Mirror Lake with illuminated fountain, just before dawn on a June morning.

Sweat bee (Agapostemon sp.) with heavy load of pollen visiting chickory in vacant lot prairie.

Raspberries growing along the Big Four Railroad tracks at the eastern edge of the neighborhood.

On March 16, the Ohio Union was closed as part of the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost 4 months later, it's still shuttered. A catastrophic federal response to the disease, rash and premature reopenings at the state and local level, and failure to take the disease seriously by wide swaths of society have led to an explosion of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in July, exceeding the numbers in April. The University has announced plans to resume in-person classes in August but skepticism is widespread.

Over on Velma the other day and drove by the Ohio State Fair’s nursery and greenhouses where they grow the plants and flowers that decorate the grounds at fair time. This year’s crop has nowhere to go and no one to appreciate them. State Fair canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Pomerene Hall and Mirror Lake by moonlight. It's been a beautiful summer.

We all had a discussion about what the butter cow at the Ohio State Fair should have been this fairless plague year and this is what we came up with: Dr Amy Acton vs the coronavirus. (Realized by Susan on Daz Studio, Blender, Mesh Mixer, and her Prusa.)

Despite unprecedented new levels of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and the decision by many schools and universities to go on-line exclusively for Autumn Semester, Ohio State remains committed to in-person instruction starting August 25. Mandatory masks, social distancing, more space in dorms and classrooms, daily temperature checks and symptoms reporting, random testing, a ban on parties, and a student pledge are the magical thinking measures being offered to deal with the pandemic.

August 21, 2020- University efforts to suppress student gatherings to limit the spread of COVID-19 have--predictably--met with little success.

Miss Astrid modeling her official The Ohio State University mask as she wades into the apocalyptic pandemic hellscape for Senior Year. The masks were given to all students with hand sanitizer, a digital thermometer, and disinfecting wipes as part of their Welcome Kit.

This COVID Semester, The Oval is polka-dotted with social distancing spaces to keep recreating and relaxing students a safe distance from one another. They don’t seem to be getting a lot of use.

In this COVID semester, Mirror Lake Amphitheater has been pressed into service as an open-air classroom. Even has an EXIT sign and a fire-extinguisher. Classes are also being held in ballrooms, theaters, conference rooms, and gymnasiums to maximize social distancing.