Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy: The "Beauty in the Nittany Hills" Story

View of the sundial at the Arboretum.

It was an ordinary day. Standing in "The Arboretum At Penn State" checking to see how accurate the sundial sculpture may be. The stone sculpture is just beautiful in itself, but to think that it is actually functional is just amazing. Didn't even know that it was a sundial until I walked through the stones and saw the unusual colored markings on many of the stones. It was at that point that I realized the shadow being cast by the dominate stone pillar was giving me the time of day. A small plate nearby told that the sundial was sculpted by Mark Mennin and was made possible by a gift from a Penn State alumnus, Dr. Joel N. Myers who founded AccuWeather. The granite sculpture had to be installed using sophisticated technical knowledge and surveying skill.

Another view of the sundial. The shadow tell the time.

The plate nearby explains the procedure for telling the time. This sundial was one of many interesting features of the Smith Botanical Garden. A $10 million gift from alumnus Charles H. Smith helped to fund the first phase of the gardens which is becoming not only a local attraction, but a regional one. Our friends Jerry and Just Sue, who live in State College, PA, hosted us for the weekend and thought we may enjoy the visit to the arboretum. It is the perfect addition for a school that sports a top-notch agricultural program. The garden is in the building phases and will encompass 29.5 acres of gardens as well as 340 acres of landscaped and restored woodlands. Perfect touch to a campus that is being covered with building after building. I have included some of my photos to illustrate the many offerings that are currently in the gardens. After the photos is a video titled - Explaining the science behind: "What time is it." We missed many of the blooming trees and flowers, but did get to see many other blooms and a variety of shrubs and trees. The Arboretum At Penn State provided a walk through nature. Will have to return in the fall to see how much the garden has to offer during another season. Hope you enjoy my visual journey from Penn State. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.