It was cold for the 5:00 class, but we bravely met on the steps in front of the college library so I could show them "a bit" of nature on campus. By nature I mean budding and not even really in bloom trees, a type of "cedar waxwing" that had flown into one leafless tree, and places to sit and relax on campus.
When the wind is a cold whip of air at your back (and front too!) there is little time to sit still and relax. So we didn't. I took them to a quiet place, the Alumni gardens, and pointed out the peeling bark maple, and then we saw a fairly dirty koi pond (the koi and goldfish were "under" a grate that was covered with rotted leaves and some litter people had tossed in). And pointed up to a squirrel's nest very high in the tree sitting next to the pond.
I also pointed out what will soon be the "prettiest" flower on the campus (see photo above). The soulange or saucer magnolia has these huge flowers, which look like big, elongated tulips with almost wine red and white stripes. They were getting ready to open and you could see some red, but were not open yet--- aw shucks! We have had a long, cold winter in Virginia and we really needed a break from the cold. Hopefully, in the next week these pretty, pretty blooms will make an appearance. I look forward to these classes with my students. They are too connected to technology and should enjoy this bit of outdoors when they can. Put down that durn cell phone and enjoy nature!
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