a day with paul at a museum!

That's him, having just admired one of the roadsters on display in the giant showroom of the Blackhawk Museum.

He's never been there before, but knew it had old cars and knows how much I love those, and knows I love to get culture on my birthday...

so, there we were, good on all counts!

He was trying to make sure I had fun and got to see what I wanted while out on the West Coast...

you know, being the most excellent host he is...

but I kept assuring him I was there to see him and Cathy, and maybe do some things they liked to do...

much as we'd done things I liked to do and gone where I liked to go on their visit here.

So, back to the museum, shall we?

(smile!) 

Speaking of things I love, I think I've found a new car!

Sure, it's trapped in a display, out there in Danville, California, but I've laid claim to it with my butterfly tote bag!

Should they ever decide to vacate its space on the floor, this will serve of proof that I've called dibs.

Of course, I don't know how I'll get it over to this coast, but I'll work on a solution when that problem arises.

Hopefully my invention for teaching chemistry to blind students will be bringing in money by then!

(smile!) 

Speaking of students, this was one of my favorite displays in the exhibit on the top floor of the museum.

Inside this time capsule are four models, constructed by fourth-graders from recyclable materials from their homes, of the Spanish missions in the state.

Very awesome, right?

Even more so, to me as a retired teacher, were the two teen girls who were so delighted to see that the project they'd worked on when younger was on display so prominently!

I was truly thrilled to witness that realization!

(smile!)

I also was thrilled with the depiction of famous women in the "Spirit Of The Old West" exhibit, using cardboard dolls clad in the garb of the day - magnificent!

But, after a little more than two hours, Paul and I had saturated senses and needed a break, and sustenance.

This was the perfect spot for both!

A babbling brook alongside while I scarfed down Brussels sprouts with pancetta and he had mac'n'cheese set us right as rain!

(smile!)

Energy recharged, back to the museum we ventured, our tickets still good for the day!

I started with "Art Of Africa", which, though small, had a nice range of wood carvings and musical instruments.

Take this guitar - I am absolutely sure my ex's best friend, who has about a hundred of that type of axe - most assuredly lacks one like this... and would love to add it to his collection.

As for me, I prefer the assortment of metal works above it.

More cowbell, please!

(smile!)

Then I was off to the doubledecker display for the "World Of Nature", drawn in by the aquarium wall... 

where I proceeded to be lost for probably two hours.

I couldn't swear to that, but I know I was there long enough that Paul came in search of me, to let me know he was done with his exploration and was going to take a nap at the car-viewing area on the second floor.

"Take you r time," he'd said...

and so I did.

(smile!)

How could I not love this left wing of the museum?

In addition to the array of marine life mounted to the upper walls, ceiling, and the walls leading down to the lower floor, the under-the-sea mood lighting utterly captivated me.

The enormous lover level display, though, went on and on and on, with so many animals and so many interactive panels...

it was like some cross between a Rainforest Cafe and a zoo!

One wall was full of these goats and sheep, with the most incredible assortment of horn shapes and styles - wow!

(smile!)

I eventually realized that I'd been down there a while - or so my bladder claimed, lol - and resurfaced, admiring the schools of fish as I did so, of course.

"Into China" I headed, planning to do a quick perusal.

Fortunately, it was not a crowded display.

Not with people, I mean, but with art.

I was able to enjoy clay soldiers and carved, cavorting horses, as well as the city built of delightful marble that had been delicately flourished with swirls.

My last stop was the music room, with so many bells and a video of them being played, alongside this quote.

"To educate somebody, you should start with poems, emphasize ceremonies and finish with music."

Confucius, I so agree!

What an excellent note for ending my adventure - and, yes, that pun was intended! 

(smile!)

I'm so glad that Paul took the day off to share this place with me!

Back we go to his city by the bay, gratefully avoiding the rush hour traffic as we enjoy these views of nature in our magnificent world!

Yes, that was a play on the name of the display I spent the most time in - a little joke!

Here's hoping Cathy has had a successful day of work - after all, she's taking Monday off to be with me!

Bye for now, y'all!

I have different landscapes to enjoy and different air to inhale on this sunny afternoon!

(smile!)

i thank You, God!

the unicorn in the katniss

Hallelujah!
Thrive is back as the caterer!
I so enjoy their vast array of vegetables to munch,
but I like the tidbits, too.
For instance, that tomato pie holding center court
was quite delicious!!!
The crabcake on toast was rather nice, too.
(smile)

It was a rainy night in Georgia, but that didn't bother me a bit on this balmy eve.
The Jepson was sporting a centennial celebration about "Launching Savannah's Art Scene" in 1919.
I was enjoying the works of the Savannah Art Club, including these three pieces, all done by the same artist, all dated 1939.
How puzzling that the artist had such different styles that year, I thought.

Then, while looking to see if this bust was also sculpted by Juliette Gordon Lowe, I was brought to a stop.
It was the image of the same man who'd done the trio of paintings in the opening salon!
How incredible that his likeness had been captured!
Then I realized something else: he had died in 1939.
That meant he'd done the three featured pieces the year he'd died?

Well, not quite, as I learned in the lecture.
Christopher P.H. Murphy had not dated his artwork,
so the pieces bore the latest date possible for their creation - the year of his demise.
The painting of the man was done by his loving son.
Murphy had made sure his children received the art education he'd longed for.
How fortunate that he had the Savannah club as an outlet for his own creativity nature!

And how fortunate that Reverend Anthony Lloyd was there and available for me to share my findings about the artist.
i thank You, God.
Lloyd was actually there on duty in the museum, to make sure folks kept their hands in their pockets while they admired the art.
(Yes, Mama, I kept mine there, just as you always told me to do.)
As we were the only two there, I struck up a conversation about Murphy, by the bust.
Then we had gone over to the paintings and looked at the great difference in their styles that had caught my attention.
That naturally led to me talking about the Monet exhibit of 2018 and the differences in composition and brushwork seen as an artist aged, as I noted in the 2015 exhibit.
Before I knew it, we were talking about chemistry!
We had started with a discussion of perspective and how that alters one's perception of art, leading to our examination of the bust from different angles.
Perception, as I told him, is why several witnesses can be present at the same site of a wreck, but have different recollections of what occurred, based on the angle of their viewing, as well as their personal histories and education.
Then, that word "education" led to us talking about schools and that led to my former profession as a professor.
I then waxed rhapsodic about media misinformation.
"Chemical free", for example, means a vacuum, with no atoms present.
"Chemical", itself, is usually said like it's a bad taste in the mouth, when, without chemicals, we would not exist, as we are composed of a myriad of different molecules.
"All natural" is regarded as a preference, but arsenic and hemlock and lead are each and every one of them "all natural" - and all toxic in small quantities!
He really got a kick out of that and said he'd use it in a sermon.
(smile)
So, of course I turned him onto Penn and Teller's petition to get dihydrogen oxide banned.
He found that to be a hilarious send-up of ignorance...
and a reason for him to educate his congregation, among others.
(smile)
So what if I was fifteen minutes late to the lecture?
I had the opportunity to drop a little science...
and know that lesson would, in turn, be dropped on others.
Hallelujah!

So, here's the end of my tale and there's still been no mention of mythological creatures, huh?
Well, the answer is above, lolling along in the marshy scene.
I almost missed it myself.
I had looked up from my plate of goodies, savoring a mouthful, when the unicorn dipped its horn toward me, as if greeting a friend.
See it, between the blue water drop and fuchsia flower petal?
Right place, right time.
i thank You, God.