Horticulture Day 1

There's nothing like a series of small and pleasant surprises to make you feel like the school year has started off on the right foot. Beginning last night, actually, when I remembered to check bus schedules and found that the fastest way to school was a route I hadn't even thought of. Left home at 8:10, caught bus at 8:23, and got to school at 8:45 - even including a transfer.

The Horticulture students have a building all to themselves, and in front of the building was a friendly cat. Who later strolled into the building, and was formally introduced to us Ginger. She seems to be the boss/supervisor/mascot of the department, and has the humans well trained, since one prof told us their real job was to let the cat in and out 40 times a day. I think I'll feel right at home with that!

The full class is only about 60 students, to be divided into 3 groups for some labs and classes. And there is a good mix of ages and styles, ranging from the expected younger ones to a few greying, and from the fashionable female to the mohawked male.

We had a brief tour of the grounds after our introductory lecture (I knit during the lecture and no-one protested. One of the students in my row even offered sheep fleeces. Excellent.) I remember someone mentioning the gardens at the College to me, but had never seen them. They're really very nice, especially considering that they get used for training students, and so likely get things dug up and moved around more often than might be ideal for a nice settled look. Most plants are tagged - although the interesting ones are usually the ones missing tags, a phenomenon also observed in Botanical Gardens - and there are shade gardens and vegetable gardens, and a formal garden, annuals, patios and pergolas and walkways, all built by the students. Soon that will be me!

I knew this was a co-op program, but for some reason thought it was 2 years. Turns out, no. Four school semesters, certainly, but packed into 16 months, with co-op jammed in next summer/fall. This is very good, financially speaking - I figured I could afford one year of school and would need assistance for the second, but if we essentially get a paying job next summer, I might just be able to swing it.

So after all that, to top off the day, I got my student card done, had a successful trip to the library - and it's raining! Lovely rain that's been on for almost 5 hours now, more than we've had in a month, I think.
Really, how much better could the first day of school get?