Bald Eagle Sighting

This is Wilde Lake.  We have a lovely view of it from our living room and dining room.

Last week as I was standing at this window on the other side of the apartment I saw a bald eagle fly by.  We are on the 11th story so it flew at my eye level which was quite interesting.

Yesterday I walked around Wilde Lake and on the north side a woman told me that the bald eagle was in a tree on the lake.  It was.  What a lovely sight.

This morning as I sat at the dining room table I saw a bird swooping over the lake so I grabbed the binoculars and sure enough it was the bald eagle again.  I watched as it landed in a tree then went for my camera.

These aren't the best pictures for sure.

Next time I'll try to do a better job steadying my hand.

Wild Bird Wednesday

Countdown to Christmas - 19 Days to Go

I shopped for a new Christmas tree in October just as the stores were putting up their displays.  I remembered then that I needed to buy one since we'd sold our very tall one before we moved.

This one is called a pencil tree.  It came with lights.  Besides being slender the size of the box to store it was important because it has to fit in our storage space in the basement of our building.  This one fits perfectly.  Most of the ornaments I kept made it on the tree.

This Christmas tree sits on the front hall table.  It's perfect for that space too.

Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture

Thursday December 1st I had the opportunity to see this newest Smithsonian Museum.  It opened this fall and is very popular.  So popular that you have to obtain a timed ticket to enter.  Tickets are free but very difficult to get on short notice.  Our recreation director here at Vantage House snagged some for the 10 am opening time that day.  Lines were long waiting to enter.  Very strict security measures too just as you pass through the doors.

Here are a few photos that feature the architecture and spaces in the building.  It was much too crowded to take photos of the many exhibits.

The museum is in the shadow of the Washington monument.

Inside is full of light.

Escalators take you up or down.  Below the lobby there is a concourse and then three levels below that is where the history exhibits begin.

Going up is another three levels of culture exhibits.

On the concourse you enter a huge elevator to take you down the three levels.

See what I mean about the crowds.

There are soaring spaces.

One of the Tuskegee Airmen planes.

Lots of videos from as far back as they were made.

The grill work is reminiscent of what was made by African-American craftsmen of New Orleans and Charleston.  It covers the outside of the building.

Chuck Berry's Eldorado.

Here's the outside.  Too big for me to get into one frame from where I was standing.

Well worth the trip.

Joining Tom's Tuesday Treasures

Sackler Gallery - Part 2

In Tuesday's post I mentioned that our trip to the Sackler Gallery had been to see the Turquoise Mountain exhibit.  This exhibit focuses on an effort to renew the traditional artisan skills in Afghanistan.  Turquoise Mountain is a charitable organization funded from many sources.

This exhibit was unusual because we were allowed to touch most everything shown.  The only exception was the jewelry.

One community in Kabul that had been devastated by all the wars was Murad Khani.  This is the focus of Turquoise Mountain's efforts to train new artisans in the old skills that were being lost with the wars.

One of the traditional crafts that had been set aside by the Russian occupation was woodworking.  

This sphere has no nails.

 Wooden screens like this one had multiple purposes.  They kept the hot sunlight out of the house, but let breezes through.  Again no nails in the construction of these.

Carved wood decorates restored houses again.

Jewelry making was another resurrected craft.

Woven carpets.  The one below was done in 4 months time.

Wool and cotton are the materials for carpets.

That one carpet had incredibly intricate patterns.

Even the underside was beautiful.  It was the work of multiple craftpersons.

Other examples hung on the walls.

We had an excellent docent to guide us through the exhibit.  He's on the left.

The last craft was pottery.

Isn't this bowl beautiful?

Men throw the bowls and women incise the design before glazing and firing the bowls.

For more information on Turquoise Mountain visit this site.