Sunday, August 30, 2015

Out With the Old, In With the New



Yeah! We picked up our new dinghy recently. For those of you who don’t live on boats, think of it as the family car when you live in a place with long distances and no public transportation. It’s indispensable…if you ever want to get off the boat, that is, without swimming or pulling into a marina. We realized just how indispensable it was when our dinghy was stolen in the Dominican Republic a few years ago and we had to beg rides ashore. Generally dinghies last a long time; the one stolen was more than ten years old. However, the cheap replacement dinghy we bought in the DR started to leak at the seams last year. Chris would no sooner patch one when a new one would go. Finally, all three seams on the bow split, and an inflatable dinghy with no inflation isn’t much good to anyone.* Luckily, while attending the Boston Boat Show this winter, we found a new dinghy at a good price, and we just picked her up. Isn’t she a beaut? There’s even a small forward locker where we can put groceries or clean laundry so they won’t get wet on the way back to Mr Mac. Woo hoo! (Yes, I’m easily pleased.) We look forward to many years scooting across the water on her.

*Except the guys who were pleased as punch to come and take a free deflated dinghy off our hands. I guess they’re going to use it as a project.

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Assorted DC Sights

Looove dinosaurs!
Hope Diamond
I loved the juxtaposition of the sculpture and flag at the Museum of American History



Rockets at the Air and Space Museum

Monday, August 24, 2015

Sci Fi Exhibit in DC



It was rather apropos that during this, our con season, the Museum of American History was hosting the exhibit Fantastic Worlds: Science and Fiction 1780-1910. This period was rich in scientific advancement and discovery, inspiring writers to twist the new knowledge into fascinating fiction. For example, the emerging sciences of chemistry and electricity inspired Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The exhibit discussed the influence of exploration on land and sea, of geology and fossils, astronomy, aeronautics, industrial mechanization, and more, on people’s imaginations. If you have a chance, check out this terrific exhibit.



Creepy little crawling baby doll

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Freaky Art in DC




So, we walked all over DC for a couple of days, visiting museums. En route, there are several sculpture gardens that we strolled through. Is it just me, or do these sculptures make you feel like you’re in a D&D or Pathfinder bestiary? Not that that’s a bad thing – I quite like it – but I don’t know how many others share my odd tastes.