looks like rain, again.

Yesterday was a whirlwind. We packed the wonderbus with the stuff for 2 high school girls with all of us, A and the dog and drove 3.5 hrs each way to take the girls to their month encampment at SUNY Fredonia. To be honest, my expectations for the place were not high. Brockport was a great experience for K but the place was a bit run down and not special though their studios and art building were functional and a good working environment (better than SU). Well, we were BLOWN AWAY with Fredonia. First, it was the SUNY look and feel..small treelined towns that are pretty much of the industry driven by the college. With the proximity to the lake, at one point there must have been some wealth in this tiny town--so high victoriana was the reigning vernacular.Within a mile or less from the school, a little downtown thrives(complete with a pair of two parks with golden fountains in the middle, with the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker (and a vintage clothing store and tattoo parlour to complete the program). Dunkirk was a hop and skip away with a harbor that reminded me of Redondo Beach only cleaner and better laid out. But the school. Its beautiful with well considered architecture, nicer dorms, a beautiful, real world arts complex with multiple theatres. The arts center feels very IM Pei-ish in it's design, the spaces and the way it opens to a green space (very Johnson Museum at Cornell). A brick building with classical details with two adjoining recital halls for the music program. The twelve over twelve windows were open with music swelling. There was sculpture everywhere. There is a student union with a Starbucks with outside seating and a bookstore that rivaled Syracuses only a bit smaller and much nicer and better laid out. Lots of pretty places to sit with pretty things to sit on. The gym seems new along with a swimming pool that is impressive. I know the NYSSSA program is fabulous--so combined with enhanced facilities, it should be a wonderful time for K. We were tearful (a bit) but not worried like last year as she said good bye with a song in her heart and not the agitation and worry last year.

We came back through Ovid. Did a bit of grocery shopping and then back to Sheldrake. We got into the frozen lake and paddled around a bit guaranteeing good sleep.

I am looking at a pair of bunnies outside the window chase each other. Somehow something crazy happened this year and the sheer number of rabbits we have have gone from rare to commonplace. There they go, chasing each other, round and round. Now look, there is a squirrel. The bunnies think he's a bunny too. Join us! Join Us! in the roundabout, run around, run run run. Wait! What happened to your tail? It's not like ours. Roundabout, run around, run run run. wait!