Can’t pass up a beautiful day!
last update: 08/18 @ 15:41

It was about 85 degrees and the river was about 2.95.

A lovely time to be out on the Potomac.

Again, I took my canoe, Sarah her packraft.

We ran into several classes: SUP folk and kayakers of all ages. And still we had plenty of time to play in both Maryland and Virginia chutes.

Check out Sarah surfing the Maryland chute hole!

That may not have been entirely intentional — the first time.

But we both went back several more times.

Really a nice day and nice way to let all the news and politics drain out of our minds.

Back on the River
last update: 08/12 @ 16:43

It was likely the nicest of the weekdays today: high 80s and the river just about 3.0. We ran into two kayaking classes, a raft trip and a couple SUP boaters. Crowded for a weekday :)

Today, I opted for my canoe — I have an open canoe clinic later this month and felt the need to get back in my canoe before that.

Sarah opted for her packraft.

We both had a lot of fun.

Sarah even got her packraft into both the Maryland chute hydraulic and the one on the Virginia side.

My trusty Joby Gorillapod tripod broke a leg last time out. So I picked up a less expensive option from Amazon to replace it. It’s a little bit taller and Sarah noted it’s about the size of a small selfie-stick. So we have a new view on our river trips.

I think the jury is out on which is “better;” I wonder if this post will pick up any votes one way or the other…

Digging out
last update: 08/10 @ 15:12

A view from the Metro platform showing the excavation under the “jump bridges” they installed to allow them to work on widening the bridge.

You can see the 4th trackbed, which has been just a road, is now cut just on our side of King St. And, hard to see, but they have excavated below the other three trackbeds.

Mighty Machines
last update: 08/05 @ 20:01

I can’t get the theme song from Mighty Machines out of my head when I look in the backyard.

So many and so much variety they hide behind each other.

There is the remaining red crane (the other one has gone, the yellow crane moved closer to Duke St. — same construction site but the opposite side from us), a back hoe hiding behind a driller in the back on the left, a big-tired, drive-in-the-middle dump truck and another back hoe in front of the crane, a back hoe bucket at the bottom of the road, another back hoe working on digging out under the temporary jump bridge, another back hoe on the close side of the street, hiding something (skid steer loader, maybe) and maybe a generator to the right of those.

Seattle friends and family meals
last update: 07/31 @ 09:59

I would be remiss if I didn’t record for posterity :) our fun dinners in Seattle this time around:

While I was helping with the Ikea build, Sarah and Kelly were able to get together for dinner and a chance to catch up as Seattle and KCRHA continue to work to address the homeless population.

David Z. and Lynn invited us to dinner with them and Patty (also visiting from the East Coast). It’s always interesting to hear what they have been up to and get their perspective on the state of affairs. We closed down a very nice spot on Capitol Hill.

And Australian friends Nanette and Adam invited us to join them as they prepared to fly back to Perth after an Alaskan cruise and visit with Taylor in Omaha. That’s were this picture comes from: Sharp’s Roasthouse. Instead of a lobster bib, they offer a ribs bib!

Let the dieting begin :)

Happy Birthday, Robert!
last update: 07/30 @ 16:52

We celebrated Robert’s birthday with the now traditional baseball game and moving him into his new, Seattle apartment (check out the rooftop patio)!

More photos in the vacations section.

Back at it
last update: 07/20 @ 12:20

There was a smaller group today and less press but still a nice turnout against the scapegoating of Davey Hearn in the reflecting pool fiasco.

The rumor is the prosecutors are having issues with evidence and not really sure what they are doing.

And the trial date was moved up today. But the motion to dismiss was not acted on yet.

(See the July 9th post for a little more detail.)

Catbird
last update: 07/19 @ 11:56

It’s been a while since I posted a Bird Buddy photo. Here is today’s grey catbird.

As cat parents, members of the family pride of cats, the name always gives me pause.

What happened to Maryland?
last update: 07/17 @ 10:39

Normally, from the Masonic Memorial, you look down King Street, across the Potomac and into Maryland. The MGM Grand and the Ferris Wheel at National Harbor are just across the Woodrow Wilson bridge.

But not today.

Today you can barely see the foot of King Street.

I appreciate the preview of the apocalypse but the midwest can have their forest fire smoke back now.

That really is making it easy to decide to stay inside today.

I do feel bad for the guys working on the new train bridge. The air is really thick.

And that’s on top of hot (not quite as hot as yesterday, but still too hot, in my book).

All that smoke makes for a very low contrast day.

Got the Packrafts back out
last update: 07/14 @ 20:08

Sarah and I took out the Packrafts again.

The river was a bit lower than last time, about 3.2. So we headed up the Maryland chute (through the Calleva paddleboard class), played around a bit, and then popped out and over the rocks there.

It’s very handy to have a watercraft that crazy light :)

We paddled up a bit further then headed down the Virginia chute. The photo on the right is a little eddy above the center chute.

After playing around a bit in the Virginia chute we headed back to the Maryland chute for a few minutes before heading back home.

These packrafts remain a really fun watercraft. I need to work a bit more on my roll — I did test it out and came up, but only because I pushed off the bottom.

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