An Excursion On Mt. Oread

It was a drizzley sort of day, which made it nice and cool for a walk around campus after class. The law school is near the edge of campus so I generally don't make it up the hill very often. I forget how nice and green it is up there. And today with the rain it smelled incredible--wet, warm grass with nice wafts of cedar and pine blowing by on the breeze.



I started at the Southeastern edge of the ridge and walked down through the bowl where the lake is. I had an errand to run in Strong Hall so I cut up towards it, and then walked back to my starting point up along the ridge.





On my way down the hill, I found a group of trees with fruit on them. I looked them up when I got home. The one with green fruit is a "common apple" and the once with the peachy fruit is a crab apple. There was also a little berry tree with fruit on it that looked like small cherries, but I can't decide for sure what it is.







There was a carpet of lilies spread across the lake, but not too many blossoms. The leaves are prettier anyway. Especially with the wind today they were all moving just a bit--a little like they were talking to each other, telling wonderful secrets that humans can't hear.





I spent a few moments hiding from the rain under this willow tree. The tendrils were blowing back and forth in the wind, but I was protected from the rain. It made me think that I'd like to sleep under a willow tree sometime--very soothing.



The bridge near the lake from the opposite shore. Blaine told me once that he had a friend that slept under it once (not sure if I want to know why!). I've always thought it seemed more like the type of bridge you'd find in a fairy tale--or with a troll hiding under it!



And I finally made it to Strong Hall. As I was walking in I noticed the door handles on the main entrance. All the other handles are new, but these looked like they grew there--all blue green and worn.



This is the Chi Omega fountain, which was on my path back to my car. On warm days people wade in it. I've never really been to a fountain that it was legal to play in so I've been meaning to go try it sometime. But, alas, today was not that sort of day!



These black-eyed susans were so sunny near the memorial wall. Yellow flowers just seem to pop on a grey day--someday I need to plant fields of them!

It makes me really happy that, despite educational cuts, I still get to call such a pretty campus home. It seems like one of those things that people would cut into when the going gets tight, but it seems like most of the powers that be still realize that these nice big green spaces are not a luxury for learning--they're a necessity. Imagine if we all had to go to school in a grey/cement/icky environment--I certainly would have more trouble getting out of bed in the morning!