Washington Monument

We have never been inside of it, but it is probably the most photographed item - aside from the Capitol building. When we lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years the Capitol was the focal point. We walked by it almost every day. Now the building is barricaded off and you can’t get anywhere near it. Lately we have been spending more time around the west end of the National Mall and the Washington monument. We drove to DC for the weekly 52frames photo challenge where I thought the WWII memorial might have some great options for the single focus shot. But the Washington monument overtook the scene - again - mainly because the skies were such a crisp blue and the sun was hiding just behind it creating a very wide shadow for a tall and thin structure. I ended up using a flock of geese that suddenly flew overhead instead of a favorite photo of the structure. Sometimes I need to listen to my gut instead of my husband! Now I’m starting to post photos on my Facebook business page during the week to see which one gets the most attention, then uploading that image for the weekly challenge. I always liked taking photos before. Now there is a purpose and the outcome seems to be better. And the photo editing helps a lot. There’s only so much you can do with an iPhone, but it’s easy to use and always on hand. 

The FDR Memorial

I read a lot of biographies growing up. I like history and prefer real accounts of real people to fiction. Living in DC affords a lot of opportunities to visit places where a lot of historical events occurred. Heaven knows who walked through our block or even stopped by to call on someone in our building. Lately we have been taking a lot of walks in the evening. The summer heat of the day changes the weekend afternoon schedule. We found ourselves at the FDR Memorial. We have been there before and it is one of my favorites. Maybe because it is tucked behind the typical bustling streets near the mall, or it was built near the Tidal Basin. In the evening it is very serene with the lamp lights flickering, less pedestrian traffic, and a lot of water features. Each "room" presents a moment in time from FDR's terms as president. And of course Eleanor and Fala have a presence. The shiny spots on the hands and ears show where people touched the figures to somehow connect. It's a great spot to meander around and to view the notable monuments well known to the Capitol city. Usually we walk to most if these places. But this was a car ride worth taking. 

Taking In The Rays and a Smoke

As the dog days of summer are upon us, some folks are doing everything they can to catch the last bit of sunshine available before the cooler days of autumn roll in. In a rather unexpected setting along a very highly trafficked Independence Avenue, we came upon a guy who was attempting to do just that. He appeared to be sleeping with a lit cigar in his hand. He must have had a sixth sense that his picture was being snapped because he abruptly woke up in sort of a daze. I'm not totally convinced that was the reason for his awakening. Besides, the sun wasn't even out today. In Milwaukee, there was a guy about the same age and shape who thought getting a sun tan was a 365 day event. He would surround himself with aluminum foil walls wearing the smallest of bathing suits- even on the coldest of days. I wonder what each of them was thinking?

The Mall from the Plane

Having just returned from a trip to Milwaukee, where we lived for thirty years before moving to DC, the view from the plane can be memorable depending on the flight pattern, and obviously from where you are seated. I remember long ago we could easily see either Mount Vernon coming up the Potomac River, or the Mall and all the monuments landing from the other main flight path. When sitting on the Capitol steps, or driving along the George Washington Parkway, one can see a continuous run of airplanes as they head towards Reagan National Airport. Because of the location of the airport, some of the landings and touchdowns are enough to make you never want to get in to an aircraft of any kind again. It seems lately though that no matter what way we are landing or taking off, we seem to be on the opposite side of the action and scenery down below. Luckily for us, we have seen it all before. The nicest part of where we live is that the airport is about the same distance from our house as it was in Milwaukee. But the view in between is so very different.

On the Mall July 4 Fireworks, Cannons & Concert

We decided to brave the heat and walk over to the Mall last evening to watch the fireworks. All along the way there, the neighbors were staking out places to watch from those areas only they would know about. The House Building parking lot was quite full and the balconies were too. Rather than watch the concert in front of the Capitol, we walked in between that and ventured towards the pool in front of the Capitol where the cannons were set up to blast during the 1812 Overture. In spite of the heat and humidity, the threat of storms never materialized, and the crowd was able to enjoy the festivities after such a dreary week of weather damage and power outages for many. For a short time everyone could forget about it. It doesn't feel so bad to be hot watching fireworks, but we were lucky to get back inside in air conditioning. Some folks don't have that luxury yet.

The concert was playing & the police were everywhere

All of these characters must have been hot

And the show begins

The Marines in full dress man the cannons

It's been a long day

Walking back home along Independence Avenue

The Navy Memorial

Along Pennsylvania Avenue across from the Archives is the Navy Memorial. It's not as obvious as some of the others, but a lot of folks do stop by and seem to be enchanted by the low key nature of it all. It is really a very pleasant area to sit, relax, and exjoy the crowds as they pass by. My mother was in the Navy during WWII, so it has some meaning. But the Women in the Military Exhibit is at Arlington. We once joined some friends for dinner at a restaurant located right next to this place. The view was wonderful, but the food was awful. Right up the street is the Spy Museum and the Portrait Gallery. And all along the Avenue are statues related to Civil War Generals and war time events. When we visited another country awhile back, we were struck by the fact that the memorials and statues were focused on poets and storytellers rather than warriors and statesmen. Interesting....

Scenes from WWII

Capturing some sort of action

The "P" coat - I had one in college

 

The ship mast

This place better have a water feature

Civil War Generals Scott, Meade, and Grant

Walking along Pennsylvania Avenue on the way to the White House are statues commemorating the Civil war. I suppose there are similar statues located in a lot of towns across the country. There are several in Alexandria along Washington Avenue, and many more in Richmond in a distinctly southern persuasion. And obviously, as one travels away from the city in any direction, all the battlefields are dotted with even more representations. I know the stance of the horse has some meaning, but don't remember what. We spent many vacations traveling up and down the eastern seaboard looking at these things. In Milwaukee I belonged to the Civil War Round Table, and attended monthly meetings about all kinds of subject matter. It's a good thing to be reminded of our history, and in this town, history is everywhere. We probably walk the same places many of these folks did- which makes it even more interesting.

Winfield Scott

A lot of history has walked along this path

Grand Army of the Republic

General Meade

General and President Grant

From the side- a lot of photos are taken on this spot

Churchill, Big Ben, and The Washington Post

We were in England for a long weekend about 2 weeks ago. For some reason, the short trip is still vivid in my mind. Coincidentally, the Washington Post is having a Travel Photo Contest now. Although we did not get to see a lot of London, we did take a whirlwind tour of the city during the Queen's Jubilee. I've always liked Churchill and we came across his daunting, larger than life statue, eclipsing Big Bend- at least from my angle. Although the city was filled with travelers, you would never know it by looking at the photo. I was snapping photos with my IPhone as we ran along, and this one just appeared interesting in its dimensions. I'm sure it won't make the cut, but it is always fun to enter these contests. I would never have dreamed that my Tilley the Pooch was a winner in the New Yorker Eustace Tilley Contest earlier this year. I do remember entering some photo contests in Milwaukee, and also entered a AAA Safety poster contest when I was about 12 years old in Florida (and won!). I suppose if you like to draw, take photos, and create things it goes along with the territory regardless of where you live. The technology today just makes it so much easier!

The Washington Post website

Churchill larger than life dwarfing Big Ben

You Know You're Back Home

We just returned from a long weekend in London. After unpacking last night and resting this morning, we went out for our usual lunch. I took an extra day off to recover. Neither one of us are good travelers. We are creatures of comfort, and that means we stay at home a lot. Regardless, we knew we were back in town because most everywhere we went, there was some sort of construction going on. It did not matter if it was in our neighborhood or not. My husband loves the noise and feel of an urban environment. I don't think he will ever get disappointed as long as he is living here. I'm just glad we don't need to be any where at any particular time. Welcome Home!

Near the House Office Building

In the neighborhood

By Memorial Bridge

To the Lincoln Memorial- glad it was in the other direction