<p>The ten pleasant smells: Sagebrush on a hot day; a well-curried horse; orange blossoms in march; the top of Pine Mountain; bacon frying over a campfire; the wood fires in the sections (of the Upper School); the fresh earthy smell when you use a mattock in the trail; the clean paper smell when you open a new book; the dust smell when the first raindrops of the season fall; the Teacher’s Club.</p>
<p>The nine memorable sights: Sunset from Memorial Hill; the view from Matilija Twin Peaks; Piedra Blanca by moonlight; horses swimming in the Sespe; a paper marked a hundred; smiling faces; clean fingernails; a team that pulls victory out of defeat; a letter from home in your mailbox.</p>
<p>The eight significant sounds: Walker; orioles in the cottonwoods; rain on your roof; a running brook heard from your sleeping bag under the stars; the starting pistol at the track; the whack of the ball against your bat when it soars out for a three-bagger; your horse nickering when you come to feed it; Shakespeare.</p>
<p>The seven best teachers: Your horse; the library; a lonely trail; a fair game; the friend you most admire; corrected mistakes; curiosity.</p>
<p>The six things to learn: To throw a good hitch; to cook a clean meal; to speak decent English; to look out for the other fellow; to do a thing right the first time; not to fool.</p>
<p>The five things to avoid: A horse’s hoof; misconduct marks; an easy life; the reputation of being lazy; borrowing other people’s property.</p>
<p>The four resorts in time of trouble: A teacher; the dictionary; your chum; yourself.</p>
<p>The three great letters: S.D.T.</p>
<p>The two necessities: Courage and understanding</p>
<p>The one essential: Truth</p>
<p>@Thacherparent</p>
<p>It is so touching. I have already started to dream of being there in early May. Will I still smell orange-blossom then? </p>
<p>I love whispers from the past. The imagery is great. </p>
<p>This is such a lovely thread. It reminds me of the journals my dad kept while he was at BS. The central character turned out to be this old tree with enormous branches located on the far side of campus. It was his refuge and a place he’d go to reflect, recite declamations, memorize psalms, dream and sometimes cry. I’ve been back to his school with him a number of times and he always makes a beeline for that tree. </p>
<p>Thanks for sharing this @ThacherParent- It’s beautiful and I’ll be sure to share it with my boys. </p>
<p>Incredibly evocative and plain spoken. It makes me long for a time without the overwhelming noise of the Internet. I can remember getting letters in my mailbox at school and sharing a phone with the rest of the dorm. I’m hoping someday soon the pendulum will swing back from faces stuck in iPhones and people will begin to put a premium on disconnecting. Thank you for posting this…I’ll be thinking of horses swimming in the Sespe for the rest of the day. </p>
<p>This is the life that my daughter lives and thrives in which is why she/we thought Thacher would be such an amazing fit. Alas, she is in the waiting pool. She has been very zen (or so it seems) about this turn of events and has even commented that she is just happy that Thacher exists, whether or not she attends. Perhaps she is just being dreamy. In the meantime she is learning to love the great schools that love her. Sigh. </p>
<p>Parlabane, I agree. The whack of the ball against your bat when it soars out for a three-bagger; your horse nickering when you come to feed it; Shakespeare…a life opposite from our cacophony of tweets, texts, instagrams etc. </p>
<p>I am on the exact same boat as your daughter @freshlook , so I know how it feels…</p>