at last

It's been a hard winter, and I'm not just talking about the weather! But spring finally seems to be here. And June is just around the corner – when my first semester of teaching at my new institution will be under my belt, when the students for my summer program come through the doors. I can't wait.

A. and I took a stroll to the bank together this morning. She remarked upon every Easter bunny decoration in the neighborhood (there are lots), and we chatted about the blooming flowers popping up everywhere. This is a tree outside the nearby public library:

For me, the paradigmatic sign of spring isn't the first crocus, or the Chinook coming over the mountains. It's a blooming magnolia tree – the kind of tree that fills the Princeton campus with color just as senior theses start to be due.

So I was pleased to spot this magnolia planted in a peaceful courtyard off of a Catholic church. We didn't have time to sit on the benches, but it was a beautiful spot for meditation and rest. Maybe I'll return sometime soon with a book!