A New Year

It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the first day of classes, after a whirlwind orientation weekend filled with the unexpected drama of Hurricane Irene. On Saturday, two students and I snuck down to the Farmers’ Market after a shower but before the storm had arrived to pick up flowers and various goodies. McKelvy weathered the storm admirably, and we were one of the only dorms that didn’t lose power. Hot showers and charged cellphones in abundance, which could not be said for the rest of campus.

Tonight (Monday), we had our first House meeting and kicked off the 50th anniversary of the McKelvy Scholars Program– quite an achievement. I am so excited about this year and what we have in store. Tomorrow morning at 8AM, the landscapers arrive to begin foundation plantings for the new garden!

Below, some pics from the tail end of summer, including a spunky praying mantis but not the speedy hummingbirds that have been divebombing the feeders on their annual migration. I love when the hydrangeas turn from pink and purple to muted, but still arresting, antique colors as they dry on their stalks. Sometimes they turn the exact shade of oxidized copper. At this point in the summer, the back garden is so leafed out that there are not many views of the river from here, but there is a great little view of the ridge on the other side of 78 from my porch. The garden renovations are going to remove some limbs to create more of these views up and down the river.

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