Scenes of Indiana: Summer Edition

I don't think I've actually come out and said this yet, but the reason I've been doing the "Scenes of Indiana" series is because Indiana looks very different from my hometown. Despite Ferskner's protestations, Utah really is a desert (or at least, a semi-arid steppe climate). While some may say Utah's lack of green isn't pretty, I must confess that I like it. It's home.

Being in Indiana has been a real change for me. I have never seen so many green living things in one place before. I was actually kind of claustrophobic when I first got here because the trees were towering over me everywhere I looked. Now of course I love it here. Bloomington is aptly named. (I think it might help that I live in Southern Indiana, which is not as flat and corn field-spotted as the rest of the state.) As much as I'll enjoy being back with my family and in the mountains again (in three weeks' time!), I'm going to miss the dramatic changes in season that happen here. I'm also going to miss the pure delights of summer. So, without more ado, let's see what Indiana looks like in the summer, shall we?

Hands down, my favorite part of Indiana in the summer is the fireflies. I love taking a walk at dusk and seeing hundreds of twinkling lights floating all around me. I'd never seen a firefly before I came here, and that makes the experience even more magical. Of course, it's rather hard to take a picture of a firefly because they're so small and it's so dark when they come out. That didn't stop me from trying. This is a picture of the moon and a tree full of fireflies.


As you can see, I don't have the right kind of camera to take this kind of photo. I'm going to have to ask you to imagine being surrounded by dozens of floating twinkling lights. It's truly magical.

I also mentioned how green Southern Indiana is, but here's proof. This is one of my favorite areas on campus, which is made up mostly of trees, paths, and a drainage ditch called the Jordan River.


This is actually the same area, it's just the main path I use most days.


Another shot of the greenery, this time as seen in this nice little park-like area right next to the main library on campus.


Really, between these three shots, you're seeing about all you need to see. Southern Indiana is this green and this tree-filled wherever you look. However, there were a few other pictures I took and a few landmarks on campus that I haven't posted before, so I'm going to do that now.

One of the places on campus that I like a lot, even though I'm not there often, is this artsy square. You can't tell it from the picture, but on the right is the Lilly Library, which holds a lot of rare manuscripts and has a lot of interesting things to see. Straight ahead is the auditorium, where a lot of touring shows and guest speakers come. Control and I saw Sweeney Todd here. To the left is the School of Fine Arts, which includes an art gallery of student work, with a lovely art museum right next door. I like the idea of all of these modes of artistic expression being in the same place.


If one is talking about fountains, one must include the fountain by the music school.


I don't remember how the grounds were decorated last year, but this year campus is sporting a lot of the school's cream and crimson.

And here's a shout-out to Control, who likes the pepper plants.

I'm also including this picture because there are lilies all over Bloomington, not just on campus. In fact, during the Spring I kept pointing to a seemingly empty flower bed and asking Control what kind of plant she thought was growing there and why it wasn't blooming yet. Turns out it was waiting for Summer to show its true colors.


So there you have it! Summer in Indiana. I must warn you, the greenery comes at a price. It's very humid here. My hair is the curliest it's ever been. But the scenery's worth it, I think.