National Gallery of Art People

We drive in to town at least once a week. There are a few reasons - it’s great for our morning walk, my husband loves Capitol Hill, and I usually try to find photo opportunities for the weekly challenge. We oftentimes park on the National Mall and go off in any direction. When we lived on Capitol Hill we visited the National gallery of Art often. We would also stop in for lunch at the cafeteria and observe our surroundings. The last time we were there I was on the look out for an interesting shallow depth of field photo. So we made our way through all of the different galleries to find people near or in front of various works of art. There happened to be a few school groups. There were many youngsters as well as high school types. You can tell the pandemic restrictions have changed with all of the increased traffic in the museums and on the mall - and all of the school buses. I personally preferred having the place all to myself. Some of the kids seemed interested while others were completely bored - even though the teachers were doing their best to engage them. Many of the kids obviously got an assignment and were searching for something to meet the need. I can only imagine the impact visiting a place like this provides. It’s such a great opportunity to visit. And then of course there are the general touristy visitors who come from everywhere. We are glad we can still visit any time we like. 

US Botanical Garden Visit

We walk through the US Botanical Gardens almost every day. But we don’t go inside the structure unless there is an exhibit of interest - like the Christmas trains, orchids, or stinky plants. But anytime we have out of town guests it is usually a place to stop in and wander about. It’s close to home and is just a pleasant experience. So we did just that when our friends from the Midwest arrived. It was their last day visiting and was a nice way to complete the early afternoon sightseeing. The orchid exhibit just ended, and the setting was less occupied than typical. The main lobby area seemed empty! But the beautiful fountain and exotic plants still abound. We ended up sitting in a section where the plant artists had an exhibit. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to go through the outside gardens - the rose garden was in full bloom. One can never get tired of the natural beauty. It’s a very relaxing place. 

Cleaning by Iris

I have been wanting to have a housekeeper come in to clean the condo for a long time - especially when we are expecting out of town guests. And since neither of us was feeling up to it with all the doctor visits this week and feeling uncertain about our health, my husband was more amenable to the idea. Someone left their business card on our mailbox a couple of months ago and I kept it “just in case.” So I found it and we called to see if Iris could schedule a visit for yesterday afternoon. She came with an assistant and really did a wonderful job. That condo has not been deep cleaned like that since we bought it nine years ago. I especially like the personal touches - Kleenex, paper towels, toilet paper, and the slight rearrangement of things that gave the rooms a different perspective. Would we call Iris again? Absolutely! 

The Tourists Have Vanished - Green Acres?

Things have definitely changed. Where they were once everywhere, now they are few and far in between. Our walk on Sunday through the National Mall highlighted the paucity of visitors to the neighborhood. A local was feeding ducks in the pool in front of the Capitol, but the gardens near the Smithsonian Castle and the US Botanical garden were deserted. My husband didn't like it since he thrives on crowds and noise. I, on the other hand, prefer it. It reminds me of Green Acres - he prefers city life and I think I might like a less hectic surrounding. But this won't last long so I'll enjoy it while it's here.