A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

This is the picture from which I derived the 5"x7" head shot that I sent in with my contest entry.  I didn't choose just any picture of me.  I chose one which reveals several things that make me the best candidate to live at the museum.

First of all, this picture was taken at the museum.  I'm sitting in the garden of the Smart Home.  It's mid-afternoon, and my family and I are about two thirds of the way through our day at the museum.  You can see how content and relaxed I am to be there.  I look like I could go on exploring the museum (I did) and then still happily spend the night there (alas, I couldn't).

Obviously, I like the Smart Home garden.  I do a lot of gardening myself, and I was very interested in all the ideas presented there.  I enjoyed talking to the Master Gardeners, too, for  I  was already seriously considering becoming a Master Gardener myself (I did--just this year).  Taking the Master Gardener training as well as the many, many other classes I have taken since earning my second masters degree shows how much I enjoy learning about the world around me.  I'm passionate about learning!  That's why I like the museum so much and want to live there.  What better place to learn more?  As a very inquisitive person, I'm dying for the chance to satisfy my curiosity about all there is at MSI.

What you can't see is that this is one of the few pictures taken of me that day. I was a little concerned when I first read the contest requirements because I wasn't sure how quickly I'd be able to find a good head shot of me. Since I'm the main photographer in my family, the pictures of me don't always turn out too well.  I have enjoyed taking pictures ever since I bought my first pocket camera 35 years ago.  In recent years, I volunteered to be the pack photographer for my sons' Cub Scout pack because I was already taking pictures at every scout activity I went on.  I periodically submitted my photos to the local newspaper along with captions and an occasional story in the hopes that they would be printed in the next issue (they often were).  Photographs are my favorite kind of souvenir! If I got to live at the museum, I'd be taking pictures all the time to record the experience even if it weren't a job requirement.  I'd be writing about it, too!

Another thing you can't see in this picture (unless you keep careful track of the Smart Home garden's design from year to year), is that it was taken a year ago.  That was my last visit to the museum.  I like the museum, and I enjoy going there very much.  But I can't get out there very often.  Thus, I'm not overly familiar with the museum and its exhibits, and I really would like the freedom to explore it more.  I'm also not overly familiar with the subject of science in general. I have a lot to learn, and I'll be sure to share my excitement about what I'm learning with everyone around me that month as well as everyone following my MSI adventures online.