May tree planting

When I interviewed arborist Rochelle Smith for an article in the Island Dispatch about the November 10 tree planting, she told me that each person should plant fifteen trees in a lifetime, just to replace the oxygen used by breathing.
A tree that is planted is also a visible reminder of something that a person has done to help make the world a better place. Trees offer shade on a hot, sunny day. In the spring, a flowering tree provides beautiful blossoms. In the fall, a fruit tree provides something delicious and nutritious for humans, birds, and animals.
People write poems about trees.
And, yes, I'll even hug a tree!!
On May 10th, I got the chance to enjoy my second tree-planting experience. This time, we planted 17 trees on the Grand Island right-of-way. Once again, the tree planting experience was part of Re-tree WNY, the organization formed in November 2006 to replace the trees that were lost during the "October Surprise" snowstorm.
I had three partners for my tree-planting experience: Nicole Gerber, her niece Caitlin Conlon, and Town Supervisor Peter McMahon. We planted two trees: a crab apple tree and a pear tree. In addition to planting the trees, we also attached special plastic bags to the sites of all new trees planting since November. These bags get filled with water, which seeps into the ground through small holes at the bottom. That ensures that, through the summer, all of the young trees get a good drink and are able to grow strong, healthy roots. It is this extra attention that will ensure that the trees will survive to grow into tall, strong shade trees.
In the picture above, you'll see one picture with Rochelle Smith instructing the group in how to plant a tree via the "bare root" method. Another picture is of Caitlin and the supervisor planting a tree. A third is of Nicole and Caitlin working on the same tree. The fourth is of Caitlin and me placing the watering bag around the new tree. The last picture is of Caitlin and a flowering crab apple tree, which she, Nicole, and I planted in November.
Three of these pictures were also published in the May 16 issue of the Island Dispatch.

Catholic Workers

When I was in Washington, D.C., I stayed at the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker house. The folks who live in this house do a lot of stuff together, such as hold weekly vigils at the Pentagon and at the White House. Their regular presence at these places, regardless of weather conditions, is a reminder to anyone who sees them that the government must change its policies, from war and power to human rights and life.
The Catholic Workers also live out their commitment to human rights and to life by providing assistance to the community. Every Wednesday, they give away donated clothing and food that they collect from a variety of locations. Some of the food is rescued from an imminent trip to the garbage, where it had been designated by businesses because it is not quite perfect. As an example, the tomatoes might have small spots. The food is still perfectly good to eat and nutritious. Other food that is collected comes from caterers, who made too much for their parties. They have to either throw out or give away the food. I think that give away is a much better option. Since I got to eat some of this food at lunchtime, when we were finished with the giveaway, I can say that the food is very delicious! I enjoyed eating salmon and a salad!
The pictures above feature Kathy Boylan and Art Laffin with a group of visitors to the house; writer Colman McCarthy; and Eda and Daniel.
All visitors to the house enjoyed bringing home fresh vegetables and other foods!

Chinatown

On the day that I went to visit the National Building Museum, I also had a few other adventures. One of them was a walk through Chinatown. I went to Chinatown to look for (what else?) lunch! I found that, at a restaurant called "Chinatown Express." This restaurant is very interesting to look at from the street because a man stands right next to the window, making dumplings. People enjoy watching the man prepare the dumplings. He must have been doing that for some time because he never appears to make a mistake and all of his dumplings pretty much look alike.
I had a big bowl of soup, filled with noodles and seafood and scallions. That was absolutely delicious. And it was economical, too. My very filling and very tasty lunch cost me approximately six dollars. That is very cheap, compared to a hot dog stand near the Smithsonian, where a hot dog, potato chip, and soft drink combo costs approximately eight dollars (ouch!).
After my lunch, I went to the National Portrait Gallery, where I viewed the paintings. Then I went to the Luce Foundations Center for American Art, where I went to a sketching class. The focus of the sketching class was heads and bodies. The group got to see examples of famous artists' sketchbooks. Then we had an hour to make our own pictures. Afterwards, we had some opportunity to discuss our pictures. It was fun. I found out that these sketching classes are held once a week, on Tuesday afternoons. The instructor told me that, anytime I am in Washington, D.C., to be sure to come to the class!

Francisan Monastery Gardens

The Franciscan Monastery Gardens provide a peaceful setting for quiet contemplation or for drawing and painting. Many reminders of spirituality can be found within this area. Inside the semi-enclosed corridors, plaques hang, with the Ave Maria written in numerous languages, some of which are not spoken anymore, such as Old English. On the grounds of the gardens are statues and small chapels, as well as the Stations of the Cross.
The grounds of the Franciscan Monastery Gardens are beautifully maintained. The atmosphere is contemplative, as well as scenic.

Smithsonian gardens

During my "tourist time" in Washington, D.C., I visited two gardens in the Smithsonian Institution. One was a butterfly garden and the other was a botanical garden. Both were full of vibrant flowers that were either at full bloom or almost there. The day that I chose for my "garden time" was very warm, about 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1 degrees celsius) and very sunny. Other tourists walked through the gardens and took pictures of one another.
These gardens are good places for relaxation, reading, drawing, painting, and reflection. They are peaceful refuges in a busy city!

National Building Museum

On Tuesday, May 6th, I had an interesting adventure at the National Building Museum. The main focus of this museum is architecture, although there are also fascinating displays of how Washington's infrastructure was designed. I had the chance to take a guided tour of the building. The guide, Lloyd, talked about the man who designed the building, Montgomery Meigs. He was an engineer who had designed the city's aquaduct system. He was also a soldier who served as Quartermaster General during the Civil War, and he attained the rank of Brigadier General in the Union Army. Meigs designed the building to be a tribute to the Union soldiers who fought in the war. There are many images of union troops, especially in the belt section of the exterior of the building. The troops represented include quartermasters, hospital corps, infantry, and sailors. No confederate troops are depicted. The structure originally served as an office for the national pension program, that provided aid for returning veterans and for widows and orphans. There were many widows and orphans, due to the high casualty rate of the Civil War.
The basis for Meigs was Italian Renaissance architecture. Very notable in this building are the tall columns. There are three types of columns in the building... Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.
All in all, it was a fascinating tour. I also had the chance to draw in my sketchbook prior to the start of the tour!

Alice meets the Pope!

Here I am with Pope Benedict XVI outside of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. The picture was taken on Sunday, May 4 when this absolutely realistic, yet wax, pope was visiting the church.
I enjoyed attending St. Patrick's. I had the opportunity to sing with the choir, directed by Ronald Stolk. That was very enjoyable. It was a special treat to listen to him improvise on the organ.