Ithaca out and about

Remember how I said it "ithacated" (see previous post) during Samuel's graduation? Well the rest of the weekend was nice, even a little too hot. So we packed in a lot of walking and sightseeing. Samuel gave us a 15,000 step tour of the campus, taking us, student access card in hand, to every interesting building on campus, and playing tour guide. All the gossipy details of Cornell's past were laid bare. Here you see Samuel and Benjamin taking pictures of the view near Ezra Cornell's statue, West campus, and "the slope" (which builds stamina as you work your way up it to class) and the Finger Lakes.

Because hotel rooms are hard to come by during graduation week, many homeowners in the area rent out their homes, and we snagged one in Dryden, a village 20 minutes from Ithaca. Our rental home had no flaws and has become the new standard by which we will judge all homes. It was the Not So Big House that was replete with thoughtful and delightful details, down to the bamboo tongs for fishing out your toast. The views from the floor to ceiling windows in the living room were beyond zen. The back yard was several acres, with trails and a deck hovering above the cattailed-filled pond. Here my sister Alyce and I relax on that deck.