The Squire and I drove over to College Park to watch one of our granddaughters graduate from University of Maryland. She had originally wanted to be a vet, but changed her major to Environmental Policy – or something. My friends call me the “recycling queen”, but Jess has me beat by a mile. She got her Bachelor Degree in Environmental Science and Policy Laws. with a concentration in Wildlife Ecology and Management.
The University of Maryland was founded as an agricultural college – animal husbandry, crop and field studies (improving the soil and what sort of stuff to plant for the area), avian improvement, and the like. Over the years it has expanded its scope, offering every imaginable course, including medicine. The courses on crop and field studies offer a degree in golf course management! And, presumably, a job at Mar-a-lago.
This photo of Jessica captures her spirit exactly! Pretty, funny, great with kids and animals, smart as whip, and a little bit crazy. (What can I 
say? She likes to climb cliffs.)
During the ceremony, we heard a siren, and several cell phone began to chirp. The Dean looked a bit startled, and then announced “We have a tornado warning.” Please follow the staff to the lower level auditorium.” And so we did. And then we did it all in reverse. Actually, the crowd was so large that only half of us had gotten out before the warning was lifted, so we just returned to our seats. A ceremony that should have lasted one hour dragged on for two.
And there was another one scheduled behind us. Running late before it even got started.
And we didn’t get a drop of rain at home.
thisendoftheswamp 