L'Automne Vive!

Today was the most beautiful autumn day that I have just about ever seen. It was brilliantly sunny and clear, around 65-70 degrees all day--just perfect for a light cardigan--and the colours were all freshened and brightened up from yesterday's rains. I enjoyed some lounging about on the North Lawn, reading The Poetics of Natural History, and feasting on a sack lunch of first-crop California almonds (thank you, Grandpapa and Grandmama!), figs, radishes, clementines, ginger-lemon cookies, and a petite peanut-butter-and-strawberry-peach-jam sandwich. I sipped oolong from the TeaHaus (don't you just love it when you can pay for something entirely in coins? It makes me feel one part starving artist and one part Regency maiden...) and reclined at a pic-nic table to enjoy my reading. I've finished the first essay, on father-and-son naturalist duo John and William Bartram, who lived in the Eastern US during the later half of the eighteenth century. I daresay this book is a fantastic read, and turning out to be a perfect source for my Photography conference paper on scientific illustration and photography.

Anyhow, I must say I indulged myself once again with the foliage through my lens, so here are a few more photographs--





Here's the leftover compost of my lunch:

Overall, a lovely afternoon.

Jamie and I went to see Bright Star at the Bronxville Clearview Cinemas last night. It was an indulgently beautiful film, one which entranced me from the opening close-up of a needle and thread weaving carefully in and out of a sheet of fabric. Bring hankies, ladies (and gentlemen). It's lovely, but tragic...

Oh Rivulets, Oh Juniper, Oh Dipping Sparrows...

I awoke to a mild, grey morning, with everything all silvered from last night's rains. Seeing as Bronxville is smack dab in the middle of a season's change, I thought I'd take advantage of the cool, wet light this day had to offer me. Here are some of the results of a walk about campus, under the cover of my umbrella, as it began to sprinkle--













And then, the rain began...

I may take advantage of the rainy campus to gather some natural materials for some sort of craft project. My world is swimming with acorns, berries, leaves, and chestnuts presently! In fact, my literature professor gifted each of us with freshly gathered chestnuts yesterday--it's said that they have a bit of magic in them. I plan to drill a hole in mine and string it on a cotton ribbon woven with twine. We'll see how it turns out...

For now, I leave the warmth and comfort of my dorm for another foray into the wet weather. Dear reader, wherever you might be, enjoy your own autumn, and begin your gathering-up for winter-time!

A Journey of a Thousand Miles...

I spent this last weekend (an extended one, at that) in California for the long-awaited wedding of my cousin Wendy and her fiancé, Chris. It was a beautiful affair in Three Rivers; intimate, simple, classic, and celebratory. This ceremony was not only an exchange of vows for Chris and Wendy, but also the union of a family, with Wendy's eleven-year-old son, Scotty, an integral part of the marriage. We all had a wonderful time, and I was even the recipient of a happy surprise when my own dear one, Michael Benjamin, caught the tossed garter! Don't worry, though, everyone--wedding plans have a few more years ahead of them.

Here are some photos of the happy event:

My family's table...

Michael Benjamin and myself, taken by Scotty...

Max gets his groove on before the ceremony--he does a mean Jerk.

Remembrance table for my Uncle Marc, Wendy's Dad...

Wendy, glowing just after the ceremony...

The cake!

The first dance--and hopefully some adorable ginger babies soon!

The whole wedding was a beautiful success; everyone had a wonderful time, and I've never seen Wendy and Chris so happy. Best of luck to you two, and all my love!

For All of You Who Were There, and All Who Weren't

Here are a couple of videos that, for sentimental reasons, I dug up on YouTube and decided to embed here. I remember watching these practices, on sticky summer nights, sprawled out on the cool field at the high school, watching the slick shadows of moths play around the tall lights--Some things about high school weren't so awfully dull--



This is "Hide and Seek," 2006.



And "e-motion," 2007.

To this day, I get goosebumps and excited, stinging tears when I watch these videos. Some of the most beautiful performances I've ever seen. Who would have thought that Imogen Heap would get along so well with marching bands? Again, this is for all of you who saw these alongside me, and those of you who've never thought that marching bands could be cool, and especially for my brother, who is the tallest tuba player on each of those fields... :)

A Friday Night

Here are some photos of my Friday night--Will and I spent a few hours in the Black Squirrel, he shooting pool with some other guys and I drinking Nutella hot cocoa (CAN you believe it!?) and taking photographs. I guess it was somewhat fruitful, although the lighting was poor...


Here's Will shooting.


Green felt huzzah.


Will's feet and cue.

I've spent more time than I care to admit drinking various Nutella beverages and watching all the boys shoot pool than I care to admit... but there are certainly worse ways to spend an empty Friday night.