first day of school

Everything changes on the first day of the academic year.

Breakfast. Faster, slicker, earlier. Though for us, still on the porch. And today, the oatmeal has the addition of Ed's applesauce.






There is an unusual twist to my teaching this semester -- my classes are very late in the day. That means I spend the hours in advance of them in my sweats at the kitchen table. It's the most efficient way to get things done. The benefit? Right now, I see (beyond the windows and screens) the fuzzy world of flowers and the sheep shed. Makes me smile.






And again I look up and again I see the last blooms, drawing the beaks of the humming birds. A wide grin for this one. (The bird is in the upper left.)






The day is absolutely beautiful. Ed is out, dumping wood chips around the shed -- for winter insulation. I'm out only for the photo. Sigh...






At the western edge of the farmette, the goldenrod is explosive. You can think of it as an invasive. I think of it as a beautiful banner of early fall.






Isis is outside now too. I've neglected him in Ocean photos. Here he is in the strawberry patch -- one of his favorite spots in the yard.






Some lilies never give up...






But it was not meant to be day of play. The first day of school, remember?






After, Rosie takes me back. Past fields of goldenrod and skies of blue.