Roadside Liberal Arts

Last Saturday was full blown summer.
Hot.
Humid.
Smell of chipmunk-abandoned tomatoes.
Afternoon spent inside, reading.

The very next morning, fall had come.
Cool.
Dry.
Smell of burning pine.
Afternoon spent in a jeep, exploring the Quehanna.

With the doors off, the roadside views were fantastic.
We watched deer skipperty-hop up roadsides,
elk in velvet munching on apples,
and many fall plants:
goldenrod, Queen Anne's Lace, Joe Pye weed,
maidenhair ferns, Christmas ferns, bracken ferns,
knotweed, ragweed, smartweed....

One of the many things we've gained from a Houghton liberal arts education
is familiarity with our surroundings.
Denny learned geology from Mr. Paine.
Sue learned botany from Mrs. Cook.
Though these skills aren't necessary for education majors,
they've certainly enriched the way we observe the world.

The Cooks have taught us many other things:
*how to make plans, and then to be flexible,
* to choose restaurants that have the most local cars,
* to find the humor in everything (it's punny!),
* to pass food around the table in one direction,
* to treasure Gene Stratton Porter books,
* to be calm when you remove a potential rattlesnake from the back of a stove,
* to journal,
* to appreciate the seasons,
* to identify birds and appreciate their Latin names,
Did you know that a robin's Latin name is Turdus migratorius? True.
* to go off-the-beaten-path when travelling,
* and to be content in whatever situations we find ourselves.

Thank you, Cooks, for the lives you've modelled for so many students.
Thank you, Houghton, for hiring profs like the Cooks who make the liberal arts come alive.
Thank you, God, for places like Houghton College,
the Quehanna Wild Area,
and this mountain.

Sue