Proof that I am actually in Washington

The very crowded South Lawn at the White House on Monday for the annual Easter Egg Roll.

We did not attend.

The Common Morpho

I spent the most time chasing these frustrating little guys around the butterfly room.

The underside of their wings has a beautiful pattern in browns and golds, but the top is this brilliant blue. Unfortunately as soon as they touched down they tended to close their wings and keep them closed, as in the top photo where several of them are hanging out on a piece of pineapple.

I really wanted a picture of the blue wings, and while none of these are great, I did, quite literally, sweat for them.

More flutterbyes

Monarch

Well, this was unexpected. I went to the Natural History museum to see an exhibit of award-winning travel photographs. The photos were wonderful, but I spent more time in the butterfly room, despite heat, humidity and more than one screaming child who was terrified by the big bugs flying everywhere.

I wasn't prepared to take macro photos on this trip, but some of the butterfly shots came out better than I thought they would. Here's a monarch sipping oh so delicately from a delicious pink flower.

More Easter Sunday pictures

Easter pastoral

It turned out that I could eat again after all. Yesterday we had a late brunch in Fairfax, then spent the afternoon driving through the countryside of Northern Virginia.

How ridiculously beautiful is this? It was just a perfect day -- we sang Take Me Home, Country Roads in the car, stopping for the occasional photo, wandered through village streets ducking in and out of little shops, and had tea in Georgetown instead of dinner.

Sunday bird blogging

Happy Easter to all who celebrate -- here's a redwing blackbird in Central Park.

I am suffering from a food hangover this morning after an amazing Passover-Easter celebration at a restaurant called Gravitas. Fifteen people, six courses with paired wines, and lots of laughter and lively conversation. I can't drink much these days, so I had only a taste of most of the wine, but the food was exquisite -- savory matzo ball soup with shaved truffles, poached halibut with chive vinaigrette, and a rabbit dish that was one of the best things I ever ate.

But I'm definitely not used to feasting until midnight, and I'm moving very slowly this morning. I threw on enough clothes to visit the Starbucks down in the lobby, then immediately returned to bed with my laptop, my coffee, and a chocolate Easter egg.

I may emerge before noon. We'll see.

Saturday reflections

Here's something a little different -- a park bench by the Azalea Pond in Central Park reflected in the water.

Yes, I'm in Washington not New York, but don't have any pictures to post yet. We had a long bus trip down the gray, grim, and very wet Eastern Seaboard yesterday, but today was such a perfect spring day I didn't even miss the cherry blossoms.

Lights, camera, action

I was going to call this urban poetry, but it isn't really, even by my very loose definition.

I went to a television taping last week -- one of the perks of being retired in New York -- and these are the lights on the ceiling of the studio.

It was fun, and they gave everyone in the audience a huge bag of L'Oreal products, so I won't be running out of shampoo any time in the next year.

Urban poetry

Garbage bins outside brownstones on West 57th Street.

Speaking of pretty pink flowers...

I'll be in DC next week -- unfortunately, that's two weeks past peak cherry blossom.

Fortunately, peak cherry blossom in Central Park is right now.

Astronomy Tuesday

Here's a pretty pink rose for this beautiful spring day. This is the Rosette Nebula in Monoceros (the Unicorn.)

Image Credit and Copyright: Jean Dean