An Afternoon & Evening in Bluffton

This fall, Mark started teaching part-time at Bluffton University, in a small town about 45 minutes south of us (also called Bluffton). On Thursday, the music department hosted a faculty recital, and Mark performed two pieces--one on snare drum and one on marimba. I was able to get a ride down with a friend from work who lives there, so I arrived mid-afternoon and had some time to go exploring before having dinner with Mark, then going to the recital in the evening. It was a busy work day for Mark, but I had a blast playing hookie and checking out the town and a bit of campus. I hope there will be another chance for me to visit Bluffton--it's a lovely community, with some fun shops, and I'd like to spend more time walking around campus. Plus, Mark's colleagues are great, so it would be nice to have the chance to chat with them more. I took a bunch of pics on my phone, so here's a photo tour of Bluffton, OH:

looking toward downtown

the High School

the Post Office

Some shops: I bought some things at the thrift shop
and at Ten Thousand Villages, a fair-trade shop
selling handmade items from all over the world.

Mark and I came back to Luke's for dinner.

The faculty recital was well-publicized in many business' windows.

I ran out of time and didn't get to
explore these last few shops.

I didn't have time to stop in the public library, either.

The high schoolers paint this portion of the street each year.

This church had beautiful stained glass windows.

The entrance to Bluffton's campus.

Mark's building in the distance.

The campus has lots of pretty walking paths.

Mark's office window, on the right.

Mark's office door.

Inside Mark's office.

The building's main entrance.

Our dinner at Luke's.

Inside the performance hall--it was beautiful!

The main entrance to the hall.

Mark and other faculty greeting their fans after the recital. :-)