Washington DC

Locations:             National Museum of Natural History

When:                   mid December

Miles traveled:     ?

Price of gas:         NA     
High point:           Moai (stone figure)
Low point:            Stress learning metro system

One thing learned: Truth to saying, "Cold hands, warm heart"

 

Moai

    My visit to the Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. started with a ride on the metro.  Being a privileged individual with little experience of navigating public transportation (airplanes not included), figuring out which line to take, how much it costs and what times it runs, was stressful.  But in the end, riding the metro was very easy, especially since I stayed on one line the entire way.  It was nice being able to people watch and relax, rather than focusing on driving and arriving at a certain time.  Also, driving scenic routes are not as enjoyable when I am always driving and cannot look around at the scenic views. 

Side view, as thick as a person

    The first exhibit I saw at the museum was a moai from Rapa Nui (Easter Island).  It is my understanding that the moai was an original from the island and not a reproduction, and that there are a few styles of varying size.  The figure I saw was made from volcanic tuff, which is easy to carve.  They represented ancestors and were spiritually activated during ceremonies when eyes carved from coral and red scoria were placed in the eye sockets.  It was cool to see a moai in person, and I was surprised at it's short size and thickness.

 

 

Tufted Titmouse

     The next exhibit was "Birds of DC".  It was sort of interesting at the time, and my photos are more interesting now that I've seen Tufted Titmouse in Alabama.  I did not know what type of bird it was, until I looked back through my D.C. photos and recognized it.  I walked past the museum's closed butterfly pavilion, stuffed mammals (photos below), garden lounge, and briefly as the museum was closing, the human origins exhibition.  There is a painting of a plain tiger butterfly in 3,500 year old Egypian fresco.  It is one of the oldest examples of butterflies in art.  Piranhas are not as hazardous to humans as depicted in movies.  Movies like drama, danger, and suspense, and non-blood thirsty piranhas are less interesting for movies.  I saw a puffer fish slowly inflate and deflate, but it did not inflate to a "full balloon" size.  I did not see an alxolotl.  From a science perspective, "cold hands, warm heart", means the body is conserving energy by restricting blood flow to extremities, which keeps other vital organs warmer.  This saying is one my grandmother often told me, because my hands were not much warmer than her's.  I like the saying, I just wish my body did not need to conserve energy.

 

    Two and a half months into this adventure, I'm getting a better handle on this life style.  While as of December, I'm still planning where to sleep in each state one week in advance, I've gotten better at doing this earlier in the previous week.  Federal and state campgrounds are my first choice for sleeping locations and they usually meet my budget requirements.  Finding a new grocery store, laundromat, church, library, and social gathering each week has also become easier with experience.  I use google maps to find most of those aforementioned places.  Other apps including Gasbuddy, Meetup (for social events), and NPS (info on national parks) are also helpful.  While these applications are helpful, I feel like I use my phone too much, and am trying to stop browsing the internet on my phone.  I think this is an endeavor that will take many attempts before long term success. 

   

Willendorf Venus is much smaller than I expected, if it is an accurate reproduction.  I thought it would be larger than my hand.

Chinese panoglin

Northern river otter

Grasshopper mouse weighs less than one tablespoon of sugar, but looks as big as a chipmunk.