changes in the Valley

On the way out to see Serenity, the clouds were hanging so low that Mount Nittany was mostly obscured. That sounds impressive until you note that our mountains aren't really all that high--it's just that the clouds were really that low.

The leaves are starting to turn. Most of the valley has at least brushes of yellow and orange, though the color hasn't started climbing the mountains yet.

There was one car in the parking lot when I arrived at about ten to noon. Just call it a quiet morning in Happy Valley. Quiet because most are probably sleeping in after last night's important win against Ohio State.

Most of the time State College's football habit is just a source of background noise to me. This year, due to excited co-workers (and a much better record than we've had in years), the noise is much more clear. And I have to admit it's kind of cool. An old student of mine made the partially game-winning last sack, cited by ESPN as the "It was over when . . ." of the game. For example.

But on the way back home last night, around midnight, I saw the glow of the stadium against the low-lying clouds and all I could think was "light pollution." So I suppose that football fever hasn't really caught me, quite.

On the way back from the movie today, the clouds had lifted some. The top of Mount Nittany was visible again, and things still seemed quiet. Happy Valley's sleeping extra late.