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I had the day off for Columbus day, which is just one example of how much more lax this position is than my previous one. Of course it was necessary there--the cranes needed to be fed and cared for, regardless of what Christopher Columbus was up to in 1492. It's funny, too, because I'm not sure when the last time I got Columbus Day off was. Probably elementary school.
After picking up apple cider and cider donuts at a local orchard, I went for a little walk in Saugatuck Falls Nature Area, a local park tucked between the highway and some snazzy powerlines. It's interesting to think about what makes a place--Connecticut, in geology and plant life, recalls New Hampshire, but the difference is the people, their prevalence and density. The resulting land fragmentation changes animal life, too, which probably explains why the only animals I've seen here are squirrels and chipmunks. The roadkill is almost entirely squirrel and raccoon. That's part of the whole of a place, too, because place exists somewhere at the juncture of geology and climate, which shapes and biotic life, and culture. These are pictures of where I am now, but that's not the whole of it, and maybe not even half.