Happy 280th Birthday, Mr. Washington!

We sent our East Coast correspondent / tech guru, Jon Tashman, to take a walk around the grounds of Mount Vernon on a drizzly February day to see what it would have felt like to be George on his birthday.

Front of the house

Sheep grazing

Summer Vacation Highlights: Boston & Cambridge, part II

Harvard Campus, Tuesday at noon

Fermob furniture scattered around 

children playing in Tanner Fountain by Peter Walker, Farmer's Market behind

Summer Vacation Highlights: Boston & Cambridge, part I

Glass Flowers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History

Created between the years of 1887 and 1936 in Dresden, Germany made entirely from glass, wire and metal oxide, this is one of the most stunning displays of botanical knowledge in existence.  The 847 species collection was created as a teaching aide for the Botanical Museum.  The craftsmen were  Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka, a father and son team of glass artisans who came from a long line of jewelry makers.  This exhibit has been available to the public since 1893.

Not surprisingly, California natives make a good showing in the exhibit - off hand, there were at least 50-60 different species in display, including cacti.  Here are a few favorites (shown with an example of a living plant for comparison)...

Encelia californica, California Sunflower