52Frames_details

Lest week we drove down to the SE DC waterfront, most recently known as Yards Park. When we first moved to Capitol Hill fifteen years ago, none of this existed. Today it is a construction zone that never stops with high rises and glass everywhere. One of the first things to be built was the Nationals Stadium. Neither one of us is impressed by the area because it definitely lacks the old charm of our old neighborhood. It is supposed to be one of the most densely populated areas in DC when all is said and done. Before we moved to northern Virginia almost two years ago we considered renting an apartment there before we decided to buy, but luckily we didn’t. So aside from our morning walk I was also in search of images for the 52Frames photo challenge - “details.” I had taken a few photos in the park by our house just in case nothing else came around, but I always try to get something in town. I didn’t have anything particular in mind, so we just wandered around in our old footsteps - first through the underpass with the graffiti rocks, towards the Anacostia River park, then along the foot path and the blue and green DC water department building Then we reached the stadium and the bronze statues in front of the entrance caught my eye. I liked the close up of the shoe, that happens to be Frank Howard “Hondo” - who not only wore glasses, but had 49 home runs for three straight seasons with the Senators 1968-70. Then there was the reflection of the condo building in the baseball that was hanging high above; and another condo building with interesting balconies. I have a difficult time deciding which image should be submitted so lately I have been posting them on my Facebook business page and Instagram to see which one gets the most hits. This week it looks like the baseball shoe is the clear winner, but the condo building with the interesting balconies and the baseball with the reflection were close behind. This week the challenge is “negative space.” I’m sure something will fit the bill by the end of the week.

Moving an Old House in Alexandria

I noticed this house a long time ago. It was on the corner along Washington Avenue in Alexandria. It was noticeable because it was abandoned. There was never any life around it and it looked like it needed some care. It was an old house like most of them are on Old Town. Over the many years we drove in to the neighborhood for lunch or otherwise, this house stood there. All around it is new construction and renovations. We hadn’t been to Old Town for awhile so a couple of weeks ago we drove in for a morning walk and also to take some photos for the 52Frames challenge. Since the theme was “roll credits” it seemed like this would be the best place for some ideas since the city has been around since the 1750’s. On the way home, I noticed that a new construction site was underway -  and it was the block where the old house stood. But the old house was not in it’s usual position. It was now standing on a platform truck being prepared to be moved some where. I don’t know what is being built at the site, but apparently this house meant something to someone and I’m sure has a history of some kind. Anyway, I’ll miss seeing it and wonder where exactly it will end up. It’s not often that you see a house on a truck. I hope it lands in a nice place. 

Yards Park in SE DC

This week we drove over to our old Capitol Hill neighborhood. It was difficult to actually get in to our usual parking place by our old house because the barricaded Capitol also cuts you off from Independence Avenue. After another twenty minutes or more we finally figured a route. This time we wanted to take a morning walk along the Anacostia River, Nationals stadium, and Yards Park. When we first moved to Capitol Hill fifteen years ago, none of this massive building boom existed. Now it looks like another arm of downtown filled with high rises, metal, glass and NOISE. The construction has hardly stopped and makes for a very loud environment. I was also trying to get images for the 52Frames photo challenge this week - “details.” Ever since we moved to northern Virginia almost two years ago we are less impressed with the old neighborhood. It might be that the pandemic has definitely changed things, but the barricaded blocks with barbed wired fencing takes away from the whole vibe. We thought about renting an apartment in the Yards area before we bought our condo and I’m glad we decided not to. I think we have outgrown the hassle of living in a busy place without the benefits. It was nice while it lasted especially when I was working. Now it’s close enough to visit and that’s good enough. Driving home along the GW Parkway was an unexpected sight - 3 park police on horseback. We oftentimes see them in the city, but never along a busy road way. 

A Visit to Old Town Alexandria

Last week we finally got out of the house and decided a drive to Old Town Alexandria would be a nice diversion. We hadn’t been there since October. We used to go there all the time for lunch when we lived on Capitol Hill. Now we don’t go anywhere for lunch, breakfast or dinner and probably won’t for quite some time. The most we do is delivery every week or two just to change things up. Alexandria always a nice place to visit because there are so many interesting scenes - in the neighborhood itself and along the Potomac River. It was one of the first cities we vacationed to before we moved to DC. I also took quite a few photos for the 52Frames challenge and posted them on a previous blog entry. These images today are more “snap shots” than an attempt to get a really good image based on specific theme, which was “roll credits.” Someone was having all of their windows replaced and the cobblestone streets are always charming - but pretty hard to drive on. The architectural details are lovely considering a lot of them are from the 1750’s. It was a cool and cloudy day  but a fine morning for a walk. Everything is still pretty much shut down and King Street is blocked off so restaurants can put outdoor seating in the street. It will be nice if and when things get back to whatever “normal” is. In the meantime I sometimes prefer the quiet to the crowds. 

The New Yorker Digital App Technical Glitch

My only connection to the New Yorker Magazine was an entry to the Eustace Tilley cover contest several years ago. Astonishingly, I actually won with my digital art image of our Borzoi that was created with the help of my husband’s idea. He actually found the contest rules the day before it ended. So I had to work quick and it paid off. My husband has been reading the New Yorker since before we moved to Capitol Hill - probably 25 years ago? Back then the hard copy was mailed to us, now it’s all digital on an app through iTunes. His subscription was just renewed last week, but he was not able to download the latest issue. We requested help through the app via three different emails. Getting no where, we finally called the New Yorker and they said they couldn’t help us because it was iTunes/Apple’s problem. They gave us the number for Apple. The first number was a miss again, and they gave us another number. In the meantime my husband kept insisting that the password be changed. So I did. After having the subscription checked via the second Apple person, she couldn’t figure out why we kept getting the screen to pay for the latest edition vs being able to download it, so she forwarded us to the technical person. In the meantime I deleted and downloaded the app again. That didn’t work either, and the technical guy was trying just about everything he could to fix it. I then realized that the app I downloaded had a red background rather than a white background. There is a subtle difference between the two because they both say New Yorker. So I told him I would delete the app with the red background and download the app with the white background. And wouldn’t you know, after about two hours of phone calls and such, that did the trick. He was complimenting me on my perseverance and even noticing that option, happy it was finally resolved. My husband was ready to cancel the subscription and call it a day. I never give up so quickly, especially since I know how much he looks forward to reading it each week. And, I am very acquainted with using help desks during my career and home experiences. I still don’t know why the issue came up to begin with. I guess it doesn’t matter, but it chewed up a lot of our time getting it resolved. 

52Frames_rollcredits

It was so wonderful to finally get outside last week after being stuck inside due to snow, ice, and freezing rain. So we took a ride to Old Town Alexandria in search of images for the 52Frames photo challenge. Last week was “roll credits,” so that meant finding a scene for the last image of an imaginary movie as the credits roll. Since Old Town has been around since the 1750’s or so, there is always ample opportunity for interesting options. So we parked in the neighborhood and just started walking. From the cobblestone streets to the locks on the doors, to the reflections in the rain water and Potomac River, to the fence posts and garden sculptures, and the tiny alleyways between houses I couldn’t decide which photo I liked the most. So I posted a few on my Facebook Business page to see how many responses I would get. The cobblestone street was the clear winner. So I posted that image on the 52Frames website. But I also posted the photos on Instagram, and the lock on the door had the most activity. So rather than use my or my husband’s best judgement, I decided to go with the door and lock. I didn’t personally like that one, but everyone has a different perspective, and you could say it tells a story. So we’ll see if this image gets any attention. My photos are generally not as good as the real photographers out there, but it’s a great diversion to search and find something that might go along with a specific theme every week. For some reason I think I should stick with my gut. But that hasn’t worked out so well.