Autumn on the Michigan-Flint Campus

It was a beautiful October day today, and I couldn't resist enjoying the day and getting some nice shots of the turning leaves. Whoever said there isn't anything nice about Flint obviously never stepped foot on the UM-F campus!

This was my first shot and my favorite of all of them! UM-F is known as the "Riverfront Campus" because it sprawls along the Flint River. This is an eastward look at the river from a footbridge linking the two sides of campus.

Another look east... the footbridge's rails were so high I was afraid I'd drop my camera in the river!

Looking west now, with some view of the campus and other sites of downtown Flint, most noticeably the infamous Citizen's Bank weather ball in the distance. In nice weather, I love to walk along the river!

Directly in to the sunset.

I just saw this bit of leaves intertwined with the pine and I thought it was pretty neat.

The last bit of surviving summer flowers, and a plaque I had never noticed before!

A close up of the plaque, after I figured out how to use my camera's "text" function.

I have no idea what these berries are but I thought they were pretty! Darn the wind for making my shot blurry!

The rose garden... looking pretty bare after a few good frosts.

There are these pillar things all over campus, and they're pretty much just for sororities and fraternities to announce themselves to passersby.

I just found this to be funny that even our fire hydrants must be painted maize and blue. Everything screams Wolverine in these parts. :)

This is lovingly referred to as the "psychedelic acid trip fingerprint" by students. They built this plaque/monument thing I believe in 2005, to celebrate the Flint campus' 50th birthday. It was supposed to represent a "new identity in to the millennium." Um, yeah, we just refer to it as the acid trip.

The light didn't reveal how gorgeous these gold leaves were in person!

The corner of Kearsley and Harrison... I just took this shot because I've stood at this corner many, many times waiting to cross to get lunch at the University Pavilion.

The same corner... kind of the "skyline" of the city.

These flags are spaced about 20 feet apart on the parameters of campus... which means you see a LOT of them wherever you are downtown.

Christmas!

This is our fireplace and mantle... it was very festive! :) My mom decorated the top with decorative sugared fruit garland, and replica vintage tin Christmas signs. LOL Of course, my mom handmade the stockings as well. :)

Our Christmas tree! This was before the gifts were torn in to! It's artificial, but my mom thinks it looks nearly real.

I don't know what you call this except to say the cornerpiece? On the bottom shelf, the Bavarian house was actually a clock, and on the hour it plays various Christmas songs, and little Bavarian musicians come poking out of the windows.

Right next to the tv, my mom loves these white angels and white Christmas tree.

This was the "swag" garland hanging in the archway of the dining room.

This is the buffet, with more sugared fruit garland. I didn't even think to get a close up!

My mom's beloved white Christmas tree... I'm not a huge fan of white trees, but I think they're cute in minature size. To the left my mom has a vintage-y looking Santa, and to the right a carosel horse my dad proudly picked out, and a wreath :)

The little tree at a different angle.

The little tree all lit up with the lights off, but a bit blurry.

This is the chandelier/candelabra thing hanging in the dining room, my mom decorated it with red and gold ribbons, and sugared fruit, and little sugared fruit wreaths around the lights.

A close up. This was probably my favorite of all the decor.

My own little stab at decorating, not as sophisticated as my mother's, but cute for my bedroom.

All lit up at night before I went to bed on Christmas Eve. :)

A close up on my little tree, I love the miniature Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer ornaments I got at Target!

A more candid shot of me and my sis goofing off with my camera.

Tiff's 25th birthday cake :) I made it (from the box) and it tasted really good! It was "strawberry supreme" cake, with cream cheese frosting.