52Frames Road Weekly Photo Challenge

The photo challenge this week for 52Frames was “road.” We didn’t know it at the time, but it was one of the last days we would be driving around outside before we both tested positive for Covid on Friday. We had been so careful these last four years and just got another booster vaccine eight days before. Now we are in the twilight zone. Looking back on last week feels like centuries ago. I wanted to see the magnolias that were blooming at the Enid Haupt gardens at the Smithsonian Castle. We found a great parking spot by the Air and Space Museum and started our morning walk there. We headed down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol and noticed an elegant figure in black. We positioned ourselves in the median of the street by the National Gallery of Art and waited for her to cross the street. That was the image we decided to use. I took a lot of photos of the avenue from inside the National Gallery as well. It’s a great view not only from the second floor, but also from the rooftop where the blue chicken sculpture resides. On our way home there were a lot more options for road pics in our old neighborhood on Capitol Hill. Surprisingly the image we liked didn’t get as much attention on instagram as a few of the others. But I always trust my husband’s artistic judgement - even though it may not coincide with the photo challenge literal subject interpretation. I’m not sure when we will be able to get out this week to take photos for the challenge this week. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom a week ahead of schedule. I really don’t want to miss them. 

Morning Walk - Police Arrest on Pennsylvania Avenue

We always take in a morning walk. On the weekend it’s in our neighborhood. During the week it’s in the neighborhood park. If it rains then we go to the mall. If it snows we walk in the garage. But at least once or twice a week we drive in to town for a change of scenery. We generally go to our old Capitol Hill neighborhood or Alexandria with other points of interest depending on the weather and the need to explore new places. Yesterday we drove to the national mall and parked by the American Indian museum, then walked to the natural history museum. It was a glorious day and the crowds walking about are getting more intense. On our way back to the car we took Pennsylvania Avenue where we reached the Canadian Embassy across from the National Gallery of Art. Although we didn’t see anything we heard screams at about noon time. Then we saw two individuals almost get in to a major fight. The next thing we saw was a security person from the embassy appear, make a phone call, and within five minutes there were four police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck on the scene. We were across the street from the nonsense. The suspect was immediately handcuffed and the individual who was attacked was being medically attended. This altercation occurred about two blocks from the Capitol building in the middle of the day. We lived in this neighborhood for thirteen years. For that reason alone I am glad that we moved three years ago. It’s nice to visit, but I’m not so sure about living there anymore. Things are just getting too weird. 

Coldwell Banker Christmas Window

It’s an every year event. Since we moved to Capitol Hill we always visit the Coldwell Banker Christmas windows on Pennsylvania Avenue. The windows remind me of the old time storefront displays with moving parts, lights, and overall cheerfulness. Since we moved to northern Virginia, we drove in to town last year in the evening to get the full effect. And we did - including a near iPhone robbery disrupted at the last minute. But that’s another story. Yesterday we drove in to DC for a morning walk with the idea of seeing the decorations and wandering through Barracks Row. And of course, they are nothing like they usually are since all the shops are still closed up or out of business. But, given the circumstances, a great effort was made to recreate the annual display. There were no lights, no moving parts, and a few less windows. But there was still a bit of cheerfulness. The city is still very quiet and it just doesn’t feel the same. We are hoping to come back one evening to visit the Capitol Christmas tree and the Eisenhower memorial just to see the lights. So this year was a bit of a disappointment - like everything else for the last nine months.  

Pennsylvania Avenue Storefront Christmas Windows

We needed to make one last drive in to the city before Christmas Eve. When we lived on Capitol Hill we could easily walk to our destination. But we moved to northern Virginia almost nine months ago so we had to make the trek by car to see the Capitol Christmas tree lit, Union station, and the beautiful nostalgic Christmas windows on Pennsylvania Avenue. Usually we see the four windows in the day time. But since we were also going to stop for dinner, the early evening brought with it hundreds of twinkling lights. Santa’s sleigh was front and center, then came the traditional Christmas scene with ice skaters and snowmen, the Capitol Hill village, and the reindeer and Christmas trees - all displayed below snowflakes, bright colorful ornaments, tinsel and lights. The windows reminded me of visits to store front windows in my youth. One of the more interesting items to note was the main gate to Nationals Park that had the 2019 World Series Champions sign on top. It was a very interesting year! The Capitol Christmas tree looked lovely against the backdrop and Union Station was filled with activity. Once Christmas is over I don’t think about it much - but I never get tired of looking at those windows. 

 https://www.instagram.com/p/B6dypfthNiu/

Newseum

The Newseum has been around I think as long as we have lived here - about ten years. We have walked by it many times along Pennsylvania Avenue and checked out the newspapers of the day on display from all over the country and the world. So when our guests from Milwaukee were visiting, one of the places they were interested in seeing was the Newseum. I got the $15 tickets on line before they arrived. They can be used at any time prior to the end of the year, and for over a two days period. Because the weather was so bad, we drove over and parked in the garage for a weekend rate of $15. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but was impressed with the artifacts, layout, and general building structure. The views from the balcony were impressive. So much has happened along the Avenue since it existed, and this spot is a great vantage point for the inaugural parade. There was so much to see within the walls that it was overwhelming.  One could easily spend a lot more time looking at all the news since I'm not sure when. From the sixties forward, things looked so familiar. Prior to that time, it was something I had only read about or learned in history or social studies. The twin tower radio steeple that once stood upon the top of the building was a poignant display. It made me feel quite uneasy and sad looking at it surrounded by the newspapers proclaiming the outrage from all over the world. I was the editor of my high school newspaper and had once considered a career in journalism. I'm not sure why I never pursued it, having written the who, what, when, where, and how stories many times over. Things have changed so dramatically since then. Now everyone is a reporter, and nothing is a secret - and the truth lies somewhere in between. 

Frager's Hardware

Our handyman just completed a bunch of work in our apartment including repainting the entire interior. He did a lot of odds and ends, but forgot one item. Rather than tack down the cable cord along the baseboard, we used to have a "cord hider" that made all the wires appear less unsightly. So we decided to take a walk down to the new Frager's Hardware store on E Street and about 14th to find a replacement. We have not been to the "new" hardware store since the huge fire gutted the neighborhood favorite last year. We walked past it, crossed the street at the CVS (which has an interesting wall mural on the side), and continued down E Street. There are now actually three Frager's sites. Besides the hardware store is the outdoor and plant slab at Eastern Market, and the paint shop just down the street from the old place. The hardware store is in an old warehouse of sorts in a residential neighborhood. There was a lot of foot and car traffic, and inside looked a lot like the old place, except it is only one story. We found exactly what we were looking for in the first aisle we walked down. The old saying was "if we don't have it, you don't need it." So far so good. 

Pennsylvania Avenue on a Snowy Day

Yesterday we had a two hour snow delay and today we got a snow day! So I slept in a little longer. We decided it might be a good idea to stretch our legs and get a walk in, and breakfast at the Tune Inn on Pennsylvania Avenue. We called our friend to join us.  Along the way we heard the quiet of the snow falling, and saw the sights of the season. Someone in the neighborhood has taken responsibility for feeding all the sparrows, and they were deliriously feeding and waiting their turn to join in the feast. I am certain there must be a pecking order amidst the chaos. Once we hit the Avenue, the Coldwell Banker window was getting a lot of attention. The shop owners along the way each had their own take on their Christmas tree versions. But the best one was the real Macoy being carried by three energetic young ladies making their way from Eastern Market towards us. It was a classic Christmas scene. We met our friend at the half way point and headed for Tune Inn, where there was a fundraising going on for an injured firefighter and his family. The place was crowded and as loud as on a weekend, but all for a very worthy cause. And to think I would have missed it all if I had to go to work!