Recent Haps: Rhode Island, Festival of Activist Bands, Maine, and Never Making It to the MFA

So the last bits.

We went to Providence: it's uphill both ways.

We took the train.  They were concerned for our safety -- there were lots of signs.  Providence is home to the oldest Baptist congregation, established in 1638.  This building was completed in 1775.  We also found a fish light.

We found a cow too.  Whoever "Hoes" is gets progressively less sure about their identity.  The fountain was commissioned by Paul Bajnotti for his dead wife, but I like to think he was the Italian inventor of the banjo.  Then we happened upon this other statue in a park -- he looks like he's laying down some beatz for downtown Providence.  Super-bonus: we found a craft festival!

Apparently Providence sets the river on fire in the summer/fall.  They blare New Age, Native American, and Celtic music and light these big, floating fire pits.  It's pretty neat.

We found this boat in a park.  We took ridiculous photos, just because.  You could take a gondola ride on the river (why you would do this I don't know), but you can see the floating fire pits before they were lit.

The capital.  They were having some kind of breast cancer event so it glowed pink.  And the train ride back after a successful day of exploring.

When I got home there was a New Orleans style band event going on at the train station.  As it turns out, this led into a parade the next day.  Honk: The Festival of Activist Bands puts on a killer parade.

My favorite group (not pictured) was Colonel Pope and the Hartford Hot Several.

And then we went to Maine, where I had a love affair with reflections:

A really, really good use for the panorama setting on my camera.

No photoshopping

No photoshopping

I've decided to transfer to the New England conference on the condition that I get to live in either the little white house, or one of the houses across the inlet.  I'll let you know how that goes once I propose it to the DS here.

No photoshopping.  The reflections!

The reflections!

Acadia National Park, closed due to bipartisan idiocy.

Reflections of everything, including the grass!

The reflections -- gah!  Easily one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

Then on Friday Sarah and I were going to go to the Museum of Fine Arts for something fun and free to do, but instead we got BBQ and talked all afternoon, which, though not free, was way more fun.

It's been a wonderful 10 days or so, but midterms are coming up (already?) and I've gotta get back to work before I get behind.  Heading back to CA this week -- looking forward to seeing the whole clan!