Virginia Is For Families

Katharine McPhee

Play Somewhere
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Beth and I had company this weekend but after everyone left we headed for the park to get some exercise and talk about our Spring vacation.  We have two weeks to relax and get out of town this time of year.  And for the second time in two years we have made plans to visit our nation’s capitol as well as Virginia Beach.

We talked about starting an exercise and dieting program because we have kind of let things go over the winter.  I realized that I need to do it not just for myself but for her as well.   And she’s probably not going to do it unless I do it.

It’s a strange circle and one we need to break up.  So it’s going to be a “working vacation” in a sense.  Of course, you can walk your buns off in Washington DC without any problem.  But going out to dinner every night and having the opportunity to dine on fabulous cuisine will offer some challenges.   We may have to start that part of the program after we get back.

So it was warm and breezy today and we walked all over Maymont Park.  They have a new exhibit area with some great birds on display.   The eagles are awesome.  The hawks have beautiful feathers.

And we spent some time enjoying three baby goats.  Beth said it was one of the cutest things she has ever seen.  They were having a great time and the crowd was enjoying them too.

So we walked and walked.  The bears were busy sleeping and I would never have seen them if Beth has not pointed them out up in the rocks.

Lots of folks were throwing balls and someone had set up the game with the little hoops and mallets.  What’s it called?  You hit a ball around the lawn and try to be the first one to get back to the beginning where there is a small pole driven into the ground.

Anyway there were people doing that and lots of cameras around.  Photography seems to be an ever more popular hobby from the number of SRL cameras I see in my travels.

Click on photos to enlarge

Every year Beth and I go to Maymont Park and take a ride in this carriage or one much like it.  We climb up in the back in the dark under the moon and meet a few couples who have come out with the same idea.  Knee to knee for a few minutes we trade a few remarks and then listen to the horses as they step down the path.

Later we go inside for some traditional hot drinks and cookies.  But only after standing around the Yule log and toasting marsh mellows.   There are men and women dressed in traditional Victorian dress.  And, of course, plenty of Christmas decorations.

It’s a Christmas from long ago and we wouldn’t miss it.

Josh Groban

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Play The Christmas Song

This is a photo from last year about this time. I took it at Maymont Park downtown and thought I would put it up again. Apologies to those who have already seen it. We are still waiting for some autumn color around here. The temperature is supposed to be mid 80’s this afternoon.

It’s a cheerful photo and one that reminds me why I enjoy photography so much.

And photography is important here. I’ve written a little about economics and politics lately but that’s not going to be a regular thing. I don’t know enough about it and it’s kind of depressing as well.

Poetry is important too. The Boss Poem is just a simple little thing and it is being viewed now over three hundred times per day. It’s not StumbleUpon either. It’s search engine traffic and people are apparently concerned about their relationship with their boss.

That’s not surprising. Job concerns have to be high on a great number of lists these days.

Lots of activities may be cut back. But we can all still blog can’t we? We can write prose and poetry. We can take photos and we can offer encouraging comments to each other.

Taking photos is a lot cheaper when you don’t have to develop film. And everyone already has a computer. Maybe dial ups will make a comeback though.

Maybe the photos should be smaller and fewer to the page.

I don’t know. But the weather is terrific and it’s relaxing to run out into nature somewhere and start looking for the beauty wherever she may be.

It’s a recipe for dealing with the emotions that accompany changing times. Document the changing foliage. Take photos of the clouds.

Update// Well this explains all the readers. . .

Boss’s Day (also known as Bosses Day or National Boss Day) is a secular holiday celebrated[citation needed] on October 16 in the United States. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their boss for being kind and fair throughout the year. The holiday has been the source of some controversy and criticism in the United States, where it is often mocked as a Hallmark Holiday. Recently, sites like Hallmark have recognized the holiday with a contemporary spin

from Wikipedia

This was taken at Maymont Park this morning.  I took a few photos.   In digital camera terms that’s about one hundred or so pics.   I am not sure if I like it or not but here it is.  And maybe I will post a flower or two and  bring the total to three which is a lucky number.

More Butterfly Photos

http://davidnotes.com/2007/10/30/butterfly-sent-here-from-heaven/