Standing outside my office today in the mid afternoon, I saw a greenish-pearlescent object on the ground, glowing quietly in the slanted rays of the 3 o'clock sun. It was beautiful and mysterious -- I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was. My guess was a large-ish shell, and I wondered who'd leave a shell on the steps of the National Gallery. It wasn't until I was standing right above it and at a different angle that I realized that it was the butt end of a hefty pickle. This came as a surprise, but a pleasant one. I'm glad that pickle had its day in the sun.