My Oyster

"There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm."

That is a quote from Teddy Roosevelt while he was on the African game trails in 1910.  The pic above is a plane coming into National Airport over his memorial on Roosevelt island.

Today Jean, Suz, Grant & I headed to Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River to celebrate some Sunday morning nature.

I have been here in DC for 16 years now and have never made my way there.  Big mistake.  It is really a beautiful retreat.

5 Things About Teddy Roosevelt Island...

1. Congress authorized the Teddy memorial in 1932 but waited nearly 30 years to appropriate any money for it.  It was dedicated, finally, on October 27, 1967.

2. The island (and National Park) is actually part of DC but is only accessible from the Virginia shore of the Potomac River.

3. The island was known in the past as My Lord's Island, Barbadoes, and Analostan Island - which was the Native American name for it.

4. In addition to the nature quote above, the memorial also has big tablets with interesting quotes about manhood and youth.

5. Roosevelt set aside more land for national parks than all of the previous 25 Presidents combined.

I want to go back and check out the Island in the fall and winter too.

Here are some more pics...

Breakfast with an Overlook...

Nature with an Egg McMuffin.

This morning Jean, Suz, Grant and I got up early to go to Great Falls National Park for a little communing with nature.  We stopped at Starbucks in Adams Morgan to pick up some breakfast.

Here we are.

The canal is right by the river (the Potomac) which is where the Great Falls are.  About 15 miles north of the city.

Here are the falls. 

Complete with kayakers who were not supposed to be there.  Riding the rapids.

The Great Falls are dangerous.  And now we know the dangers...

But the park is beautiful and a nice way to start a beautiful summer Sunday.

Colombia Afternoon (into evening) in Columbia Heights...

I don't cook. 

I don't really even have food in my house.  I travel a lot, I never learned to cook, I don't like to cook.  That is my standard rationale.

Today I cooked up a (relatively speaking) storm.  I made these two desserts today for my get together to celebrate Colombia.  The desserts are Colombian.  The cake is made with araquipe.  The other is tres leches (three milks).

I got the recipe for both of these from Dr. David's sister.  When we were in Medellin in June, she made the tres leches for us and bought the other.  Here she is with both of them.

Ok.  So mine don't really look like those, but oh well.  I think my friends and loved ones enjoyed mine.  Maybe that is why I call them my friends and loved ones.

Here they are today celebrating Colombia Afternoon in Columbia Heights...

And here I am serving up the desserts.

It's nice to be home with friends.

Sunday morning with President Buchanan...

I love taking an early morning walk on Sundays in DC. 

It is the most relaxing time of the week.  The city is still quiet.  In the summer, it's not too hot yet - at least in the shade. The people watching is great - a mix of those stumbling home from the night before, those eager to start their day - often with a dog - and those that.. just can't easily be described.  All very interesting. 

Jean and I took an early morning walk and started our day with a coffee and the paper in Malcolm X Park.  I have been coming here for 16 years now and love it.  For some reason the statue above - part of the President Buchanan memorial - caught my eye today.  I am sure there is some meaning as to why this young guy is sitting next to the President.  I couldn't figure out why.  I wonder if they are going to include a half naked man with a six-pack in the George W. Bush memorial.

Here are Jean and I.  I used a Starbucks venti coffee cup as a tripod to take the snap.

Safety First & Some Good Lovin'

The Hood, originally uploaded by dcjay64.

That is my neighborhood in Columbia Heights in DC. I love it.

It needs some good lovin' these days. We are having some crime and violence problems.

I am in one of the 3 W shaped buildings in the center. I have the best view in the city. I can walk to anything I would ever want. I live in one of the most diverse areas around.

My W building is a condo and the other two Ws are subsidized housing. There are several public housing buildings within a couple blocks from me too. And a big high school across the street. Apparently, all of them are sources of crime & violence problems in my 'hood.

All of this is taking place at a time of enormous change and disruption and displacement in the area - with lots of new and expensive condos going up.

That was all pointed out to me and my neighbors tonight by a lieutenant from the DC Metropolitan Police Department. She came to meet with us along with a representative from Councilman Jim Graham's office.

They came to meet with us because of the increase in crime lately around my building. On the 4th of July there was a shooting murder on my block. Last week, when I was in Maine, one of my neighbors was assaulted - IN the lobby.

We are all very worried.

It was a long and emotional meeting. I was impressed by the DC police department. I didn't think I would be. But the Lieutenant seemed to know every block by heart. She took notes. She made commitments. She asked several times to be invited back to our building in a month to be held accountable for improvements and changes in the area. I liked that.

The jury is still out on Councilman Graham. I will be watching closely on his follow-up. The ridiculous DC Government has actually blocked some improvements we have tried to make in the area - like making our block a one-way street to reduce the cruising and drug dealing. Graham better get those things fixed.

There is also a lot that we as a building will need to do and as individuals. For starters, I changed the time of my party in a couple weeks from in the evening to in the afternoon. I don't feel safe having my guests leave late at night. That is sad.

I am also going to check into volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club across 14th street. Maybe that is a longer term solution, but I liked the idea of investing back in the community - and the problems we are having seem to be with the youth.

Despite the circumstances, it was great to spend the evening with my neighbors.

Nothing says "Welcome Home" like scorching heat...

Day 100/366; One Hundred!, originally uploaded by aperryz302.

I got back to DC late this afternoon. Daryl drove me to the new Harris Teeter for some groceries. My cupboard was bare. As always.

At some point during the 5 block drive to the Teeter, I glanced down at the dashboard. The time was 6:30pm. The temperature, even that late in the day, was still 100 DEGREES!

That was not the heat index. It was the straight up temperature. Triple digits. Ugh.

I think it's actually true...

I guess this is part of an advertising campaign in London to promote tourism to 5 US cities and the state of South Carolina.

The posters were put in two Tube stations (Covent Garden and Leicester Square) that are heavily-trafficked by gays and lesbians.  The campaign was timed to coincide with gay pride celebrations in London.

In coming up with this campaign, the tourism company (AMRO) partnered with five destination partners that would be attractive to the G&L market but not stereotype destinations (sorry SF and South Beach).  Those five were Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington DC.

Oddly, AMRO later added South Carolina to the campaign.  Not so oddly and unfortunately, the campaign in London has caused a bit of an uproar in South Carolina.  A state employee has resigned and government officials have disavowed the international advertising campaign.  There have been calls for an investigation. 

Oh, brother.

I don't think there have been any problems in the other five cities.  I am proud to call Washington home.

 

DC's Shrine of the Immaculate Conception...

Today Ma and I hopped a few blocks eastward to go to mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  DC's only Basilica.

Here she is up on the alter with the Jesus mosaic behind her.

I have been in DC for 16 years now and have been in many of its churches and I have been in catholic churches and basilicas and cathedrals around the world - often with Ma.  This one is really special.

Like the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice - which we saw in 2006 - the ceiling of our DC Shrine is a succession of decorated domes.  Beautifullly decorated.  Differently than any I have seen.  Tiny tiles making amazing mosaics - infused with lots of glittering gold.

Each of the domes is an independent unit - leading to the last half dome in the north apse - which features the incredible mosaic above - the awesome, apocalyptic (see the flames) Christ in Majesty.  He comes to judge justly (depicted by raised right brow) and with compassion (depicted by the relaxed left brow). 

This is part of the outside of the Basilica - with the main dome and the north apse showing. 

There are sculptures of saints all along the outside.  Ma found Malachai - for whom her (our) dog is named - in part.

Here are some more snaps from the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception...

St. Matthew the Apostle in Downtown DC...

This is the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C.  It is dedicated to the Apostle Matthew, who among other things is patron saint of civil servants, having himself been a tax collector.

Ma and I went to the mass in Latin this morning. 

It was my first time to the Cathedral and my first Latin mass.  Both were a great experience and worth the wait.

St. Matthew's was originally established in 1840, the fourth Catholic parish in the District of Columbia. Originally located at 15th and H Streets, construction of the current church began in 1893, with the first mass being celebrated on June 2, 1895. It was finally dedicated in 1913. In 1939 the church was designated as a Cathedral when the Archdiocese of Washington was established.

The structure is Romanesque with Byzantine elements. Designed by architect C. Grant La Farge, it is shaped like a Latin cross and seats about 2000 persons. The interior is richly decorated in marble and semiprecious stones, notably a 35-foot mosaic of Matthew created by Edwin Howland Blashfield. Both structural and decorative features underwent extensive restoration starting in 2000 and ending September 21, 2003, the Feast day of St. Matthew.

Here are some more pics…

The Big Dish...

...at the President Woodrow Wilson House.  Yes, an exhibit of presidential china - does it get any better?  Well, maybe an exhibit of first ladies inaugural gowns - but this is pretty darn good!

I have lived here in DC for nearly 16 years and either jogged, driven, cycled, or toured almost every inch of the city.  But for some reason I had never, until today, visited the President Wilson House - that has almost literally been in my backyard for all these years.  It's is right in Dupont/Kalorama.

What a mistake. 

Jean and I went today after brunch.  It was a cold and dreary spring day today - so we wanted some entertainment and I had been wanting to see "The Big Dish".

These dishes were President Lincoln's.

I thought we might slip in, peek at the dishes, and then continue with our day.  But no.  We were there for 2 hours.  We took the tour.  We learned a ton (Woodrow was a big Washington Nationals baseball fan).  We were entertained by several characters also on the tour.  I swear that the inspiration for "Beverley Leslie" - the short, closeted, southern, gay republican on Will and Grace - was part of our tour group. 

The museum is a real gem.  It is the only presidential museum in our nation's capital.  Wilson is the only US president buried in the city - at the National Cathedral.  The rooms are stuffed with period pieces and actual personal belongings.

Here is President Wilson's bedroom. he died in it 3 years after his second administration ended.

I am going to drag my mother to the Wilson House next month.  She will love it.  As will my brother.  I am sure he will enjoy chatting with the docents - who are very, very giving with their time and expertise.

The first and top pic is of some of Rutherford B. Hayes' dishes.  His were the most unique.  And quite literal.  Dishes with fishes on them for fish meals.  The snowshoe dish is for ice cream.  hehe.

And here are some more pics of the Wilson House. 

Tommy's library.  His friends called him Tommy.  His name was Thomas Woodrow Wilson.

Here is some food in the kitchen.  Campbells Oxtail soup and Kellog's Krumbles  Yum.

And here is the bathroom off the President's bedroom. That seemed a bit personal to me

These President U.S. Grant dishes were my favorites.