A Chihuly Night at the New York Botanical Garden

Walla Wallas

We were the only tram passengers below the age of fifty. It was like somehow we'd landed ourselves in a geriatrics day out at Disneyland.

The rose garden was intoxicating, and my favorite rose was the yellow Julia Child rose, so fresh, so sunny, so warm and yellow!

But seriously. It was the most gorgeous display of sculpture I have ever seen. The installations were incredible, some reaching beyond the sublime. It was as though I had stepped into a foreign country where some sightless, touchless, soundless form of communication existed. The pictures I took on my camera phone don't do the exhibit justice, but they convey the general idea.

Cass had already seen a Dale Chihuly exhibit before, and she kept saying it was like nothing she had ever seen before. We first saw the advertisement for the exhibit at the Botanical Garden plastered on the side of a bus, and she went into fits when she saw it. I was like, "Whut? Whut's a Chihuly?" And she had to tell the blind and apparently culture-deficient prophet Tiresias about Dale Chihuly, glass sculptor, visionary, genius.


The Sun

It was worth cutting out of work early. It was worth wondering whether or not our evil ass-cheese-eater co-worker was going to be all sly and cunning and find a way to tell our superiors about our irresponsible work ethics. It was worth the trek up to the Bronx ("The trees! Oh, oh, I love trees!" was the simple-sounding sentiment coming from Cass, but you'd know if you were there how very sincere and heartfelt these words were).

There really are no words to describe this exhibit. All the installations exemplified thoughtful organization and attention to detail. Just go. It's totally worth it. There are five more possible dates to attend Chihuly Nights. And people are nice. Like the security guards at the gate. We asked for directions to the train, and instead of giving directions, one of them gave us a ride to the train station. Leave your suspicions behind, bring enough money for some refreshment (and really recommend the bottle of wine with cheese and fruit, on a bench, observing the geriatric catwalk to the conservatory, feeling the breeze, which has gotten crisp and autumnal of late), listen to some nice music, be it acoustic, rock, folk, jazz, alt-country, or bluegrass, and take your time.