the first signs of fall

willard_hall

today i found out that the class I usually have at seven o'clock was canceled. this ended up being a blessing for two reasons. first of all, it meant that i would not have to rush through the readings in the hour before class to make it look like i knew what i was talking about, it also gave me a chance to walk around campus as the sun was going down. being an architecture student, it's often easy to think that seaton is the only building on campus, since most of our lives take place with in these limestone walls. however it is great to leave studio behind and walk around a bit. i sometimes long for the days before switching to architecture when most all of my classes were taught in different buildings forcing you to experience campus.
this autumn, i believe, will stand out in my mind above most for several reasons. first of all it's my last fall on campus, which is the best season to be here. it's like walking around in a rockwell painting, complete with colorful leaves, limestone, and squirrels. all you have to do is replace the typewriters, and transitor radios with laptops and ipods. secondly, after spending seven months in san diego, and then returning to kansas for the last part of summer, i'm ready to finally experience a change in season. i've been wearing short sleeves too long, it's time to bust out some sweaters. Lastly, and most importantly, fall is a yearly reminder from mother nature, that nothing gold can stay, no matter how badly you want it to. there is always an end.

while walking on the fallen foliage today i had memories of brighter and sunnier times.

leaves_on_ the_sidewalk

looking_into_the_stacks_of_hale