Down to the Oubliette
Originally uploaded by Karon
Of course, there is no oubliette under National Cathedral, I just really like that word.
This interior stone staircase is the first part of the tower climb.
Night View
Originally uploaded by Karon
I participated in the first ever twilight tower climb at National Cathedral this evening and it was marvelous. It was also amazingly hot in the tight, winding staircase but when you got to the bell room and had the breeze from about 250 feet up coming through the windows it was amazing.
If you have never done the climb, keep an eye on the cathedral website for when they offer it as it is well worth the time. It is 333 steps but that is divided up with landings at 3 points - not all in one go.
I am Old
Or perhaps, just sane. I had the opportunity to buy a ticket to The Pogues show on St Patrick’s Day at the 9:30 Club. Instead I selected the show the day before St Patrick’s Day. I figure the odds are much better than Shane MacGowan will be semi-sober the day before. And I know the odds of my needing to kill someone in the crowd next to me will be lower.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
Originally uploaded by Karon
The Folklife Festival has outdone themselves with an amazing Bhutan Buddist temple in the middle of the mall. I spent a few hours on the mall and only made it through the Bhutan sections of the festival so I have NASA and Texas still to go. Yes, Bhutan, NASA and Texas is a strange combination, I have no idea how the Smithsonian comes up with these festival choices.
Edit to add: This image is part of the Smithsonian Photography Initiative slideshow of the “Best of the 2008 Festival”.
You Can Not Leave Without a Panda
You Can Not Leave Without a Panda
Originally uploaded by Karon
This is the back wall of The Panda Store at National Zoo. You have to love their truth in advertising. I did succeed in leaving without buying any stuffed pandas. However I suspect a stuffed red panda and clouded leopard will make their way to my niece and nephew this holiday season. I like those animals better than the giant pandas.
Well that is something different.
Armored Car Robbery in front of my building
Originally uploaded by Karon
Walked out to get some lunch and wondered why there were so many unmarked police cars double-parked on the street but I chalked it up to some bigwig eating at Smith & Wolensky. Coming back I noticed the armored car and videographer so I jokingly asked one of the passport office guards if the car had been robbed. Yep, that is exactly what happened. Amazingly bold considered the amount of car and foot traffic in the area and armed guards in the building.
Update: This news report is awesome. My whole office is betting on it being an inside job.
Cathedral Illumination
Britt, Erica and I caught the first night of the National Cathedral “Lighting to Unite” illumination show tonight. It is absolutely gorgeous and runs from sunset to midnight tonight, Saturday and Sunday so there is time to see it. I suspect it is less crowded if you go after the families have left to put the kids to bed.
Jefferson Memorial
Originally uploaded by Karon
I am particularly pleased that I was able to get a wide-angle shot inside the Jefferson Memorial with no people in it. Another advantage to getting up at an ungodly hour.
Friday Morning
Originally uploaded by Karon
Dawn at the Tidal Basin
I was at the Tidal Basin before 7am today to photography the cherry blossoms. Sunrise is lovely but the effort it takes to get up that early just convinces me more than ever that I am not a morning person. It did turn out to be nice if rather overcast and I never needed the umbrella I had brought with me. The lighting really wasn’t very good for photos the first couple hours thanks to overcast skies except for about a wonderful 10 minute stretch where the sun came out from the clouds and hit the Jefferson memorial beautifully. I think the whole morning will be worth the photos I got then.
I was interviewed by the Weather Channel. Or Channel 7 doing interviews for the Weather Channel. Not sure which. But we had a nice chat about the trees and how it wasn’t quite yet peak thanks to the cooler weather the last few days and they they took some close up shots of me taking photos for the “B roll”. I assume I was coherent but it was still really, really early so I’m not entirely sure.
Another benefit of being there at such an ungodly hour was I had the Jefferson Memorial to myself for a few minutes. By the time I got around to the Roosevelt Memorial the tour buses of high school kids were out in force. But the sun came out then and for the last stretch of the circle around the basin I even had blue skies. I was stopped by two family groups and asked to take photos of them. That is about average.
The plan after the tidal basin was to have a big breakfast at Les Halles or that restaurant at the Willard. However it was after 11am so I went for the steak frites lunch special at Les Halles. The plan was also to go over to the garden behind the Smithsonian castle but I was absolutely beat. I couldn’t figure out why I was so tired when it was only 1pm until it hit me that I had already been downtown over six hours and covered almost five miles. Tomorrow is a busy day so I came home and had a nap on the couch. This made the cats very happy.
Now I am awake and starting to dig through all the photos I took.