I Love Fireworks and I Really Love 4th of July Fireworks on the National Mall

I went down to the Mall for the July 4th Fireworks. This time I did something a little I got on to the grounds of the Washington Monument.

I think in the 30 plus years I've been in Washington I can count on one hand the number of times I've missed them. To me this is one the quintessential experiences of living in Washington. To me it wouldn't be July 4th without seeing them.

And it's not seeing fireworks unless you can feel them in your chest. If you can't feel the explosions in your chest you're not close enough to them.

So here are a few shots of this July 4th celebration on the Mall.

More Fireworks!

As I said I was on the grounds of the Washington Monument this year. There was a large set of speakers playing music. At the start of the fireworks display the songs being played were really random. Didn't seem to have much of a tie in to July 4th or anything for that matter.

But finally they got it right. Here are three excerpts including the grande finale.

Playing Catch Up

I'll be playing catch up over the next few days. It's been a very busy time. The 4th of July and then heading out to celebrate my uncle's 90th birthday. Also toured around the town I grew up in. That was strange and I'll talk more about that as well.

Another Nats Game

It's a little toasty tonight. 86 but feels like 96. But that doesn't stop the president's race. Abe wins!

At the Bullpen by Nats Park Watching World Cup

They set up a screen to show the US match. 

Bryce is Back

Bryce is back in the Nationals' lineup. How appropriate because it's Bryce Harper bobblehead night!


Let's go Bryce and let's go Nats. 

Tried to post this using the Blogger app for my iPhone. Per usual it didn't post. In general, in my opinion, the app is not very good at all.

Cat Adoption Fair Today

My friend, Yolanda, is a volunteer with the Washington Humane Society. She's sponsoring a cat adoption fair this Sunday.

The fair will be at Annie’s Ace Hardware, 1240 Upshur St NW, Today 12pm – 3pm.

So if you are looking for a furry friend and companion, stop by the fair this Sunday and see all the wonderful cats ready to be adopted.

More about the Humane Society:

The WHS Mission
The Washington Humane Society inspires and creates a community where all animals have secure homes and where people and animals live together with joy and compassion.

About WHS
The Washington Humane Society (WHS), the only Congressionally-chartered animal welfare agency in the United States, has been the area’s leading voice for animals since 1870. As the open-access shelter in the Nation’s Capital, the Washington Humane Society provides comfort and care to over 43,000 animals each year through its broad range of programs and services including sheltering for homeless animals, a comprehensive adoption program and off-site adoption events to find new families for the animals in our care, low-cost spay and neuter for pet owners and other local organizations, an aggressive TNR (trap-neuter-return) program for feral cats (CatNiPP), investigations of each allegation of animal cruelty or neglect through the Humane Law Enforcement, lost and found services to help reunite lost pets with their families, pet behavioral advice to help resolve issues that lead to animals being relinquished to shelters, working with breed rescue groups to find more homes for more animals, volunteer and foster programs to allow other members of the community to help us help more animals and an award winning Humane Education program that teaches kindness to animals to the next generation of animal lovers.

Happy 88th Birthday to My Dad, Jack

Wishing my dad, Jack, all the best on his 88th birthday.

Well now what I really wish for him is that he had fantastically fun, incredibly wonderful, super duper happy happy happy birthday.

There that's better. When you wish someone a HAPPY BIRTHDAY someone like your dad, you need to make a real celebration not just happy birthday.

So thank you for all the wonderful things you've done for me over the years. Love you.

AND HAVE A SUPPER WONDERFUL HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAY!!!!!!!

A few pictures

One of my favorites. This is when Jack came out to DC for a visit and we visited  Civil War battlefield.

Near Springfield one of the winners of the biggest pumpkin contest

At the Ozark Steam Engine Association Steamorama.

Here are the boys. I'm waiting to catch a plane to head back to DC

This was part of his 85th birthday celebration

At Bass Pro in Springfield.

All of us at the MS Ride

My dad with his brother Harmon

Harmon and Jack

Jack at Christmas time

Metro Musings

The other day I was exiting Metro and got a message that I needed to add money to my Smartrip card. I went over to the add fare machine and put in a twenty. The machine promptly spit it back out. I tried again and it did the same thing. I then noticed that it only takes ones, fives and tens.

I got out my wallet and fished around inside until I found a five. I have to say I wasn’t sure I had anything smaller than a twenty in my wallet. I put the money in the machine. This time it excepts it. My card is updated and I get change.

I got a nickel and three one dollar coins. Two of the coins were the recent ones with the presidents on them. The other was the old Susan B. Anthony coin of so many years ago. I realize it would be very difficult for the machine to give out change in the form of paper money. But I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with these coins.

I needed to add fare to my card. I figured I’d use the coins for that. The recent one dollar coins the machine had no problems with. The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin the fare card machine would not except. Which I have to say I was not all that surprised at. But it does seem a little odd that Metro would have a dollar coin given as change that couldn’t be used in the other machines.

Then there’s this. One side of the escalator down to the platform level at the Bethesda stop is being repaired. It’s been that way for months. There’s a sign from Metro telling when the escalator will be back working. It first said April, then May, then June. Now the sign says the escalator will be back working in September. Let’s just say I’m not holding my breath on that. In all likelihood it won’t be back working in September either.

This underscores the problem people have with Metro. If you say something is going to happen in a certain time frame make sure it does. We the escalator that’s an additional six months to get to up and working. That just shouldn’t be acceptable.

But again it’s Metro.

Times Square at Night

I am always amazed at the number of people that are in Times Square. It seems no matter what time of day you are there it is just full of people.

The Morgan Library

Sunday morning went to the Morgan Library. A fantastic library and museum:

A complex of buildings in the heart of New York City, The Morgan Library & Museum began as the private library of financier Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913), one of the preeminent collectors and cultural benefactors in the United States. As early as 1890 Morgan had begun to assemble a collection of illuminated, literary, and historical manuscripts, early printed books, and old master drawings and prints.

The largest expansion in the Morgan’s history, adding 75,000 square feet to the campus, was completed in 2006. Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano, the project increases exhibition space by more than fifty percent and adds important visitor amenities, including a new performance hall, a welcoming entrance on Madison Avenue, a new café and a new restaurant, a shop, a new reading room, and collections storage. Piano’s design integrates the Morgan’s three historical buildings with three new modestly scaled steel-and-glass pavilions. A soaring central court connects the buildings and serves as a gathering place for visitors in the spirit of an Italian piazza.

What an amazing place. The next couple of posts give an idea what the collection and building is like. Just wonderful

Taking in the Morgan Library

These pictures show the wonder of the library and its collection. First picture a book from the 13th century. The next two show just how large the collection is. Remember this was actually a home. Next a musical score by Bach. The final is Elizabeth I's signature.

More from the Morgan Library

First picture shows a first edition of the Star Spangled Banner. The next two show the ornate work on the ceilings. The last picture shows the incredible work done on one of the fireplaces.

Last from the Morgan Library

If you take a close look at the two close ups of the arm of the chair you will notice the figure of a lion. Look more closely and you'll see that they are not the same. Very cool.