Spring Has Sprung March 5, 2007

I think Mother Nature has been watching the calendar, folks. As soon as March 1 hit (happy birthday Sarah!), the sun came out, the temperature zoomed to 50 and above, the birds began to sing (wait, wait — they never stopped). The air has that crisp scent to it that means any time now the world is about to become green again. The trees have even started to flower in some places. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a transition so sudden.

To celebrate, I’ve made many trips into town along a lovely footpath that takes you through fields as well as quaint residential areas. I explored the area around a (very small) Norman castle on the edge of the city, walked along the edge of St. Augustine’s Abby (its 3 pounds to get in, and it’s basically a bunch of ruins that, while very interesting, probably are not worth 3 pounds to climb on). I’ve also spent quality time in the newfound sunlight sitting on benches near one of campus’s famous duck ponds. The ducks here are my favorites; they will come right up to you looking for food, make eye contact (I swear), and quack in your direction. Satisfied that you have nothing of interest, they will casually waddle off.

Actually, I lied. My favorite are the moorhens – about the size of a sandpiper, they are black with red feet and beaks – except it looks like whoever was molding their faces slipped, and so the beak is pressed up into their face. They are off-balanced, somehow, and move with the head bobbing motion of a pigeon and the swagger of a very, very small ostrich. And they run (or try to). It’s enough to turn any day into a good day.

My play goes up on Thursday! Very exciting. It’s been a lot of fun to work on, although I will be glad to not be having any more 5 hour long practices taking up all of my nights. We are heading to a week after, which should be a very fun time. I have also ordered my EuroRail pass for our April European tour – we are going to Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Rome, Marseilles, Barcelona, and Madrid. It’s going to be amazing.

I have also had to start thinking about next year back at good ol’ PSU. I will be taking 3 anthro classes, a history class, anatomy, and beginning to write my undergrad thesis under a man named Dr. Alan Walker. I am writing it on the evolution of language and speaking ability – and he is one of the premier paleoanthropologists in the world (who just so happens to work at Penn State).

Amazing.