“Now, by great marshes wrapt in mist,
Or past some river’s mouth,
Throughout some long, still autumn day,
Wild birds are flying south.”
By Wilfred Campbell

Hubby and I have noticed birds, in chevron formation, flying south as we look skyward. Every once in a while, we see birds flying north. Hubby always says that they need a compass. Hubby also took in all the tomatoes just before the temps went below 32 degrees. He pulled out the poles that were supporting the tomato vines before they froze in the ground. He also cut the heads off the tall sunflower plants down the side of the house. He asked me to hold one of the heads. My hands struggled to hold it under the weight of the plant as he took several photos. It was 14 inches across. I never saw a sunflower head so big. He will save the seeds from that head and will plant them next spring. We still have a few hardy geraniums hanging in pots from the roof of the porch.

On Halloween, we got our candy ready by the front door. Only a few of our neighbors stayed out on their porches all evening to greet the little kids in their costumes because it was quite cold. I grabbed a cup of hot coffee and sat sipping the coffee while most of the children came to our street. I always overestimate the number of kids so I have about 20 Tootsie Pops left. I enjoyed seeing our neighbor Maureen in her terrific Donald Duck costume. Her niece Channel came with Maureen and she was dressed as Minnie Mouse. Walt Disney would have been proud of them. They both looked great.

On Thurs., Oct. 13, Hubby and I were invited to meet Robert Caret, the man chosen to be the new president of the University of Massachusetts system. Gail Hobin and Phil Carver, both from the university, greeted us as we walked into the room at the IBEW Hall. We laughed when Phil told us that he had put a reserved sign on one of the tables for us. We had a chance to chat with Phil’s brother Andrew at the reception.

We discovered that the new president of the UMass system was ending a four-day bus trip, during which he visited all five universities in the Massachusetts system. This was his final stop. While we were waiting for Pres. Caret, Chancellor Keith Motley, from UMass-Boston, joined our group. He was having such a good time with our group that he had to keep reminding himself that he had to attend another UMassBoston function that same evening. I understand that WBZ’s talk show host Dan Rea was at the other function. I heard Dan mention he was going earlier in the week on his radio program.

While we were at the IBEW Hall to welcome the new president, our pal Margaret Brett Hastings was taking a great many terrific photos of the new president with the people attending. We saw Carney Hospital’s Bill Walczak speaking with Pres. Caret. Hubby and I even had our photo taken with the new president. Our friend from St. Christopher’s Church, Fr. George Carrigg, sat with us at the “RESERVED” table for quite a while. We began speaking of Canada. Hubby and I mentioned how much we enjoyed Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia on our trip to the Maritime Provinces with the Castle Island Association years ago. Fr. George visits Nova Scotia fairly often with his ministry. As the evening progressed, we decided we had better get home. It was a long day. We said our goodbyes to Gail and to Phil and walked to the parking area with Fr. George. It was very nice to have met the new president of the UMass System, Robert Caret.

On Tues., Nov. 1, Hubby and I were delighted to attend the inauguration of Pres. Caret at the John F. Kennedy Library. When we entered the Stephen Smith Room, we were welcomed by Gail Hobin. We took seats near the back of the hall. All the “big wigs” were in the front. We just happened to sit in the row with Gail herself. Pat O’Neill also joined us. We were treated to a wonderful guitar solo (his own composition) by Peter Janson. Gail whispered in my ear, “He is one of our faculty members.” Peter is actually a Senior Lecturer in the Performing Arts Dept. at UMassBoston. Then UMassLowell’s Air Force ROTC presented the colors. There was a long procession of faculty members from all five campuses of the UMass System. We spotted Chancellor Motley and Dr. Michael Collins from UMass Medical School in Worcester in the procession.

A member of the Class of 2013 from UMass-Dartmouth, Kristine Chylinski, sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” beautifully. Reverend Adrienne Berry-Burton, from UMassBoston’s campus ministry, delivered words of inspiration. Among the other dignitaries who spoke at the inaugural were Gov. Deval Patrick, Mayor Thomas Menino, Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray, Pres. of the Mass. State Senate Therese Murray, and Speaker of the Mass. House of Representatives Robert DeLeo. Gov. Patrick, along with James Karam, the chairman of the Boston of Trustees of the UMass system, presented Pres. Caret with the symbols of his office. (He is the 26th president of UMass.) Following the investiture, Pres. Caret gave a wonderful inaugural address. When the ceremony ended, the dignitaries filed out to the “Theme from Star Trek-The Next Generation.” We smiled.

After the inaugural ceremony in the Smith Room, we all went down to the reception on the lower lever of the library, which Hubby and I call “The Flag Room,” where the huge American flag hangs from the ceiling. This room was filled with people. We found Gail Hobin and spoke with her. Mary Ellen Collins, the wife of the former Chancellor of UMass-Boston, Dr. Michael Collins, came over to chat. She told me all about their children. She also told me that she and Dr. Collins have left Boston and have moved to the Worcester area because he is now the head of the UMass Medical School there. Since Hubby had attended the Boston Teachers’ Retirees’ luncheon, held earlier that day, we did not stay too long at the reception. On our way out, we saw Chancellor Motley. We didn’t detain him because he is always surrounded by people and told him that we would see him on Sunday at the Boston State College’s annual fall luncheon.

On our way out, Hubby and I took the elevator to the main floor of the library. As we exited from the elevator, we began looking out toward the ocean through the glass walls of the building. What a beautiful sight! Hubby had even taken photos of the water downstairs earlier in the afternoon. Just as we got off the elevator, I spotted Dr. Collins just a few feet away. He came over to us and asked if I was still writing for the newspaper. I answered in the affirmative. I told him that I had seen and chatted with his wife Mary Ellen downstairs. We were so happy to speak with him. As we walked out of the library, we saw that quite a few people had already left but there were still many cars remaining in the parking lot. The inaugural was a great occasion. We were happy to be able to attend the ceremony.

At the Bayside Office Center, where our newspaper office is located, Peter Tousignant, our friend who mans the front desk so well, is now sporting a big smile. He and his wife Judy became grandparents when Alaina Davi Franklin was born on Oct. 18. Alaina, who arrived two weeks early and weighed in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces, is the daughter of Peter and Judy’s daughter Amy and Josh Franklin. The other proud grandparents are Tammi and Jeff Franklin. If you ask Peter about the baby, I am sure he will show you Alaina’s latest photo. She is a cutie!

Daughter Sue called late one evening last week. “Mom, the Christmas music has already begun on Ch. 533 (the Sounds of the Seasons Channel) on Boston’s Comcast Cable. I turned on the channel the following morning and heard Jack Jones singing. I also heard one carol by one of my favorite orchestras, the David Rose Orchestra. When I was a kid, I got up very early each Sunday morning to hear a one half-hour program of just Rose’s Orchestra’s music. I love all the info about Christmas that the channel shows on the screen while the music is playing. Sue and I figure that the Christmas music began on Nov. 1, when the Halloween music ended.

On the eve of All Saints’ Day, Hubby and I were trying to find an early Mass that afternoon because we wanted to be home before the children started to arrive before dark. Cousins Margie and Janet came to our rescue by telling us that the Sacred Heart Church on Hancock Street in Quincy was going to have a 4 p.m. Mass that afternoon. Hubby, daughter Sue, and I were in the car before 3:45 p.m. to get to the church on time. Of course, we didn’t know a soul in church, or so we thought. When we stood up to go to Communion, who was standing in the line about five people behind us., but Carol DeSouza from UMassBoston. She gave us all a big hug. At the end of Mass, I went over to see Carol. She brought me over to meet the pastor of the church, Rev. John W. O’Brien. I thanked him for having the early Mass on Halloween with the little children coming so early for their trick or treat candy.

Daughter Sue would definitely agree with this quote from Oscar Wilde: “Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.”