Dog Days of Summer

We are officially in the dog days of summer and yet if feels like fall in State College. Over the weekend I replaced some of my summer flowers with heartier fall varieties and I have brought out my favorite PSU sweatshirt for the cool evenings. It seems a bit early to feel like fall. For the past three years I have written big grants in August and September so perhaps I just don't remember what it is like to notice the summer to fall transition.

Simon and I have been enjoying the quiet days of State College before all of the students return. Each year 50,000 students come back in August and the town resumes it's college town feel. The traffic picks up, parents and their college students crowd local stores buying just about everything in site, it is difficult to get a table in restaurants, and the nightlife downtown picks up (something in itself that is fun to watch as an observer). During the last few weeks it has been funny watching the new graduate and international students arrive and find their way around town. Our trips to our favorite grocery store Wegmans are always entertaining for people watching this time of year.

We have have been spending our evenings this week watching the Olympics! Great stuff but I stay up too late! I will say that I don't really understand synchronized diving, but the swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, and track and field are always a favorite. Today I convinced my subject to watch Olympic coverage during my 5 hour experiment. Gotta love local heating experiments!