A good start to the semester

Ah, the beginning of term. All those new students to meet (and this semester, all but five of my students are first-timers for me), new class activities, and this time around, even two new preparations: a composition support lab and a children's literature course for (mostly) pre-service teachers. I even have two brand-new books (and I'm book nerd enough to still love being the first person to open a book and smell that new-book smell, so distinct from that of an old book).

Of course, some semesters get off to a bad start: students who don't show up; students who don't have their books; in the case of support classes, sometimes students who are actively hostile. This week brought none of that, although one international student mixed up her days and came to the wrong session, two people got lost and were late, and one lab student did grumble a bit. Other than those minor glitches, though, the opening days of all classes ran smoothly. A good start to the week and the term.

Then, during yesterday's drive home, a pileated woodpecker winged its way across Route 47 and landed on a roadside utility pole, affording me a good look at its magnificent wing bars and red crest. An unexpected view of my favorite woodpecker is a highlight of any day.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Let's hope the rest of the term is as good as its first two days.