Must We Fall Back?

Could it stay this weather for a few more months?

It's so beautiful out there and at 81 degrees, a practically perfect temperature for someone like me who gets cold easily.

Not happy to be inside, I called up a restaurant friend I knew was off today and we made plans to meet up at the VMFA Boulevard entrance (always).

He hadn't seen Mocha Dick or the Tobacco Project, so we did those first.

He remarked on the swing between the two ("Wow! A cigarette rug and a life-sized whale?"), but I see them both as representative of the unique offerings that characterize the new VMFA.

We wanted to see the print exhibit "Temples and Shrines in Japan: Woodblock Prints hy Kawase Hasui," and I marveled at how many of the prints showed the stark contrast of snow over vibrant colored buildings.

But the main point in going was to fully explore the sculpture garden, which I hadn't yet done.

I'm a big fan of Maillot's "La Riviere" with its reclining female figure and got a kick out of Arman's "Captain Nemo's Accumulation," a collection of propellers.

But while I'd seen the cascading water stairway, I'd not yet walked up and down the steps beside it.

Nor had I seen the bank of little water fountains near the top of the hill. They resembled exploding champagne bottles to me, each spewing forth with a celebratory froth.

At the top of the hill, we sat down on the lone bench overlooking the garden but with a limited view of it.

We heard the bugle at nearby Benedictine High School signaling the last formation of the day.  In the clear afternoon air, it floated over the sounds of water surrounding us.

Walking back down the hill, we chose the spots where future sculpture should be placed, should the VMFA want our opinion.

After a leisurely time in the garden, we still weren't ready to go back inside, so we strolled over to Curbside to sit on their patio and soak up the perfect October afternoon.

He enjoyed a bacon burger while I sipped a Sauvignon Blanc and we compared Folk Fest experiences in the sunshine.

Curbside is not a regular hangout for me, but on an exquisite autumn afternoon with only one other couple on the patio with us, it was practically perfect.

Really, just a few more months of this would be fine. Say, maybe through February?