Dear Bishop Maginn Mobile Classroom students. I imagine this is a confusing and uneasy time for you. I have no magic words of wisdom for you, but I am thinking of you as we plan to celebrate the Vernal Equinox, the first full day of Spring.

There are two moments in the year when the sun is exactly above the Equator and day and night are of equal length. Yesterday was one of them.

In the Northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox fell on March 20 this year and in the Southern Hemisphere of the earth, the equinox occurs on September 22 or 23, when the Sun moves south across the celestial equator.

The vernal equinox marks the beginning of Spring, which lasts until the summer solstice, June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere. I call it the season of light.

I wish I could tell you when you will be back with your friends and teachers, but I want to be honest with you, as you would expect, and the truth is I don’t know. I don’t think anybody knows.

It could be soon, it could be longer.

I know you miss your freedom and friends and sports and choir and cheerleading and other activities. I don’t believe in lecturing other people, so I won’t urge you to be safe. Your parents and teachers know how to do that. I do hope you listen carefully to them.

I am keeping away from people, as requested.

I’m 72 years old, and I  have heart disease and diabetes two illnesses that can make the coronaviruses dangerous. So I’m avoiding people, except online.

I intend to be with you when you come back, so I’m being cautious and doing what I am told, at least this once. Zinnia is doing well, I think she misses her work with you. I do.

In the meantime, I will be working hard to get you the tools you need to make the Mobile Classroom comfortable and successful. A bunch of new laptop computers are headed this way, courtesy of the Army Of Good. And some gift cards from Price Chopper for those of  you who get hungry.

Maria and I will be forwarding videos from our farm, I hope they will be fun and interesting to watch.

Much love to you, I miss you and look forward to visiting with you and training Zinnia with you when you return. I think this is going to be a great year for all of us.