gold

I was thinking this morning, scooting to campus on Rosie, that sunshine should make everything fine. But I was feeling too chilled to feel totally fine and indeed, after five minutes I turned around in someone's driveway, intending to go back home and switch to the donkey car, but then I turned again and resumed my trek. Mustn't be soft, mustn't be soft...

When you're not chilled by the wintry temperatures, sunlight can, in fact, spin you into a wonderful morning. Say, at breakfast...





And as you make your way through the farmhouse. There's a ray! And another! And here, note the sun coming through, right between the geranium and the shelf...





And I'm made better by it. Though I know now I cannot assume it will be radiantly warm outside. Today it was not.



Other notable things about this day: well, they came and they tore my office up. It all started that August day when I thought I ough to move things around a little. Today, initially much to my dismay, but by the end -- much to my joy, I had a desk set installed (I didn't pick it -- it's the Law School standard) and there was the usual chaos when you have too little space, too little time, and two men trying to build things right as you're trying to remember why emotional distress is such an unpopular Torts (legal recovery) concept (the topic of today's class).

It's impossible to get a photo of my office (the space is so small), but I want to put this partial one up anyway, because, really, every aspect of my work day was consumed by this mess, finally resolved at the end of the day, so that I could leave it and not dread coming back the next morning. (The highlight of my office is and will always be the floor to ceiling window facing Bascom Mall .)





There are two other events worth mentioning: in the near evening, my daughter showed me a path not too far from her house. We walked it and I have to say I was somewhat stunned to realize that a beautiful path existed so close to her, to me and I never knew of it. This is not a country walk -- we are at every second in Madison...





And yet it seems we've stepped into a different canvas altogether...





Only when we were again by the lake, did I remember we were a short breath from the center of the city.





And here's my second point: that sunshine I spoke of earlier? It is no less compelling on an evening ride home. Scooting down on Rosie, pushing forward on the last mile, I see this stretch of road and I am just tickled by it.




And it's no less touching when I put away Rosie and look up at the farmhouse. Most of the flowers have succumbed to the cold weather, but some are still there to frame this magnificent old structure, Caribbean yellow, in shades of Wisconsin gold.





Remarkable. Or maybe not. I can't remember a time when I looked around me here and didn't think it was drop dead gorgeous.