North Point, Reston, VA
This is where I first came to know Reston. Seventeen years ago. Ruth and I lived in townhouse on Autumn Ridge Circle just behind North Point and frequented this center for everything from cellular phones, to groceries to (of course!) ice cream.
I had not been there in quite a while but had occasion to visit today to get some slides scanned and placed on disk. We had used FotoImage 1 Hr to process all our film back in the day and I figured they could handle the scans so I dropped in for that purpose. I was expecting them to say come back in a couple of days but instead got a come back in an hour response. Worked for me.
Maura had recently given me a Starbucks gift card and it’s right next door to the photo shop so I wandered over for coffee. Sitting outside watching people gobbling ice cream was too much so I also ambled into Baskins & Robbins for a cup of sherbet which I took back outside to devour. It was turning into a one hour – 1000 calorie turnaround.
I was pleasantly surprised when Heather came strolling down the walk with her two children and stopped by to chat for a few minutes. I think I’ve always had a secret crush on her since first becoming acquainted 3-4 years back. And as I told her today on those far too few occasions our paths do cross now, she somehow manages to become even more visually appealing than each preceding meeting. A bright and very engaging young woman. Given the 1/2 dozen generations age difference I’ve relegated the attraction to a geriatric disorder.
Still….
It popped into my head that I should do a portrait shot of Heather (given permission) and make it my contribution to the Project 365 for Day 36. But I didn’t have my canon with me and I was also attracted by what did become the picture that you see here. I’ll have to get back to Heather someday when she’s not hopping back and forth cross the Atlantic. Particularly since she grows mysteriously better looking with age. 🙂
I spent a lot of time with Ruth in the location from which this image was taken. Today had not started out all that great. I am feeling the pressure to get all my stuff in order before launching the road trip and stress is no longer my thing. So sitting here on an extremely pleasant day sipping coffee and wolfing down sorbet while awaiting my scans had a relaxing effect on me. I tried a few versions of this image as a panorama but ultimately decided on what you see. This was captured with an iPhone and edited with an app called Mobile Monet. I’ve used it for some previous posts and enjoy the effect. It could not have been a much better day weather wise but if it had been, it would have looked just like this. Believe me.
RichardBeGone 