Still Life with Robin: The Beauty of Flowing Water

by Peggy Robin

 

I have been to Meridian Hill Park more times than I can count. I think I was first there in 1967 but I can't recall whether the grand cascading fountain was working back then. I think not. It's such an impressive sight, I feel sure I would have rememberd it. 

 

I heard on the news that the fountain, after being dry for the last seven years, had been restored and reopened. Here's the report from WTOP:  https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1528639238805691  

 

Unfortunately, my only memories of the fountain are of it as a series of long, concrete steps, all dry and broken and filled only with debris.

 

But even without water, you could imagine how magnificent it woutd be if restored.

 

Now you don't need to use your imagination. The fountain in all its cascading glory reopened on May 14, 2026. 

 

I visited today. The weather was perfect and although the park was crowded, it was still peaceful and serene. The water is loud....but the people are quietly enjoying the scene. 

 

This is going to be one of my go-to places to show off the city to out-of-town guests....at least as long as the water keeps flowing. I wish I had a sunnier take on this, but when it comes to keeping a good thing working right, there's this little cynical voice in my head that I just can't ignore, telling me this is just too large and complex a piece of aquatic engineering to keep operating without a hitch for any length of time. So see it now, while the weather is warm....and it still works! (I have never wanted so badly to be wrong about anything.)

 

Here's the Park Service photo, followed by four of my own pictures.

See the whole album HERE.

 

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Still Life with Robin is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Still Life with Robin: For Mothers & Mother Figures & Everyone Who Has or Had a Mother on Mother's Day

by Peggy Robin

I thought it would be a good idea to show a few photos of loving moms and babies to start your Mother's Day.

First, one of DC's most celebrated moms, Mei Xiang, with her growing cub, Tai Shan (formerly known familiarly as "Butterstick"):

Next, from the far-flung California coast (Monterey Bay) -- a sea otter mom cuddling her baby:

And now to Africa, where the fearsome rhino is a tenderly protective parent:

...and home again to DC, on Capitol Hill where we find this Mama Duck sheltering her duckling:

You might also enjoy this brief video of a different Mama Duck and her brood, who had hatched on a balcony near the Secret Service headquarters. The agents in charge of protecting people in power took the time to protect this little family by moving them down to the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/secret-service-escorts-mama-duck-and-ducklings-to-us-capitol-reflecting-pool 

And (being a Robin myself) I have to end with this Mama Robin feeding her chicks.

Happy Mother's Day to all on the Cleveland Park Listserv, whether you are a mother, a stepmother, a grandmother, or a great-grandmother, and also to all the children of mothers, which is to say, everyone.

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays -- or occasionally on Sundays.

Get Out! Saturday Is European Union Open House Day!

 by Peggy Robin

On the xxth anniversary of the formation of the European Union, you are invited to an Open House -- FREE! -- at each of the embassies of the xx member states. Here is your invitation:

European Union Open House

Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

💸 FREE

Our flagship event falls every year on the first Saturday after Europe Day on May 9. This date marks the signing of the Schuman Declaration on May 9, 1950, which established the European Coal and Steel Community, a multinational entity that would eventually become the European Union as we know it today.

The European Union Delegation and 20+ European Union member country embassies in Washington, D.C. celebrate Europe Day by opening our doors to the public so that Americans can catch a glimpse of the European cultures that make up the European Union. Normally you have to cross the Atlantic to visit the EU, but at Open House, you just have to cross the street!

And this year, we are celebrating 250 years of shared history, ideas, and achievements between Europe and the United States. Come and experience the past, present, and future of our relationship through the bonds that unite both sides of the Atlantic. 

Click on THIS LINK to see all of the participating Member State embassies and what they're offering at this year's Open House!

Important Details

Before visiting the EU Delegation and most of the participating embassies, please take note of these helpful guidelines.

• Entrance to the participating buildings is always FREE, but some may be selling food or other items on their premises, so bring some form of payment.
• Always carry official ID with you, as some embassy security requires it before entering their premises.
• Avoid bringing large bags or backpacks, as some embassies have security screenings that require cumbersome bag checks.
• Not all embassies have disability access or stroller parking. In general we discourage bringing large strollers due to the tight spaces inside the buildings.
• Driving and parking is strongly discouraged due to many embassy locations. We encourage participants to take the Metro, bus, scooter, rideshare, or walk.
• For some embassies, you can expect to wait in line. Consider arriving to your favorite embassies earlier in the day.

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The "Get Out!" event of the week is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: And the Bloom Goes On...

 by Peggy Robin

I'm slowly developing some seasonal features for the Still Life with Robin column. Last winter I opened up a public photo album for Snowfall pictures and continued it this year. I'll also be keeping up and adding to the Halloween album that I started two years ago (Halloween 2024). But the biggest and most popular one so far is Spring Flowers.

I just added twenty new photos, all taken on recent walks around the neighborhood.

Here are a few samples.

Click on the album to see the whole collection and enjoy the blooms in a pollen-free way!

And by all means, feel free to add your own photos. Upload instructions:

1. Go to the PHOTOS section of the Listserv and click on "Spring Flowers" (the 9th album in the section).
2. Click on the green "+ADD PHOTOS" button.
3. Drag and drop each photo you want to add, one by one, or hit "click to choose photos".
4. (Optional) Write a brief description of each photo. Useful info: When and where the photo was taken.
5. Hit "Upload"
6. Do NOT check "notify members".  The correct way to let readers know that you've added your photos(s) to the album is to write a message to clevelandpark@groups.io about the photos you have added to a Listserv album. Copy and paste into your message the link to access each photo. That way, readers get to choose whether or not they want to view your photos. (If you click the "notify members" button, everyone gets a notification, whether they want to view your photos or not -- and the moderator will be very annoyed at you. If I knew how to disable this feature in Groups.io photo albums, I would.)

As we approach vacation season, I am contemplating starting a VACATION PHOTOS album so that we can vicariously enjoy all the exotic, far-flung places our readers have seen in their travels (plus many nearby popular spots, as all your vacation places, near and far, will be welcome!)

Enjoy the blooms!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays (well, usually....but not always)

Get Out! It's the Flower Mart at the Cathedral on Friday, May 1st and Saturday, May 2nd

 by Peggy Robin

I go to the Flower Mart at the National Cathedral every year without fail. It never gets old. When my children were little, they always rode the carousel and went down the slide and bounced in the bouncy castle. When they outgrew the kiddie rides, they liked to check out the variety of vendors. They drank fresh-made lemonade and went inside to see the stained glass windows and the embassy floral displays. You can never see it all. Each time you return, you notice something you never saw before.

So it's back for the 87th year.

FRI., MAY 1 and  SAT., MAY 2 

Friday  10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. 

Saturday  10:00 A.M. -  5:00 P.M.

Washington National Cathedral Rain or shine 

Sponsored by All Hallows Guild ~ Our 87th Annual Benefit for the National  Cathedral Gardens and Grounds

For all the information, visit allhallowsguild.org  

Flower Mart 2026 at a Glance 

Around the World in Embassy Flowers -  in the Cathedrals nave ~ FREE both days.

Our FLOWER DISTRICT will include booths selling herbs, perennials, annuals, and more. Buy a fresh-cut flower bouquet at the All Hallows Guild tent.

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

For children: rides, games, an antique carousel, and more.

Flower Mart's puppeteers, back this year with an all-new show!

Free entertainment on stage in front of the Cathedral throughout Flower Mart.

Best view in  town: climb the Cathedral Tower.

SHOPPING ~ Over 60 booths selling gifts for everyone.

Bargains and treasures at Flower Mart's White Elephant Sale.

A huge book sale including children's, young adult, cooking, and gardening books.

FOOD

Tasty local and international specialties and great festival food.

The not-to-be-missed Episcopal Church Women's  Baked Goods booth.

During Flower Mart, there is no parking on the streets of the Cathedral; however, there is underground parking in the Cathedral garage. The Cathedral is well-connected by Metrobus. Consult WMATA Trip Planner for routes and schedules.

For information and inquiries, contact: flowermart@allhallowsguild.org  

The All Hallows Guild 

of the Washington National Cathedral

ahg@allhallowsguild.org

3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016

https://allhallowsguild.org/programs/flower-mart/

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The "Get Out" event of the week is posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Thursdays.

Still Life with Robin: Five Fun Things

by Peggy Robin

[While I'm doing the nanny/granny job in Philadelphia, I'm attempting to keep up my "Still Life with Robin" column on Saturdays -- but just barely. No longer writing my own stuff, I'm now mainly reposting random stuff I've found on the internet. At least I haven't stooped to posting funny cat videos...yet!]

Here are the top five things I saw this week:

 

1. Today is World Penguin Day. Spend a bit of time today watching and learning about these amazing birds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvCGP5XpnB0 (educational)

They're also pretty funny! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAT4Xzhre4Y 

2. Dick Van Dyke turned 100 years old a few months ago and is no longer allowed to play with LEGOs.

by @creepydotorg https://x.com/creepydotorg/status/2047757730660634846

3. If anyone ever snaps a good shot of a rainbow in our area, you'll be sure to find it on Capital Weather Gang  

By Donna Giannascoli @dgiannas https://x.com/dgiannas/status/610952178723909632 

Just want a bit of a lift anytime? Go to Capital Weather Gang's social media feed and look for the latest photos of our sunrises, sunsets, or just everyday DC scenes.

This was the featured photo this morning:

Photo: Jeanne Stuart McVey

Capital Weather Gang @capitalweather 

7:42 AM · Apr 25, 2026

https://x.com/capitalweather/status/2048004787581354264

Cooler today. Highs 60-65, wind off ocean plus showers becoming likely. Most of the rain this afternoon/evening. More than half an inch possible. Cooler Sunday. Near 70 to open the workweek, beyond. More rain by Tuesday. Details: http://cwg.live

4. DC can be stunning every season of the year, but if you were in Sydney yesterday, you would have had this view of the iconic Sydney Opera House, lit up to celebrate Gustav Klimt:

Science girl @sciencegirl https://x.com/sciencegirl/status/2047599844596797573/photo/1

The Sydney Opera House illuminated with Gustav Klimt's The Tree of Life.

4:53 AM · Apr 24, 2026

5. And last, but  for me, a perennial favorite..... I always look for ROBIN photos on the internet (betcha can't guess why???)

This is a small but affecting little pic from This Is My Glasgow @is_glasgow:

This little one spent most of the morning following me around as I tidied up my garden, and pouncing on all the little creatures I accidently disturbed. 

https://x.com/is_glasgow/status/2048093705731543391

#glasgow #urbanwildlife #robin #gardening #birdphotography

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Still Life with Robin is an occasional feature of the Cleveland Park Listserv and All Life Is Local.

Get Out! Allons au marché français de Georgetown ce week-end! (24-26 avril)

 by Peggy Robin

J'adore cet événement! (OK, back to English now - I don't trust Google translate for much more than this...and I've just about exhausted my French vocabulary.) 

GEORGETOWN FRENCH MARKET

APRIL 25-26

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, 11 AM - 5 PM

Along Wisconsin Avenur from O Street to Reservoir Road NW

Three days of strolling the sidewalk sales and seeing the street performers in Georgetown and feeling like you're in Paris (well, sort of.....) But without the French prices and VAT!

From the French Market website:

This popular open-air market – originally inspired by those often seen in France – will feature sidewalk sales and specials from more than 45 locally-owned boutiques, cafés and galleries along Wisconsin Avenue from O St to Reservoir Rd, plus live music, a mime, caricature artist, and unicyclist, children’s activities, a pop-up book sale, and more. Neighborhood restaurants will also offer food and drink specials featuring French cuisine and beyond – from pastries, croissants, and macarons, to lunch items grilled outside, and discounted wine. The 23rd annual Georgetown French Market is sure to be magnifique! 

Full schedule of events for all three days here: https://www.georgetownfrenchmarketdc.com/schedule-events

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The "Get Out!" highlighted event of the week is an occasional feature of the Cleveland Park Listserv and its associated blog, All Life Is Local.

Still Life with Robin: Squirrel + Rube Goldberg Machine

 by Peggy Robin

It's as I predicted (see SLwR column of April 4, 2026) -- my new career of nanny/granny leaves me very little time to do things like write an original column on Saturdays. But just enough time to surf through the internet and find some amusing and quirky stuff that others have posted. 

So that's what I've done for the column today:

This guy spent 14 hours waiting for a squirrel to set off this Rube Goldberg Machine

by Nature Unedited @NatureUnedited

Click on https://x.com/NatureUnedited/status/2044412410618839394 and hit the "play" button....

Also available on YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3-doqeWHPM 

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The Still Life with Robin column may be posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on some Saturdays, as it was before....but probably more Saturdays off than on. 

Still Life with Robin: Fun with AI

 by Peggy Robin

I found this revealing story about AI on SitForKnaTwit (my acronym for the Site Formerly Known As Twitter: 

https://x.com/HedgieMarkets/status/2042430442448548273

by Hedgie @HedgieMarkets

🦔A researcher invented a fake eye condition called bixonimania, uploaded two obviously fraudulent papers about it to an academic server, and watched major AI systems present it as real medicine within weeks. The fake papers thanked Starfleet Academy, cited funding from the Professor Sideshow Bob Foundation and the University of Fellowship of the Ring, and stated mid-paper that the entire thing was made up. 

Google's Gemini told users it was caused by blue light. Perplexity cited its prevalence at one in 90,000 people. ChatGPT advised users whether their symptoms matched. The fake research was then cited in a peer-reviewed journal that only retracted it after Nature contacted the publisher. 

My Take: The researcher made the papers as obviously fake as possible on purpose. The AI systems didn't catch it. Neither did the human researchers who cited it in real journals, which means people are feeding AI-generated references into their work without reading what they're actually citing. I've covered the FDA using AI for drug review, the NYC hospital CEO ready to replace radiologists, and ChatGPT Health launching this year. All of that is happening in the same environment where a condition funded by a Simpsons character and endorsed by the crew of the Enterprise was being presented as emerging medical consensus. The people making these deployment decisions seem to believe the pipeline from research to AI to patient is more supervised than it actually is. This experiment suggests it isn't supervised much at all. 

Hedgie🤗

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Still Life with Robin is an occasional column that comes out on some Saturdays, while the columnist is living part of each month in Philadelphia as a Granny/Nanny, in addition to trying to keep up with the CP Listserv. 

Still Life with Robin....Soon to Be Coming to You from Philadelphia, PA!

Grandma holding 6-month-old grandson
(sticking with his parents' observance
of the internet safety rule not to post
a child's face on social media)

by Peggy Robin

 

This edition of Still Life with Robin doubles as an administrative note about the Listserv from now until the end of summer. Starting tomorrow, I will be living in Philadelphia for the next few weeks.

 

I have taken on a second job, as full-time live-in nanny to my six-month-old grandson. The only thing is....the job is in Philadelphia.

 

The question I'm asking myself is, Can I handle TWO full-time jobs? Number One is remotely moderating the Listserv seven days a week, and Number Two is nannying a baby, 8am - 6pm, Monday - Friday.

 

Not sure I know the answer to that question....yet. But we shall see.

 

One thing I do know for sure: Some of the little extra things that I put into the Listserv are going to go away. I'm no longer going to reformat the DCPL weekly e-newsletter, Beyond Words, so that it can be turned into a Listserv message. If you'd like to keep up with the DCPL through its newsletter, you can always sign up to receive it in your inbox: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/DCLIBRARY/subscriber/new . 

 

I will be paying far less attention to the Alert DC system of warnings and crime reports, copying those that affect our neighborhood to the Listserv. You can subscribe directly to Alert DC here: https://hsema.dc.gov/page/alertdc 

 

I may even give up my column Still Life with Robin that I've posted every Saturday for umpty-ump years. Not sure about that -- I may be able to keep it up, or at least send in a column every now and then. That's one of those "We'll see" items.

 

Since I will be spending a lot less time during the day reviewing messages, here are some more things that without doubt will change:

 

Longer times between submission of messages and approval. Some days I may be reading and putting through messages only once in the morning and once again in the evening. That means a big pile-up of messages may be approved all at once, twice a day

 

List members who have time-sensitive announcements will need to get them in at LEAST 48 hours in advance. Under normal circumstances, that's a good idea, as a big chunk of our readers subscribe in "daily summary" format, which gives them all their messages the day after they're posted -- but with less time for me to read and review messages, you really need to factor in at least another 24 hours.

 

I won't be writing anywhere near the number of off-list notes to list members who need help with posting or need some guidance in understanding the posting rules. I'm afraid you're going to have to muddle through with your own posting problems. But there are some good resources to help you:

 

• Listserv FAQ
• Listserv Advertising FAQ
• How to Search the Archives

 

Listserv Policy Pages:

• Listserv Rules
• Listserv Recommendations Policies (Is it an ad? Or a recommendation?)
• Rules for fundraising on the Listserv 
• How to Post Items for Sale (A Checklist) 
• Guidelines for Candidates

 

Groups.io information: Members Manual / Help Center

 

Of course, you can still email me with questions -- but please be patient; I may not get back to you same day. I will do my best to make it same week!

 

I'll be back for a week or so at the end of April, and then will go back again for big chunks of May, June, July, August and September. My schedule is not set in stone, as I'm trading off nanny duties with the other set of grandparents, and we both want the flexibility to be able to do other things (e.g., go on vacation) on the dates that work out best for us. We have drawn up a tentative schedule that takes us through the start of the fall.

 

Of course, babysitting my grandson is as rewarding as running the Listserv.....just a lot more physically taxing. I also expect to make more mistakes -- like the classic one of correcting a typo in a subject line while introducing a whole new typo of my own invention. I do that a lot....and expect to be doing it even more if I'm rushing to approve messages while the baby is napping.

I ask your indulgence in advance. ...And to everyone who might write to me to wish me well in this endeavor, let me thank you now, because I just know once I start working both of these jobs full-time, I won't manage to send out individual replies!

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The Still Life with Robin column may be posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on some Saturdays, as it was before....but probably more Saturdays off than on. 

New Feature on the Cleveland Park Listserv! It's Time for WORDLE

 by Peggy Robin

We are thrilled to announce that starting today, April 1, 2026, Cleveland Park Listserv will offer a new feature:

WORDLE !

We've seen how other traditional media have been able to attract new subscribers by adding word games -- and the most successful of these is the New York Times' five-letter word guessing game, Wordle.

You may wonder, "Is a Listserv now considered 'traditional media'?" Well, given that Listservs, having been around since the turn of the last century, are practically ancient in the timeline of the internet, the answer is a resounding YES. The oldest popularly available version of Listserv dates back to 1994 -- so the Cleveland Park Listserv, launched in 1999, is not so far off the original mark. 

At 12,811 verified subscribers, we are already the largest community Listserv in the US, according to Groups.io -- but all forms of media, new and old, need to keep attracting new members to stay fresh and competitive. We have seen how word games lead the way.

But this just isn't any ordinary Wordle. When you solve a Wordle, you've found a five letter word -- nothing too special about that. The CP Listserv's Wordle will be so much more! Once you have found today's three words, you have just set off on a literary adventure. Each day, solve three more of our Wordles. Keep a record of all the words you find. After five days, you will have fifteen words. On the last day we will give you two more Wordles to solve, making a total of 17 words.

Study them carefully: They may seem random to you. You may notice they are all one-syllable words. Now here's the part where your own creativity comes in. Arrange the words in the classic Japanese haiku pattern: Five syllables for the first line; seven for the middle line; five syllables for the last line. You determine the order of the words according to your own sense of what creates the most evocative image or stirs a beautiful emotional response -- plus what sounds best to your ear. 

Submit your entry to the web link given at the end of this message.

When we have collected all the entries, we will judge them and award a first-place winner and two runners-up.

Here are your first three WORDLES:

Please note: Grids are shown for illustrative purposes only. You must click on the link above each grid to play each one.

1. You're invited to play a puzzle created by CPListserv:   

Did you beat the bot? 

Click on the link above to reveal the solution.

2. You're invited to play a puzzle created by CPListserv:

Did you beat the bot?  

(Click on the above link to reveal the solution) 

3. You're invited to play a puzzle created by CPListserv:

Did you beat the bot? 

(Click on the above link to reveal the solution.)

Save your three solutions:

__ __ __ __ __ __   

__ __ __ __ __ __     

__ __ __ __ __ __   

Keep playing for the next five days (three solutions per day, plus two more on the last day equals 17 one-syllable words.

On April 6, arrange the 17 words into your own haiku. 

You can register to start playing today! Click on THIS LINK to register.

At the end of the day on April 6, 2026, click on SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED HAIKU HERE.

You won't find that in your New York Times!

Enjoy!!!

-Peggy Robin & Bill Adler

Owners and Publishers, The Cleveland Park Listserv

Home Page: https://groups.io/g/clevelandpark 

CP Info Pages: www.cleveland-park.com 

FAQ: www.cleveland-park.com/faq.html