starry skies at UC-Berkeley

I'm on the Berkeley campus today exploring with my son and will post more photos later, but for now, this has me excited and as usual, pondering things like, hmmmm, maybe I can go back to school in my middle years. :)

The campus is gorgeous, almost park-like with beautiful trees and gardens and the physics and astronomy buildings are very inviting inside. 

The high today is 68 degrees and I am LOVING the very cool weather here and the view across the bay to San Francisco. (not so much loving that drive we took from the airport yesterday and the traffic)

Whenever I walk onto a college campus with old buildings and huge trees and feel the buzz of learning and advanced study I feel rejuvenated. Happy to be here today! 

in the air

I haven't flown in awhile so was not sure what to expect, but the hotel shuttle was on time and efficient and the TSA line in the Charlotte airport was quick and easy with no issues at all. Everyone from Southwest staff to TSA agents were friendly and helpful. 

We arrived early expecting the worst but things went so well we had time to get some food and sit and relax in the boarding area. There was a lovely older woman from the African Congo working as a bathroom attendant and she sang the most beautiful African songs. Several people, including me, thanked her for making our day so much nicer. A French woman spoke French with her and I was able to glean a few phrases but mostly enjoyed the lyrical back and forth.

We're flying with two service dogs and a number of children. There's an occasional loud yell from a toddler but otherwise it's been a quiet flight.

In Dallas we change planes and then have one more stop before landing in San Francisco. There were direct flights but the cost difference was enough that I opted to do it this way. It's good to go through the routine to get familiar with how things work now!

Once we get the rental car we'll head to Berkeley where son has a meeting with a professor. I aim to soak in some Berkeley ambiance and make some notes for my Time trilogy novels.

I'm a long way from November Hill! But touching down in Texas (I went to grad school in Austin) and landing in San Francisco (I lived for a time in nearby Los Gatos) is a bit like going back in time. 

If November Hill were a Van Gogh painting...

I love Vincent Van Gogh's work but don't think I'd seen this one until today. The colors remind me of November Hill in the fall and although we don't have a red roof or yellow wall it feels like home when I look at this.

Taking off tomorrow morning on an adventure with my very brilliant and dear son who is going to do research in physics at UCLA for the summer. We're heading out early to visit grad schools. 

Makes me happy to think of November Hill moving steadily toward autumn whether I'm here or not. And thanks to my equally brilliant and capable daughter and husband for holding down the farm while I'm away!!

Saturday night on Jurassic Hill

My husband was away. Daughter and I decided to watch the original Jurassic Park movie. It's scarier than I remember and much scarier than the recent remake. I was also keeping my eyes on the weather radar as severe thunderstorms were expected to roll in. The herd was out but we had the barn set up so I could run out and let them in if needed.

We were in the middle of a very scary scene when I realized the radar was blank, which didn't seem right. I clicked to another view and the huge thunderstorm was right on the edge of being here. I jumped up, ran to the laundry room, and asked my daughter to come with me. I was spooked by the velociraptors!

I was standing by the back door pulling my boots on when my daughter walked in and said "What is THAT?"

"What?"

"That big thing on the wall above your head."

I looked up and there was a big flying roach sitting on the wall. I grabbed the fly swatter and tried to swat it. (our resident insect rescuer was away, which is always when this kind of thing happens)

The poor thing flew at me and I screamed the most blood-curdling scream you can imagine. (my throat hurt the rest of the night) It disappeared for a minute during which I thought it was ON ME. But daughter found it in the sink and tossed it out the back door. It flew back in two times!

Meanwhile lightning was flashing and I ran out to the barn thinking dear daughter was right behind me. She wasn't! The horses and donkeys were in the back field snorting but they refused to come in. I paced back and forth, still spooked by the movie, now doubly spooked by the velociroach.

Calling as the wind whipped up and lightning came closer.

Finally the goofballs came in and I got them situated and then headed into the house moments before the deluge.

We finished the movie but were still wide awake. So we watched a Game of Thrones episode. I got in bed at 2 a.m. and slept like a baby until 6 when Mystic kit-meow woke me up, Kyra Corgi started woofing for breakfast, and the day's feeding began. 

Sean Carroll, calculus as a set of tools, chores

In his fascinating book From Eternity To Here Sean Carroll discusses time and its theories. I'm done with the book and am reviewing the footnotes and found this little gem:

"calculus provides exactly the right set of mathematical tools to make sense of “chugging forward one moment at a time” when time itself is continuous."

It struck me that perhaps calculus then can make sense of my entire life, since chugging forward one moment at a time is generally how I try to live. 

Who would ever think it? 

Maybe my children are right. It's time for me to take on calculus. :)