Once again I’m a little slow in posting my monthly shot for 007: Snap a Dozen Days. This is my August contribution:

“The Silver Tree,” or just “The Tree,” is known to lesser mortals by its original name, “Cluster of Four Cubes.” George Rickey created this kinetic sculpture so that each cube would move and twirl slowly with even the slightest breeze.

On three August Fridays, I got to head down to the National Gallery of Art to partake of their Jazz in the Garden series in the sculpture garden. There are probably a thousand people who show up each week, so it’s a good idea to have a pre-established meeting point if you’re joining friends. Ours is The Tree.

As I’ve mentioned before, the music is really just an excuse for a picnic at the end of the workweek. We bring cheese and crackers and fruit and hummus and pita and drinks and contraband wine, which the powers that be forbid you from bringing so they can sell it to you instead. (Really, I do understand. I mean, they’re giving us the concert for free. We ought to pay in something… And if they asked us for a donation, we’d probably be happy to give. This way it’s just the principle of overcharging us for something many of us have at home already.)

This shot was taken toward the end of the night of August 31, the final Jazz in the Garden for the season. We’d had a huge crowd show up — probably 20 of us in our group — and the only person from our group you can see is Julia, in the right foreground of the shot, whom I probably blinded taking this shot. All those other people? Don’t know them. But I appreciate their taste in picnic venue.

Earlier shots in the 007 series: July, June, May, April, March, February, and January.