I thought as long as we were down there anyway, we might as well take a walk down to Point State Park and see the duck, as preposterous as I thought it was that there was a 40-foot-tall duck docked in Pittsburgh's rivers.
The History Center was first on the day's itinerary. While I hadn't been there in several years I always love a visit to this museum. Its beautifully designed displays are all about Pittsburgh, which conveniently happens to be my favorite city and my hometown.
We saw the very impressive Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum (a museum within a museum) for the first time. This is a real treat even for those with the most passing interest in sports. It featured sports like bocce ball and rowing right alongside all things Pirates, Steelers and Penguins, and had a whole section that explored what actually constitutes a sport. Fascinating stuff.
But the highlight of the visit to me was the special exhibit featuring the artistry of Pittsburgh native Burton Morris. Morris' Pop Art is so called not just because of the genre he works in, but because his art captures pop cultural themes and the bright colors and techniques he uses make the images he produces pop off the canvas, sometimes literally (in the traditional sense of that word). I couldn't get enough of it - I loved one image more the next. Burton Morris' art made me very very happy.
Next up was the day's raison d'être - lunch with JJ and his lovely lady. It was the first time we saw them since their engagement. It was wonderful sharing their excitement, hearing about the very beginning of their planning process, and of course seeing the beautiful ring on her finger, where it clearly belongs. Our happiness grew watching their joy.
Just in case we forgot we were in Pittsburgh while we were there, a Slovak group was having a Beer Tasting with entertainment by an accordion player in the restaurant while we lunched.
Then we were off to see the 40 foot tall rubber duck that the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust brought to town to kick off its Festival of Firsts. Pittsburgh is the first city in the United States to host the duck, which is the brainchild of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman.(http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php/featured-news/metro/17748-40-foot-rubber-duck-arrives-in-pittsburgh)
The only reason that the Duck wasn't the biggest news in the Burgh this October was because the Pirates were in the playoffs. People are flocking to the Point to see the Duck and get their picture taken with it. Pictures of it are EVERYWHERE. I couldn't believe all the fuss over what is essentially just a big rubber ducky. Frankly, I thought it was all kind of ridiculous.
However, since we were downtown anyway, I thought we should check it out - you know because it was there, and so I could say that I did. It was a beautiful day so if nothing else it would be a nice walk. The closer we got to the Point the more people we saw milling around. Mr. Rip wanted to know what all these people were doing downtown.
They were there for the duck. People from all walks of life -young and old, couples of all ages, families with young children, extended families, groups of teenagers, all ethnicities. If you didn't know any better you might think that Pittsburgh was a thriving, multicultural metropolitan area. Everyone was in a really good mood; it was the most pleasant crowd I've ever been in.
We made the acquaintance of another couple who couldn't quite believe they were there for the duck and we took each other's pictures with the duck. We walked all the way around Point State Park again for the first time in a long time, soaking in the beautiful panoramic views of the North Shore, the South Side, and of course those three rivers, and appreciating them anew.
The whole day just made me smile. Hofman has said that the duck has "healing properties" (Ibid). Maybe it does, but so does spending a day with your favorite people in Pittsburgh celebrating everything that it is.
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