A loose roof shingle atop the reconstructed Greenhouse Slave Quarters (1951) in the Upper Garden at Mount Vernon.

3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Virginia: 04 July 2014

part of the Mount Vernon album

---

In general, I do not care for April Fools' Day mischievousness and misdirection. However, Mount Vernon's "Klingon Visitation Guide" (webpage and video) is amusing and quite unexpected.

I shared my discovery of this material last Saturday with Erik and Lauren via email. They live in Alexandria, Virginia — about eleven miles north of Mount Vernon — and came along during my visit there in 2014.

Beyond sharing the Klingon links, this seemed like a good opportunity to develop and publish a few photographs from that visit.

Sunlight beams through a window near a wooden chair and an antique sewing machine in the first floor master bedroom of the Carlton House (1885) at Cracker Country (1978).

4800 U.S. Route 301, Tampa, Florida: 17 February 2017

part of the Florida State Fair 2017 album

The Pacific Ocean and sky visible through a window in the fog signal building at Pigeon Point Lighthouse (1871).

210 Pigeon Point Road, Pescadero, California: 27 November 2015

part of the Pacific Coast Highway album

Track, signaling equipment and the railroad bridge over the Suwannee River near crossing 623389S at CSX Milepost SP 728.12, part of the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad, just outside of Suwannee River State Park.

River Road, Live Oak, Florida: 24 November 2016

part of the Suwannee River State Park 2016 album

---

Blackberry lily flower (Iris domestica) covered in rainwater droplets at Bok Tower Gardens (1929).

1151 Tower Boulevard, Lake Wales, Florida: 23 May 2015

part of the Bok Tower Gardens 2015 album

---

A plant of many names, Iris domestica is a herbaceous perennial native to parts of Asia and now found here in several central and eastern states. It is commonly known as blackberry lily — for the seed clusters it produces in late summer — as well as leopard lily and leopard flower. Additional scientific name synonyms include Belamcanda chinensis and Gemmingia chinensis.

This specimen of blackberry lily flower on the grounds of Bok Tower Gardens was freshly covered in rainwater droplets. The showers this day were brief and localized, just enough to sprinkle the gardens but not enough to keep us from exploring.