I am Just Friendly . . . .

. . I have always viewed myself as a friendly, outgoing and inquisitive person.  I usually don't have any problem going up to strangers and asking a question or engaging in a conversation about what we are looking at or camera gear, etc.

We were en-route to Monticello and  stopped into Richmond to drive around  the City and especially  to visit the Robert E. Lee Memorial.  Couldn't find the memorial, but we did find the Capitol Building.  These folks should know . .. they look like they are grounds keepers for the Capitol and obviously should know the area.

They were busy working away getting the grounds manicured as Stephen Spielberg was shooting a movie in Richmond and the whole City was in chaos.  The Capitol especially was getting some special attention due to some of the requirements of the time period of the movie shoot.

Sooo I marched, with a fair amount of purpose, right up to the grounds keepers who were all working diligently away at manicuring the flower beds.

Virginia State Capitol Building . .. . Richmond, Virginia

Good Morning gentlemen . . . . would any of you happen to know where the Robert E. Lee memorial is?


     Oh ma'am you can't walk there . . you have to go to such and such an intersection and the place is all tore up 'cause of this movie. But while you are here, there is a marvelous statue of George Washington just behind the Capitol Building and with yo' big camera yo' should like that.

Off I ran to go and find this nugget as George Washington is special too.  Wouldn't you know it, my blasted battery died, so I had to quit shooting way sooner than I intended. 



Here's George . .. .Washington that is





I came back down the walkway and down the many steps and stopped again and spoke with the gentlemen . . . told them thank you for pointing me to the statue and to have a nice day.  As I get to the bottom of the steps, there is a lady sitting there in something like a golf cart and dressed in a uniform.  Gave her a big smile and she made a lovely comment about my wedding rings.  At that moment Lynn strolled over and asked her if she was about to arrest me . . . I then noticed that her badge said "Department of Corrections" . . .. looked up at the men working and noticed that they were indeed all dressed alike . . . blue with orange suspenders.  That would most likely be a uniform . . . . .

LIGHT BULB GOES ON . . . I had just been having a lovely conversation with the incarcerated and the lady in the cart was their guard.  


No wonder they looked so surprised when I actually stopped and talked to them.


Told ya' . . .. I am just friendly.