Summer, 2026, II

 Continuing our account of the summer of '26...

Marie

Ken, Susan, Vicki and me

Ken and I have remarkably similar tastes

Rebecca and Penelope at one the favorite shoot-'em-ups

The grandparents' scores reflect their not having
adequately studied Disney game strategies

According to Disney, Halloween begins in August and continues
into November; sort of like Christmas elsewhere

More rain

Food truck at Animal Kingdom

Penelope does ears, Rebecca doesn't; did you know that the official
Disney ratio of ears to face is a variant of the Golden Mean?

Our culinary creativeness continues...Vicki's blue scones...it's a long story,
originating in Paris

Local sentiment

Having sworn our loyalty oaths and signed the non-disclosure forms, we are
now residents of the "Free State of Florida"; note extremely memorable license plate

Wildlife at our apartment complex; not animatronic

Map of my still-favorite ride; at least three Jungle Cruise captains live
in our complex

New pride and joy...a Roland piano graces our solarium...and I am returning
to my youth (musically), although now preferring Cole Porter to Bach/Beethoven/
Brahms; but not Wagner; the stained glass pieces are from Czech churches the
commies took down in the 50s; acquired in Prague 

My Tom Yum shrimp and grits creation...reflecting a new dietary regimen; 
recipe to appear soon at https://artificialartifices.blogspot.com

It was indeed a rainy summer

Summer, 2026, I

After returning to Winter Garden from the UK in late June, we spent the summer entertaining guests, continuing to outfit and decorate our apartment, and planning and preparing for our next trip, a sort of cross-country from Florida to Maine and back. The visitors were daughters Rebecca and Rachel, Vicki's sister Marie, college friends Susan and Ken, and Rebecca and grand-daughter Penelope.

First time we've been together, just the four of us, in a while...

The usual fireworks from our apartment

With my new classic Disney shirt; their visit included presents
and repasts and treats for our birthdays

On the grounds at one of the Animal Kingdom resorts

There, during one of the daily torrential rains

Bread course at the Sanaa restaurant

My curry course; it was a birthday dinner

Dessert

Moving right along, a lunch, with entertainment, in EPCOT/Germany

About to embark on everyone's favorite, Guardians of the Galaxy;
thanks, girls for a great visit

It's Intermission Time, Folks!

We're back home in Winter Garden, still outfitting our apartment, entertaining visiting family and friends,
planning our next adventures...but it's never intermission time at Artifices....

British Out-Takes, 2026, III

At the V&A...linguistic change is so interesting...we had
to ask a docent whether there was a dragon behind the
"hoarding"...turns out hoarding is just "boarding"...a 
wooden barrier

 

Strolling through Belgravia one day...the topiary announcing a 
pretty nice shop..."luxury goods"

One of three windows at an antique camera shop near Victoria Station

So much going on in this shot...

Turn signals embedded in the headlights

Still processing this

Fellow tourists

After hours at the Horse Guards

Poetry stand ..."on any topic...pay what you want"...there now are designated 
buskers' stations at Trafalgar

Sic transit, Gloria...having been replaced in yonder fountain, the old,
worn griffins are now awaiting their fate... The Regent's Park

Nearby sculpture in a business complex

Show curtain look on Oxford Street

Standard British public service

Dressed for Oxford Street

A few blocks from our flat

As an MP, he could walk to work; moved on after he got
the job at the Admiralty

Fellow bus rider..got off at the Churchill 
War Rooms

New signage at the V&A Storehouse...replacing the 
conventional...

Dawn of our last full day...see you again, London!