At 08:00 on this Saturday morning, the three heelers all simultaneously launch themselves off the bed, barking as they race to the front door.

"I think there's someone at the door," the wife wisely mumbles.

Eldest son reaches it before I can throw a shirt on.

So who comes calling at 08:00 on a Saturday?

The High School Principal.

I try not to let the alarm bells go off. Youngest son is on an overnight school trip to University Town with his band teacher. Invitation only, to the University's Festival of the Winds. Practice and instruction with other students from across the state and University music classes, tryouts for musical scholarships, and a combined state band concert in the afternoon.

Wasn't until this conversation with the High School Principal that we realize that youngest son was the only one invited this year from our community.

But anyway, there is a problem.

Seems the band instructor's wife's water broke.

They're having a baby. Today, it seems. And he is headed home.

Not wanting to deny our son this opportunity, he has left him in University Town. Reportedly under someone's guidance and supervision, but the boy will need a ride home.

Were we planning on going to the concert?

Well, no. It's 95 miles, with high winds and a 90 percent chance of snow predicted for the day, accumulations up to three inches. The state's roads are supposed to be kinda bad today, except for the stretch of Interstate between us and University Town.

That one is supposed to be horrible.

Really. We watched the state-wide forecast last night, just to see what youngest son would be traveling in, and they singled out that stretch of highway as being a major concern for today.

Don't know if the High School principal was aware of that, but he is here to offer to go pick up our son.

Wow.

Yes, I can see how the school would feel responsible for retrieving a kid that they had hauled out of town, but they could have also just told him "That's tough luck," and brought him home with the band teacher. Instead, to our son's benefit, they have arranged for him to stay, and the Principal is willing to make the nasty drive on his own day off to bring him back.

Wow.

Of course, we can't let him make that sacrifice. We will be going to University Town to hear the concert after all. And retrieve our son.

But I think it is incredible that the Principal was willing to do that in the first place.