52Frames Water Photo Challenge

The photo challenge this week was “water.” So we spent a lot of time in the neighborhood parks that somehow connect to the mighty Potomac River. Our morning walks took us to Riverbend Park, Scott’s Run, and Difficult Stream. I ended up using a panoramic image from Riverbend Park. As usual my niche is composite photos with painting. So the images of a turtle that was taken in the visitor center and a fisherman that was taken on the banks of the river were added in. Then a fish was painted in and the reflections of the fisherman, pole and line were added. The image was then cropped to size to showcase the clouds dancing on the water. There were also some lovely real water photos that were taken. Of note was the interesting steppers that allow you to cross the river without getting your feet wet. What we learned from these first time visits to the nature trails was that we really prefer the flat walking surfaces of the urban jungle to the rocks, uneven and severe inclines of the parks. Seeing people is preferred to desolate places. At the end of the week we walked along constitution gardens by the Lincoln memorial. That’s more like our style. 

Roosevelt Island Promenade

Yesterday we drove to the Tidal Basin in search of water scenes. That’s the subject of this week’s photo challenge. Today we decided to take a ride to Roosevelt island not only for a morning walk, but to see what other water options there might be. It’s best to visit the island during the week to avoid the crowds. What one doesn’t expect but hears the whole time you are walking are the overhead planes taking off or landing at Reagan airport. It’s non stop! We have been to the island in all seasons. The crickets were certainly out in full swing, there were little lizards scampering about, but not much else. There were a lot of water opportunities to photograph - over the bridge, under the bridge, next to the bridge. And also several Potomac River views - kids and kayakers here and there. Many views of Arlington. There was even a water fountain that a potential. The views towards Georgetown weren’t very impressive and the light just wasn’t right. In the end there may some winners after I do some editing. If nothing else we had a delightful walk. And that’s the real reason for the trip. 

Old Town Alexandria Reflections

Last week we took a ride to Old Town Alexandria. It’s been a while. I think the last time was around Christmas, or maybe Halloween. We used to go there regularly for lunch when we lived on Capitol Hill. Now we visit just for a change of scenery since we don’t go out for lunch anymore and can’t think of when we would again. I was trying to get some ideas for photos for this 52Frames challenge this week which is “Roll credits.” There is always something interesting on Old Town since it’s been around for hundreds of years with an associated history. When we walked by the Potomac River, things looked a bit dreary in the cloudy surroundings, but there were many reflections. It always floods in the area and the streets were submerged in spots. A lot of new residential buildings have been made by the water. It’s not an area that we would like to live, but it’s always so nice to stroll through. We do miss our afternoon lunches. I wonder if that will ever become normal again. 

Pulse at the Hirshhorn - Fingerprints, Water, and Lightbulbs

I’ve wanted to stop in at the Hirshhorn for the last couple of weeks to see the Pulse exhibit. Not that I knew much about it, but we generally visit the Hirshhorn a few times during the year while in our morning walk. I also knew we wouldn’t stay long because we were overdressed for the walk, and definitely overdressed for being inside. So we went right up to the second floor to interact with the art and technology. There were three different rooms that covered the entire floor - a feat within itself. The first was fingerprints that filled the entire space called Pulse Index. Our shadows were remarkable against the thousands of captured prints. The second room was Pulse Tank. You put your hands on a platform that transforms your pulse to the rippling water cast on the wall. You can also hear your pulse. I wonder how many heart conditions are picked up by simply listening!? The third section called Pukse Room is filled with lightbulbs. You can again interact with the instrument and the lights blink accordingly. It was a very tactile experience in some very dark spaces. We would have stayed longer but we were rather hot. It was a great way to break up our morning walk. Maybe we will come back to see what else is new. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqXsBZqBsYI/

Drip, Drip, Drip - Not a Good Sign

Sometimes I really miss our Midwest home. At least if anything was wrong with it, it was our doing or we felt completely responsible for it. And we had the best handy man around to fix whatever it was. And he was there more often than one would think. But when you live in a shared space with strangers and other people who rent or don’t care about their space, you can feel quite helpless. And so goes the debate about owning a single family or condo unit, or renting all together. Last night my husband was in the kitchen and heard water dripping above his head so naturally we expected it to be coming from the apartment above us. After several phone calls and to make a very long story short, the problem ended up being a toilet overflowing in the apartment not above us, but one over from above us. Of course neither homeowner was home - which is always an issue here - especially on weekends in this town. And of course, these problems always occur on the weekends. In the end the problem was identified and curtailed, but we don’t feel the same about our kitchen. It’s not a pleasant sight to watch water dripping and sloshing from the light fixture and seeing the ceiling turn brown. It will take awhile to get over it. In the meantime, no one can put a price on the psychological distress this situation causes. It wasn’t the first time it has happened and won’t be the last. The sad thing is that it could have been prevented. But what makes it even more upsetting is that the person who lives there probably doesn’t even care - we haven’t heard from anyone yet. And I don’t think that matters wherever you live.