Did YOU Bring the Camera?

We frequently head into the city center on weekends to attend theater or a museum or some other event. Sometimes we just wander the city in an unplanned way -- there's always something interesting going on. There have been many times when we've come across a really stunning site or interesting vista and figuratively kicked ourselves for not having brought the camera. In fact, this has happened so often that about 8 or 9 months ago we made a solemn pact between ourselves to NEVER go out into the town without the camera. And we were good at remembering that for a while. But, as with so many good intentions and resolutions, we have, of late, gotten a bit careless.

Yesterday we went to Leicester Square to get our usual half-price tickets to see the musical "Mack and Mabel". Since we had gotten a late start we took the Underground to Picadilly Circus. As we walked up the steps from the station to street level we were confronted by an enormous mechanical, walking elephant, no more than a few feet from us. You had to be there to be able to appreciate our level of surprise -- the beast was huge, being operated internally by 5 or 6 men and, up on his back carrying a platform with 4 or 5 Indian dancing girls on it. (Kathi pointed out to Chuck that the dancers were topless and he pretended not to have noticed until she told him.) And, you guessed it, WE HADN'T BROUGHT THE CAMERA!!

It was all part of a 4-day "performance art" extravaganza that had not been previously publicized. An 18-foot tall puppet of a little girl was part of the "cast" and you can see her with the elephant in one of the pictures. (Since we hadn't brought our camera, we've had to resort to getting photos from on line.) Note the size of the men operating the girl and the elephant.

We've included a picture of some of the dancing girls, too -- but apparently taken before they came to the "topless" part of the script. (And remember these girls are on a platform ON TOP of the elephant.)

Needless to say, we have re-promised ourselves we will not leave home without the camera again. Here's hoping we're better at it this time.