28 September 2008

New frontiers in cat-feeding

Zellie's feeding cage Zellie's feeding cage

It's time to revisit the idea of Pumpkin becoming smaller. Zellie, however, is less smitten with the idea of counter-top eating than she was in the house in Ferndale, so that is out the window. I came across the feeding cage idea on the Internet and it seems to be working so far. I got a small cage and made the opening a little smaller by using a piece of wood that is wired to the bars of the cage. Giselle can get inside and eat anytime she wants, but Pumpkin can't. I was surprised at how narrow I had to make the opening -- a hungry and determined Pumpkin can make himself rather small. At first I was worried that Giselle would eat all of Pumpkin's food, but I rarely see her eat from his dish anymore. Both critters seem happy with the arrangement.

21 September 2008

National = Impressive?

Capitol Columns at National Arboretum
Today I met up with some people and went to the National Arboretum. Like most attractions with the word "National" in front of them, this was very impressive. We didn't even see everything. Atop a small hill in the center of a field these columns are standing in a group. They used to hold up part of the US Capitol until they were replaced with marble in the 1800s; now they stand out here and look stately all day.

We also visited the herb garden and the bonsai exhibit.

OrangeMelange Bonzai
Oh yeah, and there was a big Koi pond so I had to trick them into nibbling my finger with their rubbery lips. :)
Koi NOM

18 September 2008

It's time to cut the ribbon


I can't believe that only five months ago I was part of the 8am parade of Michigan-plated Audis and VWs wandering to work in a building that was only about 25% finished. Now the building is totally done, everyone has found places to live, and most of us have Virginia plates of one kind or another. And this week there were people with large scissors there to cut the ribbon.

Lobby view from above It's a VW Thing ... Literally.

07 September 2008

Saturday showers bring Sunday Quilt Shows

Sully Quilt Show Hanna left us as suddenly as she arrived, and I was amazed at how quickly everything dried out again. I decided to visit the Sully Plantation since it is right by my apartment, and was pleasantly surprised to find a quilt show. It is held the Sunday after Labor Day every year, rain or shine. I'm so glad (for their sake) that Hanna was on Saturday and not Sunday!

I want to go back sometime when there's not a quilt show to see more of the history of the place. It was built in the late 1700s. Sully Quilt Show Sully Quilt Show

01 September 2008

Richmond

Richmond

This weekend I fought the Labor Day traffic to visit Richmond, just because it's there. I took this picture from the grounds of what used to be a large Confederate hospital but is now a Visitor Center in a neighborhood that has seen better days. It reminded me very much of Detroit. I want that house on the right that is in the middle of being renovated. And hey, there's the Beetle! Show off your new plates, little Beetle.

Uber Qte

I didn't do much, but I drove around to see what was there. I did visit the Tredegar Iron Works which used to make many things in its life (flour, wool, railroad parts), but is most famous for making cannons for the Confederacy. Now, while the upper two floors are dedicated to displaying boring relics of the war, on the lower floor they produce ... couch potatoes.

Well-behaved museum-goers
1,000 ton press 1,000 ton press

Outside there was a massive 1,000 ton press! It was made in Toledo, which made it even more exciting. This was used to make railroad parts. Look -- that's where all of the squishing happens.

The building itself looks very distinctive from the outside. The bottom floor is the original construction from the early 1800s when it was a mill, the middle floor is from when it was reconstructed as an iron works, and the top floor is a different color because it had to be rebuilt after a fire in the late 19th century. Very neat. Again, I was ready to move in. They're kind of attached to it though.

Not shown: it was really freakin' hot out. We finally got some rain, thanks to tropical storm Faye, but that just made it even more humid. Autumn can't come soon enough for me.

Tredegar Iron Works
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