Washington Avenue in Old Town Alexandria

We have been there so many times. The George Washington Memorial Parkway becomes Washington Avenue in Old Town Alexandria. We have had many lunches and visits to the area since we moved to DC fifteen years ago. But this time we were going in to sign off on our updated will, power of attorney, and health care directives. It’s been over forty years since we made out our will and we live in a different state, so it was about time. So we parked in front of the rowhouse office and took a short walk before and after the appointment. It’s always a pleasant walk in Old Town. I love the architecture and the ambiance. After that we drove around the downtown and came across a beautiful wisteria vine on a lovely old home. And, while we were in the neighborhood we decided it was also time to pick up lunch/dinner at Vaso’s Kitchen. We haven’t been there for over a year and we were so happy we stopped by. So it was an eventful day - updated will, morning walk, drive through downtown, and a great restaurant visit. It even felt a bit more normal after this claustrophobic year. Let’s hope things continue to improve - for everyone’s sake. 

American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial

We knew something was being built but did not know what it was until the signs went up a couple weeks ago. Until that happened we thought it might have something to do with water main repairs. Then we saw several large trees delivered to the site and knew it was something more. On Washington Avenue next to The Department of Health and Human Services Building and across from the US Botanical Garden and Bartholdi Fountain will be the new memorial dedicated to disabled veterans. It covers considerable space and will eventually become yet another place to walk through, sit in, and contemplate life. The Capitol dome can also clearly be seen from this vantage point. There is a website that shows the progress of the project, but we drive and walk by it quite regularly every week. Aside from this, the upcoming railroad tunnel overhaul along Virginia Avenue, and the ongoing construction near the ballpark contribute to a lot of building going on around us. Luckily we are far enough away not to be directly involved, but it all potentially impacts available street parking. Then I start to get ornery. But we are not quite ready to give up on our ten year old Subaru. Hopefully we will continue not to notice the disruption - but I have my doubts. I miss my garage and driveway but also enjoy all the neighborhood improvements. 

Turkey Bird in Alexandria

Whenever we travel along the George Washington Parkway I am always on the lookout for eagles. We used to see them quite regularly when we first moved here. Recently we were headed to Alexandria and traffic was slightly congested. Without warning the car in front of us slammed on the breaks. Usually I have my phone in hand to snap pictures because you never know what you are going to run in to around here. Unfortunately I did not this time. A huge walking - or should I say running - bird appeared out of nowhere in front of us crossing the very busy street. We weren't sure what it was, so I'm posting a photo by Ahmad Saib of what we thought we saw. There is a lot of wooded area just past Ronald Reagan Airport. There are always ducks and geese flapping about in the rain made puddles. But this thing was nothing like that. We are thinking it was a turkey bird, not a turkey buzzard. She certainly took a big chance, and did make it to the other side. I hope her family appreciated the risk she took! What good are those wings if you can't use them?