Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Homecoming

This past weekend, I officially reached one of my life's milestones: my five-year college reunion. Time for Homecoming at Butler.

I met some girlfriends on campus on Saturday afternoon—a gorgeous October day—and we wandered around outside, checking out the scenery to see what had changed. In many ways, it was like time had frozen and we'd never stepped away. In other ways, things have changed enough that it's evident we've moved on with our lives.
This bulldog statue in front of Atherton Union (the centerpiece of thousands of Butler photos) is exactly as it was when I left. But the dedicated spaces for Zip Cars on the west side of the building were new—and I was glad to see them!
I arrived on campus while the actual football game was happening, so the areas of campus not near the football field were quiet and peaceful.
One thing hasn't changed: the boys of campus love a good game of Campus Golf. I never did get a chance to play, but it always looked fun. The rules, as I understand them, are pretty simple: using a golf club, hit a tennis ball from one end of campus to the other. There are designated "holes" along the way (sorority rocks, statues, etc.) that form the course, and you have to hit them with the tennis ball.

These guys were definitely enjoying themselves. With the Homecoming celebration in progress, they may have been having an extra amount of fun with the help of some adult beverages.
I went back to campus on Sunday afternoon for the conclusion of Butler Creates: An Alumni Art Exhibit. I participated in the inaugural year last year, and this year they selected two of my photos for the show! It's an exhibition open to all alumni, and a panel of faculty and board members chose selections from about 25 alumni to hang in Clowes Memorial Hall throughout the month of October.

On Sunday afternoon, the exhibit's finale included an artists' reception and a gallery tour, during which each artist stood with their work, and visitors were able to speak to them about it.

Mom and Grandma came by to say hello while I was there. (And Mom immediately claimed the framed magnolia photo for her house when the show was over.)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Late bloomers

It's the time of year when people from miles away flock to the Midwest to see the leaves turn color in their Autumn glory.

For those of us who live in such an area that cycles through four distinct seasons, it's easy to take the change of seasons—and the arrival of fall colors—for granted. Indiana will be seeing its colors peak over the next couple of weeks.

Brown County, in particular, draws thousands of visitors each year who want to witness the change of seasons and perhaps get a start on their Christmas shopping in Nashville. There's even an online Leafcam where you can check the progress of the fall colors as often as your heart desires, from the comfort of your chair at home. Weather.com also has an ever-changing map of the status of fall colors.

People are a little crazy about their fall colors!

Looking for more?

The Indiana Office of Tourism Development has a site devoted to fall activities around the state, including festivals, wineries, markets (Beasley's Orchard is highlighted, as well as one of my favorite places on the northwest side of Indy, Traders Point Creamery), and they even have a blog category devoted to fall color.

As we approach peak, I'm going to be toting my camera around. In the meantime, I caught these late-blooming flowers—a petunia above, and a rose below—that are sending us out of summer in style.