Meet Mr. Alfredo Noodle, or Alphie for short. Alphie constantly makes me laugh. He dunks his entire head in the water bowl to take a drink and frequently attempts to add me to the stash of toys he hides under the dresser.

Ferrets are happiest when kept with others, so I soon adopted Hershey. Hershey’s favorite hobby is burrowing under blankets, in drawers full of clothes or in the pit of dry beans I made especially for him.

The two quickly accepted one another.

When a friend contacted me for help rescuing a litter of newborn kittens, I took in Daphne when she was only a few weeks old. Daphne learned many behaviors from her brothers and acts more like a ferret than a cat. 

I have since adopted Pretzel as well. Pretzel loves tunnels. Even though he has several perfectly sized tunnels, he will try to squeeze into any cylinder and is known to get stuck. 

When the ferrets are not jumping around and causing chaos, they are sleeping.

I have also recently rescued another kitten whom I have named Chicken. Chicken is my spunkiest animal. She loves to play with her brothers and break into cabinets.

With three ferrets and two cats surrounding me, my household never lacks affection and is certainly never bland!

The photos in this feature were provided by the author.

It’s springtime. What can be better than holding a book while laying under the sun? I vote nothing. If you’re ready to get some sunshine and some knowledge at the same time, follow me to these spots on campus. 

1. Behind Jewell Hall
You can catch some sun before noon and a little after noon at this place. The view from this spot is spectacular if you like the countryside and trees. The coolest time of the year is definitely fall because all the leaves on the trees change colors. You can also see the sports teams practice from this spot, though by this time the sun is blocked by Jewell Hall. 

2. The Phone Booth
You can find a variety of books inside the phone booth. Sitting next to it gives me a London vibe. The smell of earth and trees together is super relaxing. This spot, however, is not super ideal because people walk by it a lot. You can still sit here during class periods to avoid people if you want some privacy. 

3. The Quad
If you have a hammock, you can hang it up between the trees on the quad. Depending on the time of the day, you might get some shade under the trees. Once their leaves are back, the trees will provide better shade and a better view. If you don’t have a hammock, you can just bring a blanket to lay on the grass. 

There will be a lot of people, but it’s the Quad so I don’t think anyone will care. The Quad is also big so they cannot really see you from that far away. You can certainly sit on the other side (no picture provided), but there are more people on that side. I also prefer the view of trees and Jewell Hall to the view of the chapel. 

4. Between Pillsbury and Brown Hall
I think this is a famous spot because I rarely see it unoccupied. I love the trees above the chair. This spot is pretty tucked away so you can get some privacy from people. In my opinion, this spot is the second most romantic spot on campus. I will list the most romantic spot below. 

5. Between Jewell Hall and Marston
I believe this is the most romantic spot on campus. I used to sit here in the fall to read novels. The trees are really ugly right now because they are still naked. However, in the summer and fall, they have green and white flowers. This spot gives me the vibe of a villa in Italy or England’s countryside. The only thing I don’t like about this place is sitting here the day after it rains. The ground is wet for two days after it rains because the trees block most of the sun. 

6. In front of Jewell Hall
This is my number one go-to spot on campus. Some people prefer to sit on the red chair. I think it’s super uncomfortable. I’m short so my legs get super tired because I can’t reach the ground. I like putting down a blanket and lying right under the sun. Usually, the wind helps a lot during the summer heat. However, sometimes it can get too windy. Besides the wind, I have nothing to complain about. If you like some privacy, this is a good one because not a lot of people choose to walk on the front side of Jewell. You also have a good view of KC before the trees get their leaves back in the summer.