Olds College, Alberta, during Fibre Week

While things are burning up near home, I've been on the road teaching. It's good to be distracted by the places I've been, and the good company I've had there. Last week I taught at the first few days of Olds College Fibre Week: a two-day workshop on wool types, and then a half-day session on how to buy fleeces.

In each case, I met (or, in some cases, re-met) wonderful people who were delightful to spend time with: both participants in the workshops and fellow workshop leaders.

I don't have photos of the rooms or fibers we worked with, because although I ignored the fire reports while I was teaching, I did check them on every break, despite occasionally flaky wireless reception where I was staying. One evening, I walked to the main building to get enough wireless signal to get current information, wishing that I could blow the rain that was falling on my head southward, across the 1200 or so miles to Colorado, where it's so sorely needed.

Although I can't send the rain to douse the fires, I can send photos, and hope they help the spirits of those who are there with a thought of cool and damp weather.

The Olds campus is a beautiful oasis, thanks to the strong horticultural program.

This is the view from the front door of the four-dorm-room townhouse in which I stayed, shared with Michelle Boyd and Donna Druchunas, who were excellent housemates. To get to the  buildings where we were teaching, I walked straight down that path in front of this doorway to reach the other side of campus.

At the other side of the parking lot by the trees in the back of the photo above, I came to this, which was kind of a back entrance to the main building where the market was (along with the more reliable internet connections). I love the contrast of the mechanical systems and that lovely bunch of flowers.

A little farther along, my path passed among beautiful trees and shrubs, including lilacs, which surprised me with their scent every time I walked by them.

There were flowers everywhere, including these hanging baskets outside the Animal Science building.

Near where the workshops were held, there was this gazebo, with more hanging baskets, and (out of sight) a rose garden.

The following structure, with its floral adornments, was right outside the room where I taught. We could have seen it during the workshop except that we had to keep the shades down; the floor in that space was so well polished that if we didn't, the glare made spinning impossible! But I could enjoy this blooming abundance every time I went to or from the workshop space.

The building I taught in is on the left in this photo, and the location of most of the other workshops (and a main gathering place, and registration) was in the Land Sciences Building, directly ahead on the path, and on the right in the following photo.

There were a lot more special gardens that I didn't have time to explore. The ones that I did have a chance to experience were a blessing.

The best part, of course, was the people I got to visit and explore wools with, but I don't have any photos of them!

Comments

[L.M. Cunningham]

Well, I'm glad you at least had fun there -- it is a lovely campus, isn't it? -- although I wish I could have adjusted my life to have been there.