OK, so it?EUR??,,????'???s not that often, but alas, here I sit as some of the most beautiful country in the country (dare I say world . . .) passes by the window of this non-landscaped mega-ship. Excuse me . . . there are two patches of artificial turf on board: one in the ?EUR??,,????'??Golf Room?EUR??,,????'?? and the other on the front deck, right below the main viewing area . . . That?EUR??,,????'???s right, even on a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, someone saw the need for some green.

Now, I?EUR??,,????'???m pretty sure that the maintenance for those patches of ?EUR??,,????'??grass?EUR??,,????'?? is pretty slim, but in a weird way it shows the importance of what you do . . . Having a landscape is not just an element of the facility at which you work, it is a necessity for the well-being of the population.

Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture, once wrote to the California state legislature that the valley of Yosemite was not just a wonder of nature, but the viewing of such a wonder was essential to the mental well-being of the human race. That is why it is so important to a university (remember, this is the ?EUR??,,????'??University?EUR??,,????'?? issue) that the landscape not just be efficient, or directional, but indeed be there to heal and inspire the mind.

That?EUR??,,????'???s right . . . The work done by the landscape superintendent at a university or school is especially important in that, besides being huge and complex and expensive, it inspires the minds of the next generation of Americans . . . those who will carry the torch long after you are gone . . .

So, obviously having spent too much time contemplating the relevance of landscape to humankind, I leave you this month with a general feeling that what you do is important beyond the simple eyes of the passer-by. As James Long, superintendent of grounds at Holy Cross puts it (see page 29), you don?EUR??,,????'???t just cut grass . . . Your trade helps settle the minds of the learning youth and affects those cerebral beings long after they leave your site . . .

So keep up the great work . . . and go ahead . . . Take a vacation . . .

?EUR??,,????'??+God Bless