Kate Townsend's little book

While I was helping Rob and Betsey put their books in order, I ran across another family treasure: a little book created by Betsey's great-grandmother, Kate Townsend (Shirley's mother's mother) when she was twelve years old (which would have been in 1880 in Harrisville, NH). We don't have and photos of Kate Townsend when she was twelve that I know of, but here is one of her as a young woman, age 20. Her husband, Josiah Langley, was a studio photographer by trade, and this is a formal portrait made in his studio in Manchester, NH.

Kate Townsend Langley, age 20

The book is a creative writing exercise book for a child: It contains about 30 pictures, and opposite each picture is a blank page on which the child is invited to compose an original story based on the picture. Kate has faithfully filled in every page with a story. This is a great idea, and I'm a little surprised that I have never seen a similar kind of book made for children today. Have you?

Here is the cover of the book:

And a detail showing Kate's autograph:

Twelve-year-old Kate Townsend's autograph

 And here is the first picture:

And the story that accompanied it:

Kate's story

The publisher intended the child who completed all 30 stories in this book to submit it to a contest, they would be judged and the top three entrants would receive cash prizes. Those who did not win would have their books returned. Maybe Kate submitted hers, but did not win.

Marlboro Music Festival

We're at a rehearsal at Marlboro. We just heard a wonderful rendering of Mozart's Serenade in B-flat Major for wind ensemble. And now they're about to start the Bartok Divertimento. What a treat!

The BioFrontiers Institute

Rob's new job as Dean of the College of Music is exciting, but Betsey is also going to have what sounds like a very interesting job as well - she will be doing her accustomed work as a fund-raiser/grant-writer for the College of Engineering and the BioFrontiers Institute. She doesn't know yet exactly what her job description will be, or exactly what building she will be located in, but there is a very good chance that her office will be in the new Jessie Smoly Caruthers BioFrontiers Institute Building which is quite a marvel, and the Institute's work is on the front line of bio-medical technology. Here is a brief description of the Institute:

-->

BioFrontiers drives innovation without boundaries

At the University of Colorado BioFrontiers Institute, researchers from the life sciences, physical sciences, computer science and engineering are working together to uncover new knowledge at the frontiers of science, and partnering with industry to make their discoveries relevant.

The BioFrontiers Institute is uniquely defined both by our excellent faculty, research and leadership, and by the scientific and geographical ecosystem that empowers our work.

BioFrontiers has a unique “frontier” culture that allows our researchers to explore new areas of bioscience by leveraging the resources and talents across the institute and across the university system. The Institute integrates faculty members from nine academic departments, allowing them to work across disciplines. These departments include:

• Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
• Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
• Physics
• Integrative Physiology
• Applied Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Chemical and Biological Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Two areas of research that the BioFrontiers Institute is involved in right now that sound very interesting are in the genetics of Downs Syndrome and the "Gut Project" - a major study of 3,000 persons and the trillions of microorganisms that occupy each of their bodies!

The building has been designed to encourage the cross-fertilization of ideas and research among various departments and research staff.

And here is the building - it's exciting to think Betsey will be working here (whether her office is located in this building or not, she'll certainly be spending time in it):

Jessie Caruthers BioFrontiers Building (professional photo)

Same building, different view, my photo

More on Boulder

At the moment, I'm sitting in the Amtrak station in La Plata, MO. The train was supposed to arrive at 9:55am, but it is two hours and fifteen minutes late. I knew that it was going to be late - Amtrak sent an email. But Katie had to bring me first thing to the station because she has to drive to St. Louis, MO today to attend bachelorette party for a wedding that she will be a bridesmaid in later this month. So she needed to be on her way. But I have my computer, there is WiFi here, I have books - no problem! I was going to meet Maggie and Jerry for an early supper at Union Station between my arrival from La Plata and departure for Albany (normally a 6-hour layover), but I called them, and we've decided not to try to do it this time.

So let me fill in some of the details of my trip to Boulder, First, some additional scenes of Rob and Betsey's house:

View from the south side

From the south-west

View with remnants of the Fourmile Canyon fire in 2010

Living room - still in relative chaos. Note wood fireplace stove

It sounds like the plan is to rent this house for a few years while they get a sense of the local real estate market. If they like it, they might stay here quite a while. The rent is a lot less than it would be in Boulder, which is quite expensive.

Thursday noon we went into Boulder to look around. We had lunch at a popular eatery, Breadworks, where we had paninas.

Breadworks Restaurant, Boulder, CO

We also walked around the U of Colorado campus. The Music Building was surrounded by construction, and Rob doesn't have keys yet, so we couldn't see his office, but we went into Mackey Auditorium where some of his College of Music rehearsals and concerts will be held:

Mackey Auditorium, University of Colorado

Thursday evening we took a short drive - about fifteen minutes - further up Sunshine Canyon Road to the little town of Gold City, where we had supper at the Gold City Inn, a rustic, quaint old log cabin with very nice meals. It is a fixed-price meal, either 3-courses or 6-courses. I choose the 3-course meal: appetizer (Mexican fish salad), entree (broiled trout) and dessert (rhubarb pie). Betsey choose the 6-course and had the same appetizer, chilled melon soup, a very nice salad, an entree of broiled salmon, dessert (flourless-chocolate cake), and cheese and fruit (a very nice assortment - all of which she shared). Katie and Rob had filet mignon. It was all very good.

Gold City Inn

The bar at Gold City Inn

At the table, Gold City Inn

A long drive

Katie and I drove from Boulder, CO to Columbia, MO today- a 780-mile trip! We left the Shay house in Boulder at 6am, and arrived at my motel in Columbia at 10pm. A long day, but it went well, we traded off driving each time we stopped for a break, and we had a good time. Gertie (Katie's dog) was very good the whole trip. Weather was fine. Tomorrow she'll pick me up in the a.m. and take me to La Plata, MO for a 9:55a.m. Amtrak train to Chicago. I had a very nice stay with the Shays in Boulder, helped  bit with getting settled in from their move, got a sense of what their life will be like in Boulder.

Off to bed!