Tonight's picture was taken in May of 2003. Mattie was about a year old and was visiting the Reston Zoo. One of Mattie's favorite places to go. Typically Mattie did not like crowds or a lot of noise. So the National Zoo wasn't a good fit for him. But the Reston Zoo typically wasn't crowded and it welcomed kids in a very hands on way. Mattie was in love with the sheep. It was one of the spots he always wanted to visit at the Zoo. As the Zoo allowed kids to feed the animals and spend as much time as you wanted with them.
Quote of the day: Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. ~ John Muir
I had the opportunity to visit my friend, Mary Ann, in Reston today. With no traffic, Reston is super easy to get to, and takes about 30 minutes. Mary Ann and I met many years ago in graduate school. We immediately appreciated each other when we met in ethics class. One of the assignments was to write on a listserv about the ethical issues and concerns we saw in our daily lives.... more specifically from TV, films, and other media. This class occurred around the time the show ER was being filmed, so we always had a field day on-line talking about the multiple ethical issues we saw during each week's episode. It is funny how an on-line class assignment could produce a friendship, but it did. After all while talking about ethical issues, you are learning a lot about the person sharing thoughts and feelings.
We had a lovely lunch together at the Reston Town Center and then walked through the neighborhood that inhabits what we call "Margaret's rosebush." Margaret was Mattie's preschool teacher and my friend, who died from ALS in 2014. Margaret loved roses and cultivated many in her backyard. Mary Ann knew this, and when Margaret died she sent me a photo of a magnificent rose bush close to the dock where I snapped this photo today. Through various seasons, Mary Ann sends me a photo of this rose bush, as we watch its progression and growth. Somehow doing this keeps Margaret's memory alive. However, in addition to a rose bush, this wonderful neighborhood borders on a man made lake. But check out what was floating by..... a deck boat. I swear this is really a deck that has a rudder and motor attached to it!
1 comment:
Vicki,
What a wonderful gift to receive a picture each year of the rose bush reminding you of Margaret. So very thoughtful of your friend!
I am glad you found the Reston Zoo. I find the National Zoo overwhelming. It is so large that I can understand Mattie's enjoying the one that was hands on and quieter.
Reston is a beautiful place. It is like its own community that has everything. So you might have to go any further than Reston to find what you want. Many other places like Burke were developed with this in mind but it never happened.
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