Neptune Holds Court on Capitol Hill, Nymph Downtown

Court of Neptune

Nymph and Fawn

For a long time every time I saw this lovely Court of Neptune fountain on Capital Hill it wasn't working, so I was delighted to pass by the other day and see the water spurting from the multiple spigots and dousing several giant bronze figures and fantastic creatures. This 1898 allegorical work consists of nymphs, and horses, turtles, conch shells and water snakes in a large semi-circular pool in front of the Library of Congress. On a hot day you just feel cool standing next to it. This amazing depiction of the force of water reminds me greatly of The Darlington Memorial Fountain that is downtown near Judiciary Square, in a small park next to the federal courthouse, DC. Described as a "Nymph and Fawn" and placed there in 1923, this gilded bronze life-style figure looks a lot like Diana of the Hunt. Who would have thought that scattered about in Washington DC are glorious naked figures representing beauty, thought and natural energy?

Dogs, Fountains and Weeds in #BloomingdaleDC

Dog in paved front yard

Front yard fountain

Gingko tree weeding up rose planter

Sometimes I just have to photo the more quirky things on my street or nearby such as this dog kept in a paved front yard. He (or she -- I didn't spend too much time looking!) barked sharply at me as I walked home from the bus stop. I rather like his white shirt and boots and wanted to say something about this to the person nearby but he rather glared at me too so I kept walking.  I just hope this isn't one of those "guard dogs" that leap-over-the-fence-and-bite-your-leg that you may occasionally read about in the papers! Further along I saw a more modern designed fountain in a front yard which mysteriously bubbles and trickles almost throughout every season. I like the sound of fountains a lot but it is the idea of fountains that I like the most -- something about the white noise of water, I think. And, if you look closely, you can see that this fountain is what the basement apartment resident sees as soon as she or he opens their front door!  Then of course there are those insistent weed trees that pop up in unexpected places like this ginkgo sapling in a rose bush planter. Well, at least I think it's a gingko tree. Will it take over the flower pot and kill the rose bush? Will the pot owner rip the ginkgo out and toss it in the trash? You see less and less of these trees in the city now as they get cut down and replaced by maples and other species that the mysterious DC tree people plant. It's just amazing to me how much there is to see all around us and there's sure to be a story behind everything.

Golden Diana Between the Courts

Between D.C. District Court building and the Court of Appeals is a small park with a gleaming statue that beckoned me this hazy August morning. Of course, I had to run over and photograph it with the miracle of my cell phone camera. It was a gold painted (?) statue of a nude female figure standing with her dog contemplating a round pool in front of the District Court of Appeals building. I imagine that at one time there was a fountain from the base. But today the water was clear and still and the figure gleamed brightly against the gray buildings. I haven't been able to find the sculptor but it seems to be from that era of artwork installed in the city and that is an echo of the ancient pagan civilizations.  I recognized the figure instantly, both as the Roman's Diana of the Hunt and the Greek's Artemis and then remembered that both of them had once also personified justice and wisdom until reduced to lesser roles by the patriarchs. But for those who today see only figures of naked women as pornographic, this sculpture should be a reminder that Wisdom is present today in many forms.

Neighborhood Gardens

I'm glad I'm not the only person who fusses about her garden in the Bloomingdale DC 'hood, thank God! There's many homeowners who take the time to plant and upkeep their front and back yards or the tree boxes out front on the sidewalk. One neighbor creates a little refuge from the city under a large umbrella, another has installed a traditional fountain tinkling away as you walk by to the bus stop, and another keeps the white Rose of Sharon bush trimmed in its tree box, providing flowers for us all summer long. There are hanging pots of geraniums on porches and urns and pots of flowers and cactus on many stoops. Most of us who do this know and see each other all the time -- and in fact it may be the only neighborhood relationship we have, nodding to and complimenting each other on the flower or plant -- but it's wondrous to know that there are others tending their gardens and who realize that their garden is part of the big garden we all live in..

Fountains are Cool

My neighbor has a fountain in his front yard and I've been thinking about adding one too. Some little splashy thing, perhaps one that birds can also bathe in. The fountains pictured here are up on Capitol Hill and are a delight to walk past in the morning, if my job compels me to go to the Hill in the morning. One fountain is slightly hidden on a plaza between the Senate buildings and the Korean war monument.  I was up there again recently and saw the other more famous fountain with those very nude Neptune and Nymphs boldly splashing in front of the old Library of Congress building. When I got home, the temperature had dropped even more from the 80s into the 70s and it just was so much cooler and more comfortable. There was even a good breeze as well so I watered my plants and the tree in the street and hosed off the birdie doo and flower pollen from the car and generally had a good time squirting water about, pretending to be a water goddess. Thank God for living in a watery zone!