Saturday...in the park...and way before the 4th of July

Did I mention it was the most beautiful weekend in the history of time? Everyone was outside, seemingly a block or two away from wherever I happened to be at any moment. Everyone was wearing those outfits they've been dying to wear for over a month now. The swanky South Hill moms were out in full force around Riverfront Park, wearing their white capri pants with perfectly straight creases down the the middle, red sandals and red toenails completely unmussed, and red-and-white boat neck shirts to perfectly match the pants, the sandals, the toes, and oh, how could I forget the purse. It was absolutely disgusting. Me? I was also out in full force wearing a 3-year-old green cardigan over my white shirt, a dark pair of jeans, and floppy Danskos that are in desperate need of repair. Still, they're the most comfortable pair of shoes to stroll the couple miles from my apartment to the center of town.

While I was purusing the science books at Auntie's, I got a text message from little miss Crystal, who was out and about herself. She and Patrick were headed to the park for lunch and, knowing that I was somewhere around the vicinity, she invited me to join. It just so happened that I had a peanut butter sandwich in my bag - an uneaten lunch from the day before - and I found it to be terribly serendipitous.

Isn't this a scene from a technicolor movie circa 1952? When I buy my book at the counter and talk to the salesman, isn't he about to begin a song about spring being in the air, and then I reply with a verse of my own about little birds and people in love, then smile at the man holding the door as I exit the bookstore and burst out with the full chorus as I bound down the sidewalk headed to the park? This must have been filmed before.

Well, I wasn't in a musical, but it was still a lovely lunch. We carefully found our spots to sit by the water so as to avoid the bird poop. We had a nice view of Canada geese, ducks, and this important sign:

 

Oh just look how cute. They couldn't have found a better lunch backdrop if they tried.

 

There were lots more purdy pictures from this day, but the one that really trumps them all is this one. I discovered it just across the street as I arrived back home.