This week, I’m house and pet sitting in Northampton, MA. It’s my first “sit” for Trusted Housesitters, an organization I joined in the hopes of providing myself with opportunities to explore the country, and the world, during retirement.
I’ll write more about this experience in an upcoming post, but for now, I wanted to share my morning. It’s been, I think, a very hot summer and I’ve fallen into almost the same rhythm I generally have when I’ve been in Italy or Greece the past few summers. Early to rise, a morning activity, followed by pastry and some reading. Sometimes there’s a nap included, too.
I headed out, on foot, a little after 8:00 to walk to Smith College. I was excited to walk the same campus paths as a few of my heroines, such as Sylvia Plath, Julia Child and Gloria Steinem. I was not disappointed a bit with the carefully tended grounds, solid looking buildings and thoughtfully placed benches and Adirondack style chairs that invited one to sit and simply take it all in, but learning that the college had graduated its first Black student in 1989, was stunningly disappointing.
Aside from that ugliness, there’s beauty in every direction. The boat house was particularly gorgeous, and I was appreciative of the campus center and the availability of iced coffee on this increasingly hot morning.
There’s some work being done on campus currently which made my route a little confusing, but I found my way to the Botanic Garden, arriving shortly after opening. This place is very self lead, at least in the depths of summer, and I freely wandered from greenhouse to greenhouse. The air was humid and earthy, yet delightful. I encountered only one other person (a caretaker) during my explorations and loved the sense of being all alone in this cultivated jungle.
My biggest challenge, as I roamed through the adjoining glass buildings, was resisting my desire to take cuttings touch all of the various leaves. There was just so much texture that I wanted to feel under my fingertips! But, resist I did. The only thing I took, was pictures.
All of this abundant beauty is yours to enjoy for a recommended donation of $2. I tossed a $5 in and felt like I got the deal of the day. It was an hour well spent and I would most certainly return to this place of nature, perhaps with a book of Plath’s poems, again.
On a similar note, my post-botanical visit to Tart for a second coffee with an apricot pastry on the side, was also an experience that bears repeating. The selection, service and vibe was all on point for me and I wouldn’t mind trying some of the other baked goods that were available. I’m considering checking out Smith College’s art museum tomorrow morning, which might give me a chance to sample Tart’s almond croissant!
DelSo 
sounds lovely 😊