Homesick. . . Sort Of

~Highlight of the Day: Getting to sit in the Scott Amphitheater and finding my phone ~

I started off this beautiful, relatively cool day with slipping on the good ol' size 9 waders (it's the smallest size they've got) and taking a nice refreshing dip in the lake :) The algae wasn't that bad, but it still took us all morning because it's in little pieces that the pitchforks can't really pick up efficiently. If you ask me it's because we're selecting for small clumping algae, and it's reproducing fast enough for us to see the evolution ;) If you ask the lovely IPM Rachel* (She's in charge of us algae skimmers ) it's because we're doing our job well and the problem's being minimized.

Then it was off to the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College. You may recognize this picture if you've ever flipped through a landscape design book:

I must say, I was beyond impressed with the campus and it's grounds. The whole place is beautiful and stunning and well thought out. Every space is different, but commands respect in it's simplicity and purposefulness. I absolutely loved it. If you get a chance to go, take it.

And on top of the breathtaking public garden spaces they have green roofs on the dorms! You can't see much of them unless you actually go up onto the roof, but they are so cool.

I don't think I'd mind dabbling in green roofs a bit. . . I do hope and expect that the demand for them (and therefore experience with them) will continue to grow. If I don't end up working with them as part of a career I'll definitely keep it in mind for any future house planning I may have :)

By the way, did I mention campus was gorgeous? Apparently the buildings are made of a local stone called Wissahickon schist. . . I think Wissahickon is a nearby river. Anyway, being on a campus made me totally homesick for BYU. I know I'm going to think I was delusional to say so, right around finals week in a semester or two, but I can't help but feeling a sort of longing for classes and classmates and . . . and. . . even homework. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for that last bit there. Maybe the heat is getting to me :)

Oh yes, and I harvested my first zucchini today, and made my favorite totally-changed-and-not-even-healthier-plotsky out of it. That didn't even use a fourth of it though, and I've got two more out in the garden on the way. . . I'm going to be eating a lot of zucchini!

I'd like to thank my fabulous roommate for
offering to take a picture of me and my zucchini :)

* There are so many Rachel's out here. There are four in our area of Longwood - IPM (integrated pest management) Rachel, Research Rachel, Rachel the Seasonal (or R Squared), and me. At church there's at least 3 or 4 more. . . On the Row they call me Ukulele Rachel, which I am totally ok with :)