whole ‘nother story.

This summer, they were doing paving and construction and stuff to the left of where I’m standing to take the picture. Since the area was blocked off by temporary orange plastic fencing, I took to walking *across* the grass (past that slide) and around the construction. Imagine that! Except. Last Friday morning. I walked past the Deeeeep Dark Scary woods and I was about to cut across the grass. But. THERE WAS A FENCE!!! The fence connects the fence around the Deeeeeep Dark Scary Woods and the back end of the school. I had to walk its entire length. Fortunately there was a gate and it wasn’t even padlocked. The janitor came out just then and I asked him about it. He didn’t have an answer and seemed a bit grumpy about being asked and said something about school property. Well, yeah, but it’s also PUBLIC property, paid for by my property taxes. It should be obvious that I’m not the kind of person that is gonna shoot up the school, me in my tie-dyed t-shirt, hiking skirt, purple Keens, and bedraggled hair. And at 6:00 AM, there are no kids over there anyway. Just other walkers, runners, dogs, and rabbits.

I searched the school district website for information. Nada. Finally, the first day of school, annarbor.com The Ann Arbor News did a story about school improvements made over the summer. Haisley School, accessible playground. Okay, I get that. Haisley has always had several classrooms of children with disabilities, some of them so severe that those children can’t walk or take care of their own basic needs in any way, shape or form. I think it’s great that there is an accessible playground for them. If I were still the PTO treasurer over there, I’d’ve advocated for that playground, even if the principal wanted to buy lobby furniture. The FENCE?!? I do not understand the fence. It isn’t like the entire playground is enclosed by the FENCE. The area is easily accessible from the other side.

Grump grump grump grumpity grump. Good night.

6 Responses to “No walking along fence.”

  1. Sam Says:

    KW, I’m a little tardy in asking this, but sometimes better late than never…so, what’s a hiking skirt? Sounds like something up my alley, but with my currently heavily truncated fashion sense, I just don’t know what that critter is. Please help! TIA.

  2. Margaret Says:

    I think that fence is bizarre! There is so much that happens in a school district that even we employees wonder about. WHAT was the rationale or logic behind xyz? *sigh*

  3. Pooh Says:

    “Don’t go down that path into the Deep, Dark Scary Woods! There’s a witch who lives on the other side. And she eats children! She wakes up so hungry, that she comes over to this side early in the morning, looking for a little breakfast snack!” Imagine this story being told by a sixth grader to a first grader. The sixth grader is holding a flashlight under his chin around a campfire. (or on the steps of the old lighthouse keepers house.)

    Just kidding! You did mention that dogwalkers and dogs were about. Maybe the dogs were leaving lovely little piles or chasing the rabbits. Most likely, there some rule that says there needs to be a fence so the kids don’t risk some imaginary danger. Who knows.

  4. TMOTU Says:

    Don’t worry. Anne hasn’t eaten very many children. Yes. She is the witch that lives on the other side.

  5. kayak woman Says:

    I am zee weeeetch of Reeeetsema Vooooods.

  6. UU Says:

    The fence is not to keep you out, it’s purpose is to keep kids in. If they walked into the woods the witch might get em.