Avoid the Sun at All Costs!

Usually our daily walk consists of a promenade down to the national mall, to the Smithsonian castle gardens, back up and around the Capitol building, past the Supreme Court and back home. But when the temperatures get hot and humid - even in the earlier hours of the morning - we need to change our route. So rather than head west towards the concrete with little cover, we stay in the neighborhood and find paths with shade. This plan can lead us to many different streets around Union Station and H street to the North, the Navy Yards to the south, and Frager's hardware and beyond to the east. Armed with my very wide brimmed hat and sunglasses, and my husband with his baseball hat, the views are actually quite enjoyable. The gardens are quite lovely. But like in any neighborhood, some folks take a lot better care of their yards than others. But our focus is to zero in on the shady paths and avoid the bright and sunny walks at all costs. In the end we come home drenched in sweat. But isn't that why we do it anyway? I'm not so sure. 

I'll Follow the Sun - I Mean SHADE!

Every Monday morning we walk to the Mall and Capitol grounds. But lately it has been unusually warm for this time of year, and most of the walk on the Mall is in direct sunlight. And since I am not an early riser, the only other choice is to stay out of the sun and find some shade. With that in mind, our walk took us in another direction. As we were making our way north through the neighborhood towards Union Station, I remembered the Beatle's song "I'll follow the Sun" - but that's exactly what we didn't want to do. Since the homes, businesses, government buildings and landmarks around here are all three, four, and more stories tall, it's actually pretty easy to stay in the shade. And it makes a huge difference in such humid weather, with a light breeze blowing by every once in awhile. We started out about 10 AM and ended up at Pete's, our favorite breakfast/lunch spot, at 11 AM after stopping off at a bench - in the shade - to decompress and do some pigeon watching. I told the mail woman I liked her umbrella hat, a must have clothing article - like my wide brimmed hat. My husband used to walk in the subfreezing, icy sidewalks of Milwaukee. We got quite a bit of that last winter here. I'm not sure which one is worse. I suppose in winter it is better to follow the sun, but for the next few months, I'm looking for shade. 

What I Notice on the Mall and Capitol Hill

Yesterday we took a ride down M Street SE. Today, before the snow flies, we decided to take a typical walk to the Mall from our house. The landscape changes with the seasons. The sun was trying to come out, and it was close to 50. But there is usually not a lot of activity before noon. We always pass by the duck pond at the American Indian Museum and stop at the Smithsonian Castle gardens. The Washington Monument is a typical landmark in just about any photo, but looked really pretty behind the African American Museum of Art. A unique fur tree stands in front of the castle, and the massive mall improvement project is well underway. The familiar sound of any merry go round was heard loud and clear - but there were no takers. The large orange steel beam, also known as art, reminds me of the same structure in downtown Milwaukee on the lakefront. There are a lot of empty benches along the path on the way back towards the Capitol. At the US Botanical Garden the little babbling brook is well hidden; the gargoyles stare down at us from atop the Palladian windows, and the collard greens are ready to be picked! The Bartholdi Fountain spot is a great place to sit and put your feet up for awhile. As we approach our house, the barriers to the Capitol become more obvious and directions to the freeway near the House Office Buildings garage exits pop out against the notable red brick rowhouse backdrop. What one doesn't usually see is the train track that runs behind that notable rowhouse, and the sidewalks that can attack you if you don't keep your eyes on the ground. It's a lot different from Milwaukee and a lot warmer too. Can we skip the snow please?

"Alice" - AKA "W" - Doesn't Live Here Anymore

It's the third day since the snow fell. In Milwaukee it was mandatory to clear off the sidewalks within twenty four hours or fines were levied. As with most things around here, nobody cares or it appears that way. The sad thing about it all is that for the last ten years, the length of the sidewalk in front of our son's house was not only sparkling clean after the slightest dusting, but so was the entire block. When our grandson became old enough the wield the 'ole shovel, he joined in with his father, and then started doing it on his own. Well, the family moved four hours away to Virginia a few months ago. It is obvious the new owners don't have that same sense of responsibility, don't even notice, or just don't care. Am I surprised? Not really. Just look around your neighborhood block. We miss them in more ways than one. I have a feeling the neighbors do too.