Photo-a-day-for-365-days Project: Shots 350-357

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On Saturday we spoke to the manservant’s parents as it was not only Christmas Day but also his mother’s birthday.  During my turn talking his mother asked what I’d bought the manservant for Christmas and I said “Alcohol” ….      There was a moment’s silence before she said  “Oh,  did he get any clothes?”                Me:   “No”                                                                                                                                 Her:    “Well,  I really would’ve rather you’d bought clothes for him than alcohol!”      LOL .     Why would I buy him clothes when I could get him a        gift I can share!   

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I’m very close to the end of this photo project now  – and my posting has nearly caught up with my shooting.

Shot  350:     The little church between the metro station and my office.  The sun was shining that early morning light on the block of apartments behind it.   If I had any software talent I’d photo-shop that out as it looks like a weird lookout.   

351  – Another of my sans-Manservant dinners.  These were simply called Vegetable rolls  - they were cold and served with a spicy dipping sauce.  They were divine!      

352   Getting close to Christmas.  Spied on one of my walks,  I love the simplicity and the colours and the little dollops of snow just to remind me that we were about to have a Northern Hemisphere Christmas.   

353  Yummy things come out of here…. 

354  Walking around the Columbia Heights neighborhood I came across this street of colourful row-houses.     

355  Icy footpath!   I know it’s blurry  but this is what happens when my neighbours don’t shovel their snow and it turns to ice.

356  -  A metro station billboard  -  I love this one.  It is currently showing in multiple metro stations.  

357  -  This was taken on the evening of December 23rd.   We visited some friends for dinner and when we came out to go home the moon was peeking through branches and everything looked really sinister.  My perception may have been affected by the wonderfully lethal champagne cocktails they served.    

What’s a gutter buddy

Well,  if you go in here: And buy and consume a lot of this:

You will end up as best buddies here:

Mystery….

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Today on our walk we came across a religion we had not found before: 

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The house still stands…

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in spite of the best efforts by our neighbours.

Yesterday, within the space of less than a mile there were 3 booths selling fireworks …   

The first one – not open yet -  8.30am  

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The second one -  not open either:

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The third one -  closest to home – open and doing business before 9am.  We didn't actually buy any -  I just noted their presence and the fact that the last one has hand written signs saying that "We do not sell things that explode, blow up or go in the air" .  In DC "legal" fireworks are sparklers less than 20 inches, crackles, strobes and fountains.  Things noted on those signs require a permit.  I don't think many people around me get permits.

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  The manservant barbecued hot dogs for dinner -  the makings:

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Made:  The little green bits are chopped pepper from the garden:

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And this is why we don't leave the house unattended on July 4.  Neighbours setting off noisy bright things that involve burning embers flying through the air…….   that's the roof & awning of our house the embers are coming towards:

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This can make one a little nervous. We drank heavily, whilst keeping vigil, sitting on our top deck – we constantly had things raining down on us. Everyone in our row has timber decks – a lot of us have timber fences.  It has not rained for ages and the wood was like kindling. At one stage they set a fence on fire.  They did have a fire extinguisher on hand but still ….  not cool!

 
Raining over the wooden deck rails: 

 
And raining down on us

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Incoming  – from all directions!! 

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  Prettiest one of the night:  

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This is a small collection of the crap which made its way onto our top deck last night.  Those little stone/glass things hurt when they hit you!  

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Cultural Weekend – Part 1A – Saturday

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A friend came to town from Hawaii – luckily she stayed in a hotel so I didn't have to work like a maniac to make our house guest-friendly.   She was also feeling a little cold so on Saturday we did an indoor activity -  The National Portrait Gallery:  

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  This building is a National Historic Landmark and is an example of Greek Revival architecture.  Construction began in 1836 and was completed 1868 – it was one of the first public buildings built in early Washington.  Porticos are modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, there is a curving double staircase, colonnades and vaulted galleries. It is joined to The Smithsonian American Art Museum and at times it is difficult to know when you've left one and entered the other.  The two buildings surround the Kogod Courtyard with its glass covered canopy:

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  Theodore Roosevelt had this Steinway "Gold Grand" designed to match the newly renovated White House in 1903.  It is adorned with the original 13 State seals and is gilt in goldleaf.  Artist Thomas Wilmer Dewing painted the lid and titled it "America Receiving the Nine Muses" :

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I didn't take a photo of this actual portrait but I found the description really amusing (and yes, she looked tired):

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I loved Strong Woman and Child 1925 – Yasuo Kuniyoshi:  perhaps this is Mrs Green in comic guise:  

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  I also liked this which I think was titled The Library -  I failed to note either the name or the artist.

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This one had a gorgeous colour co-ordinating frame – but reading the fine print revealed it was recreated rather than a restored frame:

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There was a special exhibition of Presidential cover art Time magazine  – no photos allowed past this point.

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There is a large area dedicated to portraits of all the Presidents -  the Nation's only complete collection of Presidential portraits outside the White House.  This is the one I found most interesting.  Apparently quite a few of you may have had a portion of this portrait in your schools and wondered why George had clouds around his shoulder:  

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The Adams Memorial was fascinating.  Some weekend I intend to look for Clover's gravesite at Rock Creek churchyard where the original sculpture was erected in 1891. Augustus Saint-Gaudens called it "The Mystery of the Hereafter and The Peace of God that Passeth Understanding"   The public called it "Grief".   

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Here is a collection of some of my favourites (click on any one a couple of times to make it larger).  I think I've just realised that I need a Part IB post to complete my trip to the museum. And, that's before I even mention that I went to the Chinese New Year Parade held in DC today  which was going to be Part 2 of my cultural w/end!

 

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Still at the Old Soldiers’ Home

Continuing on from Lincoln's Cottage we wandered into an area that we might not have been authorized to enter given we did not have visitors passes….    The Old Soldiers' Home. Written under the clock is SHERMAN

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The Old Soldier's Home was founded in 1851 when it was called the Armed Forces Retirement Home.  At that time the US Congress legislated a "military asylum"  for invalid and disabled soldiers of the US army.   The Soldiers' Home was officially recognized as being of historic significance in 1974 when four buildings built before the Civil War were designated National Historic Landmarks.    The Soldiers' Home is the last remaining example of three original military asylums established in 1851.

The entrance to the Home is guarded by miniature cannons:  

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We saw things we might not meant to have been photographing (Yes, it was fully operational).

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  The grounds are really lovely:

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We found an amazing tree propped up on one side

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A WWII  vet out for his morning stroll asked where we were from (this is when an Australian accent comes in handy) and talked to us at length about this tree which he called a Missouri Hedge Tree (though I couldn't find such a tree in a quick Google search).  After telling us it was the largest hedge tree around he wandered off:   

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We found an interesting tower:   -  the sign says DO NOT USE LADDER

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We then left the grounds and walked to the nearby US National Cemetery which will be the final resting place of many of the men in the Old Soldiers' Home:  

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So many graves: 

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Sunday Stroll – Education Edition

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This morning we walked down to Howard University and for the first time actually walked in and around some of the grounds.      

On the way is the E.L. Haynes Public Charter school (classes Pre K – Year 8)  – sandwiched between a liquor store and a strip club …  the students are sure to be well schooled in some essential life skills.  When building permits were being sought there was some public concern over its proximity to the strip joint  – but then people realised that the "trading"  hours of both would not overlap and everyone relaxed. 

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  When we got to Howard University there was not much indication of Autumn in the trees yet and the campus was very quiet:

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From a manicured lawn it is a lovely view to the library. The "scroll" inscription on the building says:     Books are voices from past ages  Records of the present  Heralds of the future  Torches to the unenlightened  Common bond of cultured men  Trusted friends  Developing the mind  Restoring the spirit  Enter thou into this company and seek truth: 

Library Inscription

The Library

Chemistry building and Radio dish -  (probably not for looking for aliens)

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Engineering building:

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A  little bit of street art – this was on the sidewalk outside the university: 

Street Art

Walking home along a stretch of Georgia Avenue there was just a hint of the color of autumn: 

Beginning of autumn

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Today’s walk….

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Some images from today's walk.  Nicer than the usual boarded up shops and other images I present from my neighbourhood!   The sun was a little high this morning & gives a washed out section to some of the shots ….   tomorrow we will try to hit the footpath (sidewalk)  earlier.

I must also come up with a better method of recording what I am taking.  Currently I am relying on my memory to remember which houses are in which streets.  Taking a pad and writing down the number of the image and corresponding street seems cumbersome.  I'm thinking about doing a quick video grab on my camera where I "speak" the name of the street and then snap images.       

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Beautiful wildness

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Watching you ……

When we walked in front we could see that it was chained and padlocked to prevent escape:

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I've called this "vacant block"  though it is possible that it is the side yard of the grey house.  It was this possibility that prevented me from trespassing to get a closer shot!

Vacant block art

Ooh – must go!  The manservant has whipped up Saturday night dinner.  I bet it will include chillies! (again!).

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