Editor's Notebook

It would be hard to imagine anyone around here that had a better day Tuesday than about 60 Lexington Elementary School students.

The excitement level of the  five, six and seven year olds was at a fever pitch when they were loading onto the Heartland Flyer just after 9 a.m.

They were going on a train ride to Pauls Valley to see The Polar Express movie.

They even had the same tickets as seen in the movie and Superintendent Chad Hall punched holes in them just like the conductor in the movie.

I overheard elementary principal Kathy Keeler ask one of the students if they were excited.

As the tiny movie attendee bounced her way to the car reserved for their holiday outing, I heard her say she was “a million times, a billion times happy” for the impending ride to Pauls Valley and a chance to go the movie at the Royal Theatre.

The wind chill was hovering around 19 degrees above zero but you couldn’t tell it by the body language and activity on display of the gaggle of Santa Claus fans.

As the train pulled out of the station, retired Lexington Transportation and Maintenance Director Harry Grider asked Hall if he was going on the excursion.

“No,” Hall laughed, “I went on the first one six years ago and it wore me out.”