Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

I took a date yesterday to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. We had a picnic lunch and then strolled through the ponds of water lillies and lotuses before walking out onto the boardwalk through Kenilworth Marsh.

The aquatic gardens are one of D.C.'s hidden gems. It's a national park on the edge of the district where the park service grows flowering water lillies and lotuses in man made ponds. I've been a few times now. Each time there has been only a few other people there. On past visits I've seen a variety of birds, turtles, salamanders, and butterflies. On this visit my date and I saw just one small turtle, sitting on a lilly pad, and three muskrats (I wonder whether the park service considers muskrats pests or just part of the ecosystem). Going to the aquatic gardens makes me forget that I'm in D.C. and I feel like I'm in on a well kept secret.

Irreverent Humor

This is one of my favorite jokes:

A crowd was preparing to stone a woman who had been caught committing adultery.

Jesus tried to stop them by saying, “let whoever is without sin among you, cast the first stone.”

Just then a stone came flying from the back of the crowd and struck the woman.

Jesus blurted out, “Mother, I’m trying to make a point here.”

Do They Serve Baby Giant Panda?

Conway Scenic Railroad

The Boy and I drove to North Conway last Saturday just to take a short ride on this historic train.














We purchased tickets to ride in the dome on top of the car pictured above.














The Boy has a book about the Conway Scenic Railroad so he recognized the rail cars and called them by name. When he saw the one in the picture above, he said "there's the Gertrude Stein."

I corrected him, "it's the Gertrude Emma."

Then I asked him "where did you ever hear of Gertrude Stein?"

"I don't know."

I wonder what his mother has been reading to him, or maybe it's his public radio habit.



















It rained all day. The rain got heavier as the day wore on. By the end of the weekend a state of emergency had been declared across the region. Roads and bridges were washed out. Low-lying areas were evacuated due to the threat of flooding. On a rainy Saturday in May riding a train with The Boy was the perfect place to be.

Maine

The Open Road

Carlsbad Caverns