ANOTHER FROM THE ARCHIVES, TYSON'S CORNER SHOPPING MALL

I wonder if these are still there, the two small bird sculptures on the concrete seating area near the ice-skating rink?  It looks like a crow and a dove.  

We were sitting in a chilly courtyard because there was no room in any of the crowded restaurants we tried inside. The place was swamped!  We found a place outside and ate a quick lunch with tall buildings surrounding us, and fortunately pretty blue skies overhead, but they offered no warmth.

The Zamboni was smoothing out the surface of the ice-skating rink next to us.

I froze and it tickled Gregg to come back to our seat and find me like this.  By that time I had found a table a little further up with no heating lamp unfortunately.

There was a burger place outside he had read about, a small shed-like building not much bigger than a kiosk.  It had no seating by design, and no outside seating available.  Every table was taken and I envied them their tall heating lamps over each.  The burgers were good and I told him I would be happy to go back, in the Spring.  It was colder than I thought it would be.  I didn't bring a coat or gloves, as I didn't know we would be sitting outside.  The weather was mild the last time we went out, only a couple of days before.  We didn't stay long (I have since learned to check the temperature before leaving the house).  Just time enough to eat lunch and then go get a hot chocolate inside the mall, to warm up numb fingers and frosty nose, and ears that by that time were tingling.  This was the last day of the year in 2014. 

I still had a good time watching everyone have fun on the skating rink.  I was also glad we got to see the Christmas Tree before it was taken down.

It was a giant of a tree.

Another sky reflection in one of the glass ornaments and you can just make out Gregg and me.

But it was time to go back inside the mall and I was eager to warm up with a nice mug of hot chocolate.

Isn't this overhead light festive?  It reminds me of art deco and covers a very large part of the ceiling located near the escalators.  They must have changed the lights to red and green for the holiday season.

Another one from the archives.  

Thanks for looking and I hope you have been having a great week so far.