Garden of Lights

Each year the botanical garden in Richmond hosts a Gardenfest of Lights. The grounds are decorated with lights with a botanical theme. Instead of water in the fountain, the frog here looks at a pot of glimmering gold and jewels. Note the great greenhouse in the background. Floating around them are huge butterflies and lights created to look like lilac bushes. Through candycane shaped red and white lights is a children's garden. Instead of rows of grapevines is a maze of muliticolored lights which the children run thorugh. Parents carefully monitor the games while sipping hot chocolate or toasting marshmallows for s'mores.

Wander past the pond and there are lights shaped as trout and notherns diving through the air. Further down are a flock of flamingos and alligators. In front of the great greenhouse is a peacock. This picture was taken using nighttime option on the camera. It is not as good as Emily Law pictures, but it does give you an impression of the lights.

In addition there are roses with lights climbing up arbors and lights highlighting plants still in bloom.

Snow

It snowed in Richmond, Virginia last week. Terry took this picture from the front porch. The snow only lasted a few hours, but suddenly it seemed a lot more like Christmas.

As you can see from the picture, leaves are still on the trees. Where Hibbing has snow, Richmond has leaves. Leaves are raked into the street or by the driveway. Then the City of Richmond sends around trucks with huge vacuums to suck up the leaves and cart them away. The next day more leaves kept on falling and the raking begins again.

Last week a city of lights festival was held at the state capitol. Governor Kaine and his wife turned on the lights for the city and held an open house. While this was going on, a crew from the Richmond Public Library and I helped host a Polar Express party at the train depot. As families walked into the Main Station, they were greated by a conductor who gave them a ticket. Then they were met by an elf who gave everyone a bell. On the upper level was Santa, hot chocolate and cookies. There were more elves singing Christmas songs and the Library crew. We elved (rather than manned) a storytelling area, a make-and-take craft area and hosted a book give away. One of the librarians brought a camel puppet, named Fred. I had the pleasure of helping Fred greet the children and parents. For the most part Fred was very well behaved. He posed for pictures, did not eat anyone's cookies and talked to the children as camels often do. He did become a bit carried away as a dancing fool, when some of the more snappy music was playing. It was a fun evening. I was told I would be invited back again next year.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Terry and I have begun traveling around the state of Virginia, visiting libraries, attending Virginia Library Association Conference and hosting trainings sessions. One of the big plusses for this is to see the Blue Ridge Mountains. These mountains extend along the crest of the southern Appalachian mountains. If you look at them from a distance they look blue, thus the name Blue Ridge Mountains. The mountains are old with rounded peaks which are worn from the blowing winds. Pioneers traveling west found navigating the Blue Ridge Mountains was one of their first challenges.

Traveling in the mountain area even today provides some challeges. The road follows river and creek paths which wind around the mountains. This provides for beautiful scenery, but slow travel. Sudden rain storms can cause flooding. Yet the risks are worth it. I saw a ground hog standing by the side of the road. A bobcat crossed the road in front of our car. At one of the rest stops I took this picture.

More information on the Blue Ridge Mountains may be found at
http://scott.k12.va.us/martha2/Mountains.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Ridge_Mountains

Megan McDonald

Judy Moody Day celebration was held at the Williamsburg Public Library. The amazing Noreen Bernstein hosted the event with Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series. After visiting several schools and appearing on a radio show, Megan McDonald was treated to dinner at the Williamsburg Public Library. I was lucky enough to sit across from Megan during dinner. Megan talked warmly about Therese Bigelow who encouraged her to become a librarian. She also talked about living in Minneapolis, Minnesota and her writing. Besides the Judy Moody series, McDonald has written several picture books, including When the Library Lights Go Out, Ant and Honey Bee: What a Pair!, as well as a several historical fiction books. Megan has written the Julia books for the American Girls series. In preparation for the writing, Megan and a historian provided by American Girls, toured parts of California, listened to songs of the time and provided background information about the 1970s.

In celebration of Judy Moody Day, Megan McDonald signed her new book Judy Moody & Stink: The Holly Joliday, for a lucky child in Hibbing. To enter into the drawing for the book - all you need to do is drop me a note or a picture - mom or dad needs to sign, too. My work address is Children's and Youth Services Consultant. Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond VA 23219.

P.S. The mail man in the book is named Jack Frost. Megan's mailman in Minnesota was named Jack Frost.

P.S.S. Thank you OH and CH for the picture of the sunflower. It sits on my desk at work.

The Adventure Begins

I once heard this advice given to someone leaving Minnesota. "You are from Minnesota. This is a good thing. People from Minnesota are nice. If you ever get lost or lonely simply stand at a street corner and make the sound of a loon. Other Minnesotans will hear you and come to your aid."

I left Minnesota. I now live in Richmond Virginia. I brought with me a toy loon, which I bought at Grand Rapids Forest History Center. It makes the sound of a loon. The loon will go with me on my adventures through Virginia and beyond.