Miller Bird Refuge

For a class, a group of friends and I hopped on a bus and went to the Harvard Yale neighborhood. We got lost trying to find it (and then as we came out of the Refuge we found out that the spot where we got off was the true entrance of the park). However, it was a beautiful place! Especially since it was all decked out in fall colors and the leaves blanketed the paths.

We were right next to Red Butte Creek, and the stream gurgled very happily the entire time. 

You know, despite being called the Miller Bird Refuge, we only heard birds the last fourth of our walk. A friend speculated it was because the birds had all gone south, if they knew what was good for them.

I took a ton of pictures. My mind was actively working the entire time we were there. I'm writing a story, and this seems like a perfect place to draw inspiration from. I think I'll come back here at one point and take some time to write. This is an absolutely gorgeous place in the fall. I want to see it in winter, spring, and summer. I also want to go back with my boyfriend, N. It seems like the perfect little retreat, and, because I know that he enjoys nature as much as I do, he will appreciate the beauty of this place. 

A place I'd like to sit and write.

There were very few animals. Only in the last half or so of the walk did we hear birds chirping or see a snake. A snake! My roommate screamed and ran forward, but when we saw the snake, it was this little thing, not a cobra. He was such a cutie, but the only guy in the group went to grab it (probably to see what kind of snake it was), and the poor thing freaked out and tumbled down the hill. I've never seen a snake tumble down a hill. It was a little sad.

Near the actual 'entrance', there was a random lamp post. I immediately yelled "NARNIA!" and decided I should come back in winter (after it snows) to see how the lamp post looks. I'll definitely take a picture of it then. 

The Harvard Yale neighborhood is actually on the class list for the next walkabout, and I really want to go to this neighborhood. It has gorgeous architecture, and I'm honestly in love with the style. I've always imagined my future to be in a house of a similar design. Brick, quaint, and cute, with ivy on the sides and a nice enough yard to have a garden. Some of the houses were one story, some were two. They all had the same style, but the design was just different enough from house to house that it didn't seem cookie cutter at all! Much different from my neighborhood in Nevada. 

Aren't they beautiful? Someone did bring up a good point, though. She loves these houses, but she probably wouldn't be able to live in them because they're so small. In my opinion, I'd stay in the smaller houses initially, but when my family grows, a slightly larger house (like the first two) would be best. But having to clean a two story house sounds like a lot of work... Let's see, shall we? These is the kind of house I see myself in, living with my husband, two dogs, and my kids, while gardening and being very peaceful. I'm idealizing my life, I know. But what a life that would be.