It was a damned good day, to say the least.

Due to a rough night with little sleep and rain beginning by 6:50 AM, I almost elected to remain home.  I am so glad I went forward with my spontaneous day of fun.

After missing my first bus, I walked over to Far Hills Avenue and picked up No. 14 near the library.  As we moved toward downtown the skies became more menacing than they had when the steady rain began in the early morning. By the time we reached the terminal, it was a downpour.

I ran my few errands to CVS and the post office and decided to grab the lunch buffet at Liu Gardens Chinese Restaurant.

Lunch finished, I began my trek north over the Main Street bridge taking in a nice view of Riverscape and the western view of the river’s bend with the Dayton Art Institute and The Dayton Masonic Temple perched on the hill.  The skies were a plethora of cloud and wind activity, painting some gorgeous landscapes above.

I ventured through McPherson District where I lived upon moving to Dayton in 1990.  What a nice walk and trip down memory lane.

Several blocks from my former home sits the Dayton Art Institute.  I love this place.  I strolled through the permanent exhibits, are familiar and bright, and then set a slower pace through the visiting exhibit of Yousuf Karsh’s photography on loan from The National Portrait Gallery.  I could not believe so many iconic photos of 20th Century celebrities were the work of this photographer.  Impressive!

I waited out another blast of rain in the DAI’s little cafe, sipping a soda and nibbling on a gingerbread cookie. It was just a nice moment and I felt like I was mimicking my friend, Jeff Carter, who has a natural knack for these settings.  He knows how to enjoy the moment and I’ve learned so much from him in this regard.

A twenty-minute stroll through downtown Dayton to the bus terminal returned me back to The Haasienda at 4:30 PM where three pooches were elated to see me.

At 6:15 PM I was back on the bus to The Victoria Theatre to see the 1960’s feature film, IRMA LA DUCE starring Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon.  I had almost talked myself out of attending the movie and am so glad I did not buy into the poo-poo side wanting to remain home and out of the wet, 68-degree weather.  The movie was adorable and delightful and just what I needed to cap off a truly fantastic day.

I stepped out into a chilly steady rain.  The lights gave the evening a near magical sensation as the various glows of illumination were magnified on the pavement.

Tomorrow holds a bevy of activity and it is on the second floor bedchamber with three pups eager to snuggle with me!