It's Fall again!

I don't know why, but every Fall I feel like I need to go around and take a million pictures of the leaves. This year is no different, though I will say I have different scenery than normal since we've moved. The Fall colors at our old house were always amazing, but it's been nice going around Kent and seeing some more, particularly in the parks. I'm hoping if we have some sun tomorrow I can get some pictures at Sand Run Metro Park in Akron. I've driven past it on the way from my after-school job to rehearsal and the colors and scenery I can see from the road are just amazing!! Sand Run is in northern Akron right on the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley, so it really doesn't feel like Ohio or even Akron at all! Unfortunately, I am already running late when I am normally driving past it, so no time to stop. Tomorrow, however, I don't have rehearsal so I hope the weather cooperates. For now, though, I have gotten quite a few pictures around Kent. I've always enjoyed Fall, not only the colors but the weather too. I didn't really appreciate the color and season here until I lived out west in Arizona, New Mexico, and Idaho for the better part of 5 years and really missed it all. There was some color in Ruidoso and in Idaho, but nothing even remotely close to what we have just here in Kent, not to mention around the area. Just the short drive from Kent to Akron along I-76 is full of color. I uploaded all of these and more on Facebook, so if you've already seen them, sorry! If you haven't, check out my Facebook album "Fall 2009" if you're on Facebook.

This is looking down in my current neighborhood. Yeah, I guess it's now "my" neighborhood, but I still don't feel like it's "mine" ya know?

These are both from a tree in front of Central School on North Mantua Street...pretty cool huh?!?

Earl Avenue in Kent...I just kind of saw it while walking and was like...WOW!

This is my favorite park in Kent, the Franklin Mills Riveredge Park downtown. This is where I got the picture of myself that's at the top of the page.

I took most of the pictures Sunday, October 25, but went back Monday to get more when the sun was at a better angle. This one above was taken on the 26th, looking south from the Main Street Bridge downtown Kent.

Looking north along the Cuyahoga from the Main Street Bridge

I am hoping to go back and get another shot of this when there is more sunlight, though I am still happy how it came out. Looking at the old 1875 train depot from under the Main Street Bridge.

Another view from under the bridge on the 26th...you can see I took these earlier in the afternoon and with way more sunlight than the ones on the 25th.

Looking up from Heritage Park, which is right below the Main Street Bridge adjacent to Riveredge Park.

Looking north from the Haymaker Parkway (SR 59) bridge. I had to fit the camera between a very small opening in the chain-link fence that lines the bridge. It's a much tighter fence than a typical chain-link fence.

These two are from the same tree in Tannery Park, which connects to Riveredge Park on the south end. I came in the park and couldn't miss this tree which is seemingly on fire! Tannery Park is on the site of an old tannery that was initially run by Zenas Kent and famous abolitionist John Brown in the late 1830s when Brown lived in Kent (which was then called Franklin Mills).

This is also at Tannery Park. I took a picture the first day I was there but it was overexposed, so I went back the next day and got this from a different angle...I loved how the leaves are pink! The small shelter there was made out of wood from the tannery when it was torn down in 1976.

My grandpa Derby got a picture of this tree at the corner of Crain and Elmwood last year and it was even more red. I found out red leaves are a sign of acid in the soil! Thanks Kirsten!

These are the stairs leading up to the Auditorium Building (now Cartwright Hall) in the Front Campus section of Kent State. In the winter, this is part of a wonderful sledding area! :)

So in case you haven't noticed, I LOVE Kent, especially in the Fall. There aren't many places that can top Ohio in the Fall or the East/Midwest in general for that matter in my humble opinion. :)

I have a placement!

Well, with all the BAD news I've been getting this week, it's nice to finally have some good news. I found out today I will do my student teaching at Southeast Middle School with the choir director/general music teacher. The Southeast Local School District is a rural district located in Palmyra Township and covers all or most of 5 townships in southeastern Portage County (hence the name "Southeast"). It is about a 25 minute drive from my house to the school. All of the district's schools are located in the same general area. I know several people from the area since it is part of our ward (congregation), so that is a plus.

Anyway, Tuesday when I was observing that teacher's general music classes I got a call from the principal of Southeast Middle School letting me know he'd received a letter from Kent State about me student teaching and that he'd like to visit with me. Well, how convenient that I was already in the building when he called! I called him back between classes and he came and talked to me during the 8th grade class. He was OK with me coming there, but wanted me to talk to the teacher and see what he thought about it. The teacher didn't have the time to talk right then, so when after I observed his classes again today, we talked briefly and he said he was OK with it. At this point, that means I can start observing on a more regular basis and start having more of a role than just being in the background watching. The MAT is designed to allow the student teacher to observe in the classroom they will student teach in so that the students aren't totally surprised by the student teacher come January. In the general music classes that won't be the case since they change every nine weeks, but not so with the choirs. I'm not sure how much I'll take on as a student teacher (he also teaches a 5th grade choir at the intermediate school), but I'm excited. This teacher is highly respected and thought of by students and colleagues alike and he's been teaching for 31 years. I actually met him this past Friday night when I attended the Roosevelt vs. Southeast football game at Southeast (Roosevelt won 42-0 =)). After the game I saw some people from church that go to Southeast and they introduced me to him.

I'm just glad I have a place to go now so I can get the work done required for this semester. As part of our 100 hours of observations, we have to attend certain meetings and meet with certain people. The nice thing is that our observation time isn't just the time we're sitting in the classroom, but the time we're at the school in pretty much any capacity. So that game I went to on Friday? Well, since Southeast is my school now, it counts in my hours. Hurray! I'm also excited since I already know a few people at Southeast, both students and workers. One of my friends from church works at the primary school and her best friend is the secretary at the middle school. Turns out I already know the secretary as she came with us when my friend took my sister and me to an Indians game a few weeks ago. Of course my three current piano students are all at Southeast, with one at the middle school, plus one of my former students from my days as a teacher in Primary (children's Sunday School) at church is in the 7th grade choir. So, it's not totally familiar like going to Roosevelt or Stanton would be, but not completely foreign or new either. That's good for learning new ideas and ways of doing things; broadening my horizons as a teacher!

In other news, though the calendar said Fall started back around September 20, after today it is OFFICIALLY Fall here as I put the basement windows back in and closed them, turned on the furnace, and just took my window air conditioner out and put my screen back in. NOW it is Fall! After the house got down to like 60 degrees this morning and into the afternoon, it was time! Of course the weather has a few more nice days ahead, but doesn't look like anything that warm. I know Fall has arrived for sure when I have to do the window rounds! The same goes for Summer when I open them and take the storm windows off!