Sunday in the Capitol

In the morning we listened to a cd Emmie got Kathy for her birthday. Grand Ole Opry hymns. In the afternoon we subwayed and walked to the National Presbyterian Church/Cathedral. Kathy's friend Laura met us. The National Master Chorale sang Mendelssohn's "Richte Mich, Gott" and Brahms' "O Heiland, Reiss die Himmel auf" among others. Incredible music. I was thinking this morning of the incredible variety of 'sacred' music....

The weather has been perfect -- sunlight for fall colors and warmth. Today is grey.

Starting a New Adventure -- Washington DC

Mule Power -- pulling our canal boat after we went through a locke meant to circumvent the rapids/falls on the Potomac.

Being a 'westerner', I tend not to associate scenes like this with the East.

Part of the Potomac. Yup. Bet old George could throw a rock across this section.

Stealthy deer.

Women waiting to open the locke. Living history, I think... or did I do time travel as well??

Saturday: the trip to Great Falls National Historical Park.

Arriving:

The taxi driver was from Punjab Province. He was born in United India in 1944. When he was three, his family had to walk 12 miles across the border to Amritsar to join his father, a doctor. They were hungry. They didn't know when they might be set upon and robbed. They made it safely though. He said his strongest image/memory is of his grandfather carrying him on his shoulders. They came to a stream they had to cross. The stream had smooth round rocks. His grandfather said there were fish in the stream. Grabbing a long heavy stick, the grandfather clubbed 8 fish for them to eat. My driver came to the United States when he was 18 and became a civil engineer. Before he retired, he was inspecting the safety of nuclear plants.

I like watching the wonderful variety of people here. So many transient, from someplace else, staying a while in the votex of power, and then likely going someplace else. Some stay.

Kathy's lovely apartment on Porter and Cleveland overlooks a five street intersection, and occupies an end of the building on the 5th floor. It has a clinic attached to the building and a Walgreens next door. The subway station and numerous restaurants are a two or three minute walk, the National Zoo -- 10 minutes. I didn't see the giant pandas or elephants, but did see a sloth bear, fisher cat, and Asian otters. The zoo is beautifully designed -- Frederick Law Olmstead.