Pink at night, Bloomingdale delight.

Really, the sky over Bloomingdale DC was this color the other night and was quite spectacular so of course I had to snap away and record it. And no, I didn't fidget with the photo software and make it pinker and bluer and prettier!  There's something very intriguing about our peaked roofs; when my mother-in-law came to stay once we were sitting on the back deck and saw a similar view as in this photo, of all the peaked roofs lined up pointing away, and she said it reminded her of ships moored at a harbor.  So here we are, moored in Bloomingdale DC in our lovely Victorian houses, and enjoying the pink at night, sailors' delight! 

Super Decorated Car in #DupontCircle

I saw a car decorated with paint designs over near Dupont Circle the other day and was totally amazed at how this Ford had been individualized. There were birds, eyes, flowers and all kinds of designs in bright colors all over the vehicle.  It looked like someone had completely dreamed up a way to make their car look different.  I have no idea whose car it is or why it is like this but I couldn't help thinking what if all cars were decorated like this?  What if you could order up your car with a selection of optional images on it like this when it is delivered? What if there were places, somewhat like tattoo parlors with pages of images for cars, where you can just drive in and get your car done up like this? Wouldn't commuting be more interesting?  And when you're stuck in traffic wouldn't it be nice to see something like this?  Amazing street sight!

Summer Garden with Flowers

Nasturtiums

Yucca

 I really do like to have something flowering all the time in both the front and back gardens and this June I've had bright orange and yellow nasturiums for the first time, the big white bells of the Yucca cactus, some glorious orange and some red tiger lilies and a lot of pale yellow to orange day lilies. I like all my flowers and each year the yards are slightly different as it seems the sun and how much I water them really affects whether I will have a lot of blooms. Also, I use some plant food and some kitchen things to feed them. But right now, there's lots of flowers and I'm very happy. My neighbor thinks I'm an expert gardener; I'm not. I actually quite lazy and only grow what grows easily. I just can't be bothered to fuss too much, after all weeding is backbreaking and I only want to be doing it once a month.  And I only get around to cutting the grass once a month too.

Golden Asiatic lilies

June back garden with day lilies

Mad About the Madonnas in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

I can spend more than a few hours in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC searching out and staring at all the Madonna paintings and statues. Not only are they hundreds of years old and created by  very famous Renaissance artists, but you just know that millions of people have also gazed on them and thought about the contents. Their colors and textures are extraordinary and you can't help wondering what woman and child or person sat and posed for the artist so he or she could create these icons. Of course, not everyone knows the stories of Advent and the birth of Jesus but of the several billion Christians in the world, I would hope that a few of us can gaze on these visual treats and have it enhance our faith. For others, at the least they can appreciate the art's antiquity and value or perhaps catch a glimmer of what they mean. I am very glad that one is allowed to take photos inside the Gallery as I now have my own images of these priceless works to use in a blog like this or to insert inside an email or print out for myself or whatever.  With electronic text and images, there are miracles we can experience every day!

Shopping on K Street for Bags and T-Shirts

You can't go far when you're downtown in D.C. without seeing something being sold on a corner such as bags or T-Shirts, usually brightly-colored and priced for more than you really want to pay. I've never really had much luck with buying items on the street although I've tried a couple of times.  The bags are usually copies of designer bags once removed but there must be purchasers for these as there are so many such sellers.  I saw this stand at the corner of K and Vermont NW in front of the Citibank today. There's been a stand there for as long as I can remember as I use that Citibank, but the guy used to sell clothes. I once bought from him a wool pants suit in bright blue with gold buttons. It was labeled for my size but since you can't try them on in the middle of the street you are taking a risk. And sure enough, when I got home, it was way too big. I never threw it out and since I'm now 10 years older and at least ten pounds heavier, the items fit me now although they are totally out of style. I tried to buy a wheeled bag at another stand once but the guy wanted a much higher price than I wanted to pay and it was just too hot to stand there and negotiate. And I had a suspicion the zippers would not last very long.  I really not too sure who buys three white shirts for $10, or $4 for one, but you can see these stands all over town as well. Some of the shirts seem like decent or useful souvenirs -- such as for sleeping in --  embellished with "Washington DC" or "FBI" or "I'm in the Witness Protection Program" or some other silly slogan. If I come across a jewelry table, another common stand on K street, I'll add that photograph to this. No end of shopping in DC! Such bounty!