Fall in Eugene

The fall season in Eugene was so beautiful. Kate and I were not expecting to see so much color, and such nice weather. It turned cold fast, and there were some really wonderful, crisp fall days and nights. The sunlight pops in and out of the clouds throughout the day, but the most beautiful scenes usually come in the early morning and late afternoon. The hue of the sky turns from grey to pink with all kinds of blues and oranges in between. Now as the winter approaches, and the overcast skies settle in, there is a grey cloud cover for most of the day. But it doesn't feel like a typical overcast sky because the density of the cloud coverage changes so frequently, that there is always a different hue of white light that can go from bland to brilliant at times. There is also a particularly nice feeling in the air when a fresh rain has slowed its pace, and the sun cuts through the clouds and opens up the sky. This has happened several times over the last few weeks,and generally lasts for a little while before the next pattern roles in.

Every couple of days I look outside the big windows at Lawrence Hall and stare at the different hues in the sky. It's a really nice break after you've been trapped at your desk for hours. Looking out on our balcony at the architecture studio, there were some great views of Eugene, with its dense variation of trees. We are bracing for the monotony of winter weather in Eugene, but the fall was certainly more than pleasant.