Library of Congress Southwest Courtyard

I've known about the eventual opening of the Jefferson Building Southwest Courtyard for quite some time as our infrastructure service is accountable for designing, managing projects, and getting the furniture for all the Library renovations. Instead of the usual afternoon walk around the halls today, a colleague and I decided to walk through the tunnel that joins the Madison Building over to the Jefferson, and made our way to the just opened courtyard. Because of the heat, it was closed to food service, but open to walk about. These are some of the hidden treasures that most folks would not stumble upon if they were not actually looking for the space. There are signs to direct you along the way. What a great spot to sit and relax for lunch, or whatever. High above the wall is the flame of knowledge that sits on the dome visible from many points around the city. Across the way is a peculiar rounded architectural dimension that actually houses a staircase. Most office buildings have places to walk and sit, but there is obviously something special about this place. The courtyard is open from April to September, and the public is invited- but only if you can find it.

Wayfinding through the tunnel

Light fare is served from 11-2PM; the courtyard itself is open 9:30-3PM M-F

The same vendor as the cafeteria

A bank of tables

On the west side

The golden torch of knowledge overlooks the space

Encloses the staircase



The Library of Congress surrounds the space - just think what's behind those walls!

Capitol Hill Real Estate- SOLD!

Just last month a home on North Carolina Avenue sold within a week. A similar home on E Street behind our building sold within 2-3 weeks. You would never know there was a recession in this neighborhood. Another home behind us also sold quickly, and has been undergoing extensive renovation. Since we moved to this neighborhood, it has become more and more updated. The ugly building across the street was completely renovated with underground parking. All the sidewalks have been redone with new brick and the likelihood of falling on your face from tree roots popping through has dissipated. I have personal experience! Our building has a couple units on the market and it seems to be taking longer than usual to sell. Most of them are studio apartments in an 1890's building. There is more condo competition in the neighborhood, but none of the competition is as close to the metro and congressional buildings as ours. It takes a peculiar person to live in a place like this, but there will always be a need for this type of real estate as long as congress is located so close.

Sold within the month for ~$1M

Not sure about the color scheme, but love the windows

Library of Congress Summer Programs

In the cafeteria this morning there were a lot of young folks who were casually dressed, in large groups. They would either be tourists or interns. Because it was so early in the morning, I decided they must be interns. There are several internships sponsored by DC, as well as through high schools and universities all over the country. We've had many come and go to our office over the years, and you can imagine the caliber of skill level varies all over the map. As I was taking my walk this afternoon along the long corridors of the Madison Building, I came upon a very large group of students waiting to access the Congressional Research Service. They were all dressed the same in dark jackets and pants/skirts. What I noticed most was that they simply do not move aside so you can pass- not an uncommon and very irritating phenomenon that routinely occurs on the sidewalks of this city. It is so rampant that I now basically push my way past anyone who feels they own the sidewalk. (By the way, someone slammed the door in my face this afternoon). I really can't think of an excuse for this sort of behavior, all I know is I don't like it. Aside from all the students mulling around are the programs that are free and open to the public. These are the perks of working in a place like the Library, and living in a city like DC- even if you have to elbow your way past some of the human barriers to get to them.

I just elbowed my way past these human barriers
that blocked the entire hallway

Large crowds attend the
Congressional Research Service Programs

Visitors and staff can attend the free public programs

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

Sailabration in Baltimore

The War of 1812 is being celebrated in Baltimore this week. Since it was such a nice day, and we have not been on a day trip of sorts for awhile, we decided to take a ride to Baltimore, which is not even 50 miles away. A lot of tall ships and sailing vessels were invited to the fest from all over the world. We stayed in the Fells Point Neighborhood in the 80's, when it was first being reinvigorated. At that time, the Baltimore Inner Harbor looked a lot like Milwaukee - there is even a building there that looks just like Grand Avenue. Our daughter in law is from Baltimore, my brother was drafted by the Orioles out of high school as a left handed pitcher, and our son went to Johns Hopkins. My dad was in the Coast Guard, so seeing ships and sailing vessels brings back a lot of memories. A million visitors were expected to this event, and I think that was the case. As we passed by Camden Yards and the golden glove statue of Brooks Robinson, the traffic became very heavy. And as was predicted, there were a lot of sailors on the streets. We didn't find any parking, so just moved along slowly and observed the scenes. We even saw, but mostly heard, the Blue Angels flying overhead. It was a vibrant and bustling scene, and a very interesting place to visit. We did not make it to Fort McHenry. We were there before, and it is nice to know that it is remarkably close in case we ever want to go again.

Baltimore does look like Milwaukee



Camden Yards



Brooks Robinson

The sailors were everywhere

A Canadian ship

Wonder what she is thinking?

Always a pirate ship

 

If you look hard enough there is a Blue Angels aircraft

Strolling along

A lot of activity along the Inner Harbor

Could be from Indonesia- one of the invited guest countries

Reminds me of visiting my dad's Coast Guard ships

At Fells Point

Making the rounds

Happy Fathers Day

Army Band Concert on the Capitol Steps

Every summer we look forward to strolling over to the Capitol Building, and sitting on the steps to listen to the Army Band. We usually go on a Friday evening, after the long work week. The concerts start at 8PM and last about an hour. Not only does the band play at this spot, but all around the city, several days a week. The other armed services bands play as well. It just so happens a member of our family is in the Army, so it has more meaning for us. The Army is also celebrating its 137th birthday.You never know what music will be played, but last night was an interesting mixture of opera and contemporary. The night was absolutely beautiful, and the change from evening to night is spectacular in such a setting The best part is the ending, where the song of each service is played and those who served in each of the branches stand to be recognized. I'm sure these types of traditions are carried out all across the country. But there is something about sitting in front of this building that makes it all the more memorable.

The crowds get larger once they hear the music

A spectacular evening

They do this about every day of the week at various locations

Imagine the logistics

The crowds always love it

Even the smallest guys

Some sit on blankets or portable chairs

What the band sees

The conductor was dynamic

Looking in the other direction

Big Band music as well as opera

The rental bikes are all over town

A great sight

I'm sure they have packing up down to 20 minutes

She has a wonderful voice

The Army song being played

From evening to night