The Tourists Have Vanished - Green Acres?

Things have definitely changed. Where they were once everywhere, now they are few and far in between. Our walk on Sunday through the National Mall highlighted the paucity of visitors to the neighborhood. A local was feeding ducks in the pool in front of the Capitol, but the gardens near the Smithsonian Castle and the US Botanical garden were deserted. My husband didn't like it since he thrives on crowds and noise. I, on the other hand, prefer it. It reminds me of Green Acres - he prefers city life and I think I might like a less hectic surrounding. But this won't last long so I'll enjoy it while it's here. 

A Saturday Afternoon in Washington DC

Every Saturday we drive along the George Washington Parkway to McLean for brunch. On our way home we take Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, then head down Independence Avenue. This time of year there is always a good chance of a wedding taking place at the WWI Memorial - and there was - sort of. Not quite a whole wedding party and guests, but a bride and groom quickly getting photos by the monument and dashing in to their Florida License plated car. Sporting events are everywhere with the Washington Monument as a backdrop. Picnickers sit along the Potomac River under the cooler shade of the once blooming cherry blossoms. Tour buses are everywhere with advertisements about TV shows to city landmarks. The MLK Memorial is quite busy, and the Mall is filled to the brim with tourists and graduates and families, and large groups of high school students. The Air and Space Museum has really long lines in front of it - another sure sign that summer is almost here. The Capitol is being prepped for the annual Memorial Day Concert. Closing in on our neighborhood, St. Peter's usually has a wedding taking place too - and there was. The groomsmen in their light colored suits were trying to figure out which way to go as the neighbors meander by. It hardly matters what time of year, or time of day. Anytime we leave the house, we always see something interesting. Just keep your eyes open and you can't miss it. 

Army Band Concert on the Capitol Steps

Every year since we moved to Capitol Hill we have attended the Army Band concerts on the Capitol steps. All the military bands perform around town, but this is the most convenient location for us. They also perform during the week but Friday evenings always worked out the best. It was the end of a work week, it was a nice walk over after dinner, and our son was in the Army. This is the first time we went to a concert that he is no longer on active duty. He is now retired and starting his civilian career. I remember sending him video of the concert to Afghanistan, where he was twice deployed as a surgeon.  Prior to that he was deployed to Iraq. My Dad was in WW II on a destroyer escort and my Mom was in the Navy. You could say the sounds of the military bands are familiar to my ears. The best part of any concert is at the finale when the theme songs of the five branches are played. Anyone who served is asked to stand when their song is played. Whether you agree with whatever is going on in this world or not, I just know our family has contributed positively to the armed forces. These events are reminders of what they do and did. And what a setting to have a concert. 

Rain, Snow, Cafe Deluxe, Safeway, and Tourists

I took the day off from work because it seemed like the right thing to do and I have several custom dog portraits to paint... and then there's the possible root canal festering - rats! But before getting started on anything we needed to pick up a few things for Thanksgiving dinner because the guest list might increase by one, and what we thought was enough wouldn't be. So we headed out along the George Washington Parkway towards Cafe Deluxe in Tyson's for a quick lunch because they have sheltered parking - which is a good thing on a day like this. I wasn't thrilled to see the snowflakes, because that it the primary reason we left Milwaukee for DC. Along the way there and back, we saw a few tourists hanging in there in spite of the wind and sleet, and most looked totally unprepared for the awful weather. But they probably don't notice it as much as I do. The city looks very different in the raindrops, and I was just glad I was viewing it from inside the car. The restaurant was understandably more quiet than usual. We stopped at Safeway for a few things, then headed home - an even better place to be on a day like this. I hope the dentist office is open on Friday because I just don't feel like trying to get in today. Hope I'm not sorry!