If you don’t have kids at the Weston Public High School, you might not know what a treasure the place is. No, I’m not talking about what happens inside the buidings–the physics and health classes, the lunchroom chaos, the daily life of being a student. I mean outside.

I spend a lot of time on the campus–my habit is to take Katie Puppy for a walk while waiting for one or both Owlets to be done with soccer or track or taking a makeup test or visiting Rizz, the athletic trainer. In the fall, the campus was exploding with action–field hockey teams, soccer, football, as well as tennis-playing town residents. The cross-country team would swerve to avoid me and Katie Puppy (always leashed on campus), and I would swerve to avoid gaggles of high school students talking and laughing as they headed to cars. Our usual walk took in the beautifully-cared-for Pastor Park, the bench dedicated to a local resident that overlooks the grass fields, up and over the view of Proctor football stadium and through the grass fields to the middle school. We would come back through the trails between the middle school and high school, Katie checking for moss bonkers in the culverts of Bogle Brook. It is a stunning campus in size and beauty. Not the buildings. Those are not good. The 60s and 70s were not good for architecture. Fight me if you feel differently. The campus, however, is a wonderful open space.

In early winter (or late fall if you are a stickler for dates), our walks are shorter. We usually take in the fishing pond, scare a few million Canada geese on the fields, and circumnavigate Proctor where a few cold-resistant track athletes practice outside all season long. “Indoor” track at the high school is hardcore since we have no indoor facilities. Even in the cold, there is always something going on–students rushing for a 4:30 bus, a glance from the dark into the lighted windows of the cafeteria shows small groups of students, or students alone, studying. The wildcat statue lifts its paw in greeting as the doors to the gym bust open– students leaving the weight room or the athletic trainer office. School buses come by on the late run, or to pick up or drop off the athletes from their away games. There is always action on the weekday afternoons–dark now at 4:15 pm. What many residents do not know is that the campus is one of the best places in Weston to catch a sunset. I should know–I have caught many there.

My Sunday gratitude is for the School campus and for the afternoon walks that entertain us. Go ‘cats.