Friday bliss

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-17
Location: South of Eaton Hall’s main entrance
Time: 1424-1441
Weather: 66˚F, overcast skies, morning fog

A woman strolled by with a black, shorthaired medium-large dog. In front of Eaton, they stop often, the woman patiently waiting for the dog to finish sniffing at the base of plants. Finally, it decided to halt in front of an oak tree and mark its territory. After spraying the ground with urine, it used its back legs to kick up the dirt to spread out the scent and followed the woman, who had given a quick tug on the leash. Was she in a hurry that she performed so, or was she somewhat worried about being chastised for allowing her dog to urinate in front of a building? No one seemed to notice but me, who had turned my attention to the students playing Frisbee on the Quad. They all interacted in twos. Even people walking along the paths were in couples: the one person and his/her iPod or cell phone, or in the rare occasion, another human being. Crimson and gold banner blew gently in the zephyr to the east. All was silent for a moment save for a bird whistling a tune and a white cabbage butterfly passing near the horse chestnut trees. Suddenly, the theater awoke with machinery sounds, a bike passed noisily by, students were proudly showing off their college to their benefactors. A brown hummingbird flitted into a mass of brown (red and green) Japanese maple. Magenta and scarlet fuchsias bloomed in the square of soil, their blossoms half the size of those found north of York building. Another dog passed by, a black and white border collie, but there was not time for sniffing the ground; he was completely obedient. Chestnuts fell steadily with a loud crash to the east. They would be cracked open, yet no squirrels took them otherwise there would have been none left on the ground for me to view. The nuts must have less oil in them than other preferred nuts.