Walking around outside with my camera is something I love doing in my free time.  It’s a way for me to escape the pressures of work and fall into adventure. It also gives me time to recharge my social meter. Although I’m from the city, I’m no social butterfly. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being in crowded places unless I’m with a friend or two. In NYC you’re in a crowd of strangers on a daily basis. You could be on the train or standing in line at a café, and all of a sudden you’re trying to avoid eye contact with someone. That’s why I really appreciate living upstate. There are plenty of open fields for you to run through and scream in if you want to.

This past Father’s Day, God called me out on a stroll. I visited the meadow by the G.C.C.’s Nature Trail, where the Phi Theta Kappa bench sits, and the blackberry tree stands. I had a lens attached to my camera that could zoom out really far because I wanted to see a deer! But none pranced out as soon as I arrived so instead I enjoyed the little things. Like the blackberry tree, it looked magnificently out of place with bright red and purple beads of juice. I plucked the darkest looking one I could find and popped it in my mouth. So sweet!

I then noticed a pretty cool looking birdhouse near the edges of the woods. G.C.C. has tons of birdhouses around the campus. Have you ever spotted one? They’re here thanks to Joe Lullo, an Eagle Scout who donated his time to building them five years ago. (Thanks Joe!) But as I approached the birdhouse, I heard

alarms go off. The gentle and almost unnoticeable chirping of the birds became sharper and louder. I knew then that I was being watched, and that all of the hidden animals were being warned of my presence. I made fluid and natural movements from there on out, nothing jerky or threatening. I relaxed and took the pictures you see posted here.

Before heading back home, without having seen a deer, I revisited the blackberry tree and decided to tear off a hand-sized branch for my roommates. The branches of the tree hung low to the ground, and I was underneath them as they canopied over. While enjoying another berry, I heard a little scratching noise behind me so I peered over my shoulder. There was a squirrel in the tree, not too far from where I stood. And if he wanted to run along the branch and jump on me he could have done it in seconds. While I was trying to see if that’s what he intended to do, he got closer. So I turned on one foot, ducked out from under the branches, and dashed a few feet away from the tree. And that was how my little adventure ended.

After heading back home and sharing blackberries with my roommates, I got an appetite for more fruit. A friend of mine told me about a fresh foods market within walking distance from the dorms. I’ll be writing about it after we take a visit, so stay tuned for the next blog!