This morning I went to campus early and by myself, working in the building where I would teach a few hours later. It was so nice to have a quiet, lovely environment in which to work. As you might guess, I’m gearing up for 8 weeks without Sydney next semester; I have to start compiling my coping strategies early. I already have a cat, and now I’m working on finding warm, appealing study spaces on campus.
On my way back, however, I noticed a major change in the leaves. Our house is near the top of a hill, which then meanders slowly downward to Cornell, which is itself perched on a hill, “high above Cayuga’s waters,” as they say. Driving from campus to home, I saw a shift from green mixed with orange and yellow to a profusion of yellow and orange and red as I got higher and higher, where the fall foliage has turned more quickly. Bathed in a light rain that tempered the sunlight and brought out the colors in the trees, I was reminded of yet another reason why I love living where we do.
Erin
Alan Schmierer