Art Hill

We went by the rule of "follow the crowd".  It seemed like a reasonable choice as there was a steady stream of humanity winding their way over the streets and trails and sloping fields of the huge city park; all traveling in the same general direction.  The parking spot I quickly and easily found made me very suspicious that I was going to regret the choice when it was time to leave again, but time was short and I really wasn't sure where I was going.

My daughter told me about it; a weekly old movie in July, shown on a giant screen on the hill beneath the art museum.  The night was cooling, the full moon was rising and I had thirty minutes to drive downtown, inch through the traffic, and hike from whatever parking spot I could find to the screen.  What could go wrong?

Actually nothing.  Aside from the niggling worries about that way-too-convenient parking spot, it was a pleasant easy trek to art museum.  My daughter actually had other plans that night and didn't go, but my oldest son is always up for an adventure and helped me lug lawn chairs up to the museum grounds.

The gigantic screen towered at the bottom of Art Hill.  Fountains splashed in gentle constant arcs reflecting in pool behind it.  The Princess Bride spooled out on the tiny sliver of screen I could manage to glimpse through the crowds splayed out across the hill.

It didn't matter, watching the movie didn't really seem to be the point.  There were food trucks and picnic baskets.  One family in front of us even brought along a low table for their snacks.  Children bounced and played and occasionally watched the screen.  I could almost quote the movie as it played; a  number of people did exactly that at the favorite scenes.

Through a short intermission for equipment repair, I watched the fountains below and the lights of the planes overhead.  I wrapped up in my throw as a cooling breeze floated in over the pond and the movie resumed.

A few minutes of restless chatter, a roar of cheers and applause at the vanquishing of the six fingered man, and the movie was done.

In the midst of family scrambles of gathering bags, and blankets and sleepy children, we found ourselves among the first down the hill and back to our car.  We drove easily out of the lot I had expected to be stuck in, comparing our favorite scenes and already planning to return next week.