Today was reserved for activities in the Pioneer Valley. Immediately after breakfast, we headed west on Route 9 for Amherst. I stopped at my office at UMass to sign the timesheet, then we continued on to Northampton, where I checked on my unit at Coachlight Condominiums.
Then it was on to Smith College, where we drove around the campus perimeter looking for a parking space. Right outside the main entrance, there was a spot on Elm Street, so I pulled right in. We hopped out and headed straight for the Botanic Garden and the Lyman Conservatory. A flower known as the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) began blooming a few days ago and quickly became a local phenomenon, with its own live webcam and throngs of excited spectators. According to the web page:
Contributing to this flower’s enigmatic and exotic allure is the fact that it is one of the worst smelling flowers on earth. The overpowering aroma of rotten flesh attracts carrion beetles, who serve as its pollinators.
The flower had opened fully this past Monday and I could not smell it, but the plant is spectacular all the same.
Shortly before noon, we headed back to Amherst, where we parked outside the Admissions Office at Amherst College. We had lunch at Schwemm’s Coffee House in the Keefe Campus Center, then returned to the Admissions Office for the 1 pm information session for prospective students. At 2 pm, our group started out on a tour of the campus. About half-way through, we heard the thunder, saw the lightning, and then it started to pour. We all carried umbrellas, but it rained so hard that none of us could keep dry. Gloria said she’s keeping Amherst College on her list, so I’m glad we saw most of the facilities before we returned to the car.
On the way home, we stopped at the Belchertown Town Common where I picked up my CSA share for the week, and yes, I received yet more vegetables I could not identify.
Back at Walnut Street, we drank hot cocoa and then ordered pizza for supper. Our movie tonight was Juno, which I received from Blockbuster-by-Mail.
Weather: cloudy and stormy
Breakfast: scrambled egg and leftover waffle
Lunch: boursin on bagel and tuna wrap
Dinner: veggie pizza
Dessert: blueberry cobbler
