Rock Creek Park Stables

On Saturday, Graham, Julia and I visited Rock Creek Park's cozy and small planetarium...lots of little children shouting out the wrong answers to the uber-patient Ranger Tony's questions. It was very funny, but enlightening at the same time. Meaning, we all learned a thing or two.

After that, we walked over to the stables to visit the horses. We were fortunate enough to meet Sue, a volunteer, who gave Graham and Julia each an apple as well as several peppermints to feed the horses. She patiently introduced us (lots of patience with the Rock Creek crowd!) to numerous horses...Julia shrunk back, initially, but she started to enjoy the 4-legged animals after a couple licked peppermints off of her hand (Sue carefully held the children's fingers, so the horses would not 'mistake your fingers for carrots'--a detail that Graham repeated to Terence later)...it was slobbery, it was messy--

In short, it was fun. The horses also gobbled the apples out of the children's hands...then, later, the children and I watched a couple of young girls take lessons in the barn.

It was freezing! But later that evening, as we ate the spaghetti with pesto and scallops -- a dish that both Graham and Julia helped me make -- and sipped hot cocoa with marshmallows...the day made for a good memory.

Volunteer Sue helps Graham feed a horse

Julia and Volunteer Sue pose near a horse