I only have ten minutes.
From March 18, 2008.
Yesterday it was really rainy. I was sitting in one of the academic buildings (VH) waiting for my class to open up. It was interesting to watch as people passed from inside to outside how they unfurled their umbrellas -- some with a flourish, some stiffly, some extended the telescope early, eager to snap the cloth into place, while others waited until the last moment -- as the doors swung shut and they were out -- to snap up their erect, blooming canopy. The sounds of all these snappings and shakings, and all the colors, were just breathtaking. I can still hear the sounds. I love the umbrella -- I love how sheltered it makes you feel as you head out into the drizzle, the downpour. I always think about those photos of people in cities with their umbrellas buttressing against one another. How beautiful that is, and how safe.
