Mother nature wasn't in a celebratory mood as suppertime rolled around. We sloshed down the food truck lane looking for the perfect DC supper snack. I ended up with some East Indian street food and Dave had an all American hot dog with sauerkraut, chips and pop. We ate in a covered stairwell with two other families looking to dodge the drizzle. We hung around for a bit more but in the end decided it was just too wet to sit on the mall lawn and watch the fireworks. So we beat the crowd and took the subway back to VA. We got to my sister's house just in time to see the news and interviews from people who toughed it out. The fog, humidity and clouds obscured much of the fireworks display so although we were disappointed not to have been on the mall for the fireworks, dry feet and a warm bed after a long day in the city were awfully nice. Good night and Happy Birthday America !
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Baltimore, only an hour and a half away from my sister Nancy's house in Stafford VA. Only a hop, skip and a jump by Wyoming standards! We took two cars so Dave, Nancy and I (the art appreciators ) could go to the AVAM while the other carload, my brother Kurt, his wife Nancy and my sister's husband Chris, could go to the B&O Train Museum. Besides not being able to fit into one car, its just best not to subject some people to hours of art! "Welcome Cherished Guests, Life-Long Learners, Connoisseurs of Wonder, Kids Little and Big! You have arrived at your Mothership, a luminous and spirited museum unlike any other, home to full spectrum wonder and ideas fueled by courageous acts of intuition and imagination" Great introduction to a truly unique museum! There were so many interesting artists but except for a couple of exhibits, the museum has a strict NO PHOTOS policy. So I did a lot of drawings, read the excellent bios and took pictures where I could. The three of us spent the whole day soaking in the museum's three exhibit halls. While we were there, a catering company was setting up for a wedding, (great venue space). We peeked inside the hall and saw a beautiful canopy set up for a Jewish wedding. Meanwhile there were two African American men having their engagement pictures taken by a professional photographer. All in this in one day at the AVAM! If you like the offbeat I recommend this museum. The whole gang reconvened for a picnic supper under the giant, golden hand on the side of one of the museum's buildings. Dave and I decided to stay in the city later while the rest of the family drove back to Virginia. We climbed the hill next to the museum and found ourselves in a lovely little city park were families and couples were enjoying a sunset view of the Baltimore skyline. As we walked we began to realize that there were fireflies all around the park. It had been a long time since the "night of the fireflies" in the backyard of our house in Medina NY when Ian and Abby were little. Since then we have seen very few of these delightful nightlights. It was a magical finish to a perfect day.
Speaking of Wyoming, I was surprised to see that we knew one of the performers, David Romtvedt and his daughter Caitlin Belem. Over 100 years ago immigrants from Basque country began coming to their hometown of Buffalo Wyoming to herd sheep. David told us that 2017 will see the National Basque festival returning to Buffalo in July. We'll be there with bells on (not sheepskins in July though!) There is so much more I could say about the Folklife Festival and all the interesting things we saw. So, to help tell the story, I leave you with images to give you a flavor of our time in Basque country! |
LEAP 366
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