Grocery Store Rose Blooms Again!

It happened again! The miniature rose plant that we bought at the Giant grocery store five years ago bloomed. This plant was first placed in the dining room for two years or so, and then it was moved out to the balcony. My husband has given it tender loving care since the beginning. He prefers one small flower to a full garden. We used to have a large garden in the Midwest, then a small patio garden on Capitol Hill, and now a couple of window baskets on our balcony. This is the first year that our coco lined baskets have not been filled with annual flowers. The mockingbirds, doves and crows are pilfering off the coco liner for other uses. The only thing left in the basket is some ivy and one viola that survived the winter. I just don’t feel like dealing with the mess of it all. So it’s really nice to have the tiny flowering rose bloom again. Since March there were signs of rejuvenation. Now there are four stages of bud to full bloom in this little plant. And it usually blooms at least twice during the summer. Most often these plants don’t last past one season. But in our house it has defied the odds. And I know the reason why. 

Ducks and Ducklings at the Capitol Reflecting Pool

It was soooo busy in DC today. Apparently the tourists and visitors exceed the number from before the pandemic. There were hoards of buses and huge groups. I hate it when it gets this busy - my husband loves it. I try to avoid the city near the weekend. Wednesday is usually the best day to visit when the crowds are around. But for whatever reason we couldn’t make it until today. And we try to drive in at least once a week for a change of scenery and enjoy our old neighborhood. We parked right in front of our old condo when we couldn’t find any street parking along the mall. I didn’t need to get any specific photos for the weekly photo challenge because I already had some options.  So we were just in the mood for a morning walk. Congress must be out because the streets around the Capitol were quiet. But one area wasn’t as quiet - the Capitol reflecting pond. The ducks and the ducklings were everywhere and they were capturing the attention of all of the passersby. This is the busiest time of year to observe the babies and their guardians and it’s always fun to watch the feathered friends. After that we walked to the botanic garden and then headed back to the car. I can’t tell you how many times we walked this way over the last almost eighteen years of living here. There is always something to see and we are able to still enjoy it. 

Tornado Watch

When we lived in the Midwest we had a run in with a tornado - luckily it was of no significance. But whenever the tornado warnings and watches are issued across the tv and texted and otherwise I would be the first one to take notice. I am not a fan of vicious weather. I hate rain and thunderstorms and lightning and thunder and hurricanes. You can take the snow and the ice and the storms and the blizzards. Some people love them. I don’t. Where we live now is not exactly considered tornado alley, but it seems the weather has become more onerous as of late and unlike what we are familiar with. It’s beginning to feel more like Florida with thunderstorms and torrential rain. So when the tornado watch was issued on Memorial Day until eleven PM, I was on high alert. Luckily we have a west sky view so you at least have an idea what might be coming your way. It’s lovely to watch the sunsets from our balcony, but also a great place to keep an eye on what’s going on. It looked to be like the real deal for a while and was a bit uncomfortable. Luckily it passed without incident. At least we don’t purposefully live somewhere where the likelihood is high for a bad outcome. And that suits me just fine. 

52Frames Details Weekly Photo Challenge

The subject for the 52Frames photo challenge this week was “details.” And the textile exhibit at the National Gallery of Art had a piece that caught my eye the week before. So we went back to take more photos of it. I liked the color and the overall appearance. It reminded me of the old macrame rope stuff I used to do. I wanted to create a composite - even though the solid black backdrop really made the details pop. I had an old photo of a wall in front of the Natural History Museum that had complimentary colors in it. That would become the backdrop for the textile - because the wall itself was detailed as well. But in order to give the garment a bit of depth a duplicate was created which suggested a slight shadow. I also tried several other duplicates against solid backgrounds. I can never decide which photo looks the best so I always follow my husband’s recommendation - even though I don’t always agree. I really enjoy creating composite images like this because it’s so much more than just taking a photo and editing it. This becomes a project and it’s a lot more fun. And I really appreciate all of the kind words I get from people all over the world. 

Memorial Day

Old Town Alexandria Walkabout

It’s been a while since we visited Old Town Alexandria. So we drove in for a morning walk last week - and of course, always order take out at Vaso’s Kitchen, park at Gravelly Point, watch the planes and eat a slice or two of pizza. But before we do that we park at Founders Park at the waterfront and start the walk. It’s so familiar to us that it’s almost like we live there. We have been visiting Old Town since before we moved to DC seventeen years ago! It’s always a treat to start along the Potomac River path and then meander along the storied streets of the town where George Washington had a townhouse. Mount Vernon is just a short way from there. There was an interesting sculpture that had water spraying from it - perfect for the dog days of summer. The silver and golden wild flowers flanked the scene. The flower boxes were filled with the best of flowers that will soon be cascading down the fronts and sides. A sure sign of summer are the magnolias that hint at southern charm. Of course the steep stair cases to the houses in town are daunting, but look nice as long as you don’t have to scale them. While waiting for our food order to be prepared we take a few minutes to sit on a bench in the shade and watch the activity - people, dogs and boats on the river. It’s always such a pleasant time.