Easy arrival

I took a different route to Montpelier this time. I flew from Des Moines to Hartford, Conn. and then rented a car. I did all my checking in online so getting through the airport in Des Moines and picking up my car in Hartford was easy.

I'm driving a VW Rabbit, which was a lucky choice because that little car has some get-up-and-go for the hills. It was about a 3-hour drive, practically straight north, hilly and tree lined the whole way. The roads were dry, traffic was light, and the day was gorgeous--sunny and low 40s.

Everyone else staying in Martin House (literally a house on campus that sleeps 6) was already there when I arrived, so they'd already chosen their rooms. They saved me an excellent room--in the back where it's quiet with a beautiful view of the woods and ravine behind the house.

The sun rises a little earlier here and sets a little sooner than where I live in central Iowa, so I was able to see where I was going when I went running this morning at 7. There was no breeze and the icy patches were easy to see, so although it was cool--probably 25 degrees--it felt great.

It's a thrill to be here for my last residency.