Opening

 

Opening the Capitol building for visitors in Colonial Williamsburg. Historic interpreters set either the Grand Union flag or, as in the case of the Governor's Palace, the Red Ensign flag outside of venues that are open to the public.

Invasion

 

It's cold outside. Okay, not nearly so cold as in other parts of the country. Still, it's cold enough to warrant sitting down with yet another good book and reading while enjoying a cup of hot tea. 

The book opens with Harding sitting down on the eve of the invasion with his friend and Ukrainian novelist, Andrey Kurkov, for a meal of borscht. Harding is convinced Russia is about to invade. Kurkov isn't. I'm curious to know more.

Mrs. Stoughton

 

Interesting how Henry Hobson Richardson, the architect, preferred working with committees rather than individuals as clients, thinking that the latter were more open to reason. Hugh Howard writes: "Furthermore, the unpleasantness at the Stoughton project . . . had left Richardson with new reservations about working for individuals in general. Committees were one thing; his experience was that differences among a gathering of men could be addressed with sweet reason. But the concerns of private clients were too often dictated by inscrutable emotion." (Howard, pp. 252-53)

Makes me wonder if the renown architect may also have had a problem working with strong-minded women. :-) 

Best Friends

Shadow

 

Looks like it's going to be harder and harder to find one's shadow here in the next few days as rain and, yes, even a chance (small, probably remote) of snow are forecast.

Color

 

Nice to see a little splash of color on an otherwise rainy and cloudy day. Looks like more clouds and rain are on the way for much of this week.

Denial

I think that even the trees now are in denial that this is still only the end of January.