Orange Elementary is incorporated within the Waterloo Public Schools. And yet what surprised me when I drove up to the school was the fact that it was in a rural setting. The school was built in 1914 and once housed high school students.

Barbara Dierksen was my host and she was very excited - excited for her students who hadn't met a real live author until today. The gym was large and its age reminded me of the gym in "Hoosiers". The students filed in and sat in the bleachers. One-half of the entire gym was full with kindergartners having to sit on the floor.

Because I was speaking to K-5, I started out addressing the younger students and the older students sat quietly until I finally called on them. During the 60-40 drill where my baseball infielders do what I call "happy toes" the whole audience got involved - stomping their feet on the wooden bleachers. The stomping sound echoed throughout the enclosed gym and I could feel my chest pounding from the loud banging noise.

But then when I raised my hand to continue the skit the students politely stopped. We had a great time and Mrs. Dierksen was quite pleased with the level of enthusiasm.

As I was about to leave two students asked if I wouldn't mind shaking their hands. Of course I was happy to extend my hand. As I walked out to my car, I overheard one student say to the other, "I'll never wash this hand again."