I just might get some sleep tonight

[sovay]

We are in Philadelphia. To all the people whom I either didn't see or didn't contact while I was in D.C., I am sorry, but this trip has been more complicated than expected. At least I got to spend nearly three solid days at the Smithsonian. That was excellent; especially the new Air & Space Udvar-Hazy Center and the roomful of myths in the National Museum of the American Indian.* And I have had my fix of ancient seas.

Here are the photographs I promised from Longwood Gardens. More when I can convince my brother to upload them to my laptop and time_shark to host them for me.

(Cut for photographs.)


My father in the silver garden.


By studying a map of the grounds, my mother cleverly avoids being photographed.


I am a photographic experiment in black-and-white.


Because it's beautiful.


If my father were illustrated by Andrew Wyeth.


When topiary attacks!

This last picture got me yelled at by a crabby tourist lady, who had to catch a flight and presumably wanted her photographs free of unsuspecting topiary victims. I fail to see why she couldn't snap her picture before the beast seized me in its fearsome jaws of prickly yew, or wait the thirty seconds it took my father to drag me heroically from its clutches, but there's no accounting for grouchiness? I'm still amused. I think there's something about being ruthlessly pruned that can make even the sweetest conifer into a spiny-eyed predator. You only think bonsai are mild-mannered . . .

*No, I do not know why it is not called the National Museum of the Native American or the First Nations or anything else. But its cafeteria is clearly the best-kept secret on the Mall. Thank you to strange_selkie for enabling me to eat juniper salmon and chilled strawberry soup for lunch on a day when I really, really needed it.

Comments

[lesser-celery.livejournal.com]

Good to see your parents again. That b/w picture of you is terrific: use it for your next book.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Seconded. It's gorgeous.

Nine

[strange-selkie.livejournal.com]

It is a good picture, the black and white one. It caught you with a good expression; usually you're making a false face in photographs.

[sovay]

It caught you with a good expression; usually you're making a false face in photographs.

Thanks? I was looking at a small waterfall, my brother yelled my name, I looked up and smile! You're on Candid Camera! I rather like it.

[time-shark.livejournal.com]

Oddly, though I''m hosting the photos, I didn't spot you in the b&w photo before. When did you appear there?

It is a striking picture....

[sovay]

When did you appear there?

I evolve based on viewer perception. In some photographs of me, I am never there at all.

[scanner-darkly.livejournal.com]

The 'when topiary attacks' picture rules. :)

[sovay]

Thank you. All credit goes to my brother, who took the photograph, and whoever designed the topiary beast.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Those are nice.

I remember topiary, but not the cute little chap who's eating your arm. I guess he must be new.

[sovay]

I guess he must be new.

I'm under the impression from my parents that the topiary changes every year, but I can't verify this myself; the last time I was at Longwood Gardens, I was so young that I uprooted a water lily from the ornamental ponds and carried it around with me, dripping, all the rest of the day.