Near fatal accident at US National Arboretum

A 19-month-old girl nearly drowned herself today by jumping into a pond at the US National Arboretum (USNA).

Little Maggie was visiting the USNA’s azalea collection with her mother, Helen, brother, Buzz, and good friends Evie and Alisha. According to witnesses the child walked over to the edge of a small man-made pond and jumped in.

“I was four feet away from her when she started going toward the pond, “says Helen, “I looked right at her, called to her, and told her to come back over to where I was standing and then I blinked and I heard a splash in the water. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even have time to panic.

“At first glance all I could see was her pink baseball cap floating in the dirty black water, but no Maggie. But as I was running to the water her head popped up and she gasped for air and I grabbed her arm and yanked her out. It took at total of maybe three seconds for it all to happen but it seemed like everything was moving in slow motion at the time.”

Maggie reportedly was more upset about being soaking wet than anything else and as soon as she had her wet clothes off she was perfectly content to continue walking around and looking at flowers.

“Fortunately, Evie was wearing a onesie under her jumper so she lent the jumper to Maggie so that she wasn’t running naked through the trees,” Helen said.

Aside from tripping a few times and scraping her knees, Maggie enjoyed the rest of her time at the USNA and took a long, much needed nap when she got back home. Helen, however, was not so content when they arrived home and spent the next hour on the phone with an advice nurse to make sure the water that Maggie swallowed wouldn’t have any side effects.

“The water was so nasty,” Helen grimaces, “It was literally so dark that we could not tell how deep the little pond was. And the only sign of life in the water was one lone goldfish. I just don’t want Maggie to get some bacteria from the water she swallowed when she gasped for air.”

After explaining the incident the advice nurse attempted to reach the doctor-on-call and was unsuccessful. This led to an immediate call to poison control in order to find out if there was anything immediate to worry about. The poison control dispatcher, Lori, was friendly and helpful and put Helen at ease.

According to Helen, the nurse finally got in touch with a doctor and Maggie has been put on a 24 hour watch by all interested parties. Poison control and the doctors’ office will be calling tomorrow afternoon to see how she is doing.

Maggie’s father, Bob, was travelling on business when the incident occurred and was not available for comment. To view more flower photos and to read Alisha's side of the story, click here.

An island unto itself

Two miles north of the U.S. Capitol Building iron gates surround the sprawling beauty of nature at its finest. The U.S. National Arboretum is an island unto itself; nestled in the middle of north- east D.C. with run down buildings and crowded streets at it’s border.

Many visitors come to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms in March and to visit the many monuments and museums year round. A not-so-well-known attraction, the National Arboretum is sometimes overlooked by travelers coming to the D.C. area, but the size and beauty are something that should not be missed.

According to the National Arboretum’s website, “nine miles of roadways wind through and connect the numerous gardens and collections on [the] 446-acre campus.” With 14 major gardens and displays, the National Arboretum offers nature lovers the opportunity to see varieties of plants in their peak seasons.

One of the most popular gardens is the Azalea Collection. According to the website, “thousands of azaleas cover the flanks of Mount Hamilton in a blaze of color. The first warm days bring out the flowers, and the slopes take on a surreal, almost luminescent glow. Few shrubs have more impact on the spring landscape–azaleas are an enduring favorite in gardens throughout the country.”

In addition to gardens and collections, the National Arboretum also offers educational programs and events. Currently a display of photographic portraits of native flora by award-winning botanical artist and scientist Andrea Ottesen is on display, free of charge. In May the Potomac Bonsai Festival will be held; admission to the festival is also free.

The National Arboretum is open throughout the year with free parking, picnicking grounds and plenty of room to wander through nature. As defined on the website, the National Arboretum “is a living museum where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes.” Take the opportunity to go to the National Arboretum and relish the beauty of the earth.

Words Worth Wreading

ATIONS

If we meet and I say, "Hi,"
That's a salutation.
If you ask me how I feel,
That's consideration.
If we stop and talk a while,
That's a conversation.
If we understand each other,
That's communication.
If we argue, scream and fight,
That's an altercation.
If later we apologize,
That's reconciliation.
If we help each other home,
That's cooperation.
And all these ations added up
Make civilization.

(And if I say this is a wonderful poem,
Is that exaggeration?)

A Light in the Attic, Shel Silverstein