So That's How They Do It! {A Trip to the DNR}

It's not as if we go on that many field trips (I love field trips and wish we could do more, but it's not uncommon for me to still feel like I'm just keeping my head above water in this role of homeschooling mother of six, so the extra work of a field trip doesn't happen as often as I would like!).  But, as Facebook reminded me this morning, on March 7, three years ago, we went on a field trip.  And here we were again today, going on a field trip on March 7.  :)

This time, we got to visit the headquarters for our local newspaper, a building I have often driven past but never really explored.  Oh, I might have walked into the front lobby once upon a time to put an announcement of my engagement or wedding in the paper...I don't remember.  But I certainly had never gotten the full tour like we did today.  :)

 One of the other moms in the homeschool group we're a part of had set up the tour, so it was extra fun to get to do this with friends.  :)

 At the beginning of the tour, they showed us an OLD movie of how the newspaper was made back in the 1950s or 60s.  Fascinating--not only the process of making the paper, but also the way people dressed and interacted in those days!

And then we got to go around to different parts of the building and see what goes into making a newspaper.

At this point, Benjamin was getting noisy--happy noise, but noise nonetheless--so I took him out of the room and rejoined the group when they finished in the quiet area.

And then, it was on to the noisy area, which suits Benjamin better!  ;-)

 The lady who helped with the tour has worked for the newspaper since 1979 and, needless to say, really knew her stuff!

 The highlight of the tour was probably the actual process of seeing the press run.  Or maybe it was learning that, when the old press was no longer used, rather than go to all the trouble of removing it from the lower level of this building, they simply buried it and poured a concrete floor on top!  Some of the kids were quite fascinated by the thought!

 The speed of the machines was impressive, as well as how all the parts--not just of this press, but the whole organization--work together to put out a newspaper in such a short amount of time.

The next time I sit down to read The Shenandoah Journal, I'll have a much higher appreciation for all that went into making it!   :)