Sackler Gardens

It’s usually just too hot to walk the concrete Mall jungle in the summer which is why we usually go to the air conditioned Union Station. But when it rains, the humidity is lower, or the temps are slightly less, we occasionally meander over on our usual route toward the Smithsonian Castle. The gardens are forever changing and at this time of year one can tell it’s getting towards the end of the season as everything seems to be overgrown and wild. The excessive rain had an unusual impact on all the greens in the city. So as we passed through the gardens by the Hirshhorn, Sackler, Freer Galleries and the castle, everything looked rather lovely. It had just rained so the little drops on the leaves looked so refreshing and the light was best for taking photographs. My husband is probably one of the most patient people I know. I am constantly stopping - oftentimes without notice - to snap pictures of just about anything. Even the most boring bird gets my attention. Soon we will be complaining about having to wear all the winter gear to brave the outside. So in the meantime we will just enjoy each day as is comes - rain or shine. 

Freer Museum Courtyard

Yesterday we visited the Freer Museum. It just reopened after a major renovation that lasted at least a year. We haven't been there since we moved to DC eleven years ago and went to the opening ceremony last weekend to check out the light show that was displayed on the north side of the building. Since Tuesday is usually a crowd free day to check things out anywhere on the National Mall, it was a good time to go. After seeing all the beautiful Asian exhibits around the exterior sections of the building, we walked in to the courtyard in the center of the building. It was such a beautiful sunny day, we sat there awhile to take in the scenery. There was a lovely fountain in the center, and the leaves were beginning to turn from green to gold and red. Just a few people were milling about. In some ways we found this part of the museum more interesting than all the precious art pieces inside. From the lower level the hallway is connected to the Sackler Museum underground. We will go there on another day to visit the Iranian section specifically, but to also see what has changed since we were there last. It's an absolutely beautiful week to be in DC. These wonderful places make it even more interesting. All we have to do is walk on over.