At first, it looked like a little pruning of the old oak trees around Tate Plaza. Later in the day, it was clear – they were going to be toppled, rotting from inside crews took advantage of the empty plaza during spring break.

It’s March 8 and the blueberry shubs are starting to bud. This isn’t normal.

Arriving at sunset for dinner with friends paid off in nice light – even a Cub Cadet looks good in golden light. (Says the guy who has a John Deere.)

On a quiet Friday afternoon just before break, I found a family wandering around the first floor. They’d done the university tour, but he was interested in Grady. The nickel tour is probably overpriced, but they were able to see the Newsource studio, even if the little brother wasn’t too impressed.

Never saw this before. We’ve had composting on campus for a few years, I think, but this is not the receptacle I’ve seen around.

We loaded up a university van with a bunch of students and hauled them up to Chattanooga for Photo Night. The conversations were nearly nonstop on the way up and back, plus one of my alums – Erin Smith – was a featured photographer this year.

This is how the day felt, just one big, messy blur from what should have been familiar surroundings.