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.

Free Davey Hearn!
last update: 07/09 @ 16:10

OK, so he’s not actually in jail at the moment.

But Olympian Davey Hearn was caught up as a scapegoat in the Reflecting Pool chaos. The DOJ claims he did at least $1000 damage so they can charge him with a felony.

DC area boaters and bikers, along with other right thinkers, were at the courthouse this morning offering support and decrying the absurd charge and waste of taxpayer money.

Sarah and I were happy to lend out bodies and voices to the demonstration.

It was gratifying to see all the video camera coverage; I hope the interest and outrage lasts as long as this case does (and I hope that’s not too long).

Mather Gorge
last update: 07/08 @ 17:37

Not the blue skies I was hoping for, but the clouds kept it a little bit cooler.

And the rain stayed away.

I decided to portage a little bit and got up to Rocky Island — first time in a while I’ve done that.

It was a nice day to be out and I mostly had the river to myself, though I did pass a kayak class at the Maryland chute and a second class in the gorge, below Wet Bottom.

But I had the Maryland and Virginia chutes to myself. And the only others at Rocky were climbers and fishermen. Of course, it was a weekday and just about 3.0.

Oh, and I drifted almost between these two before they thought I was getting too close.

Even hotter!
last update: 07/04 @ 17:55

We drove down to Jones Point to see if we could see the flyovers.

We could, sort of; they were a long way away.

But it did offer shade under the Woodrow Wilson bridge.

Which was important as it’s really hot out there.

After that excursion, we’re happy to be back in our air conditioned home.

The Fourth of July in DC is very unappealing this year.

Beyond the heat, there is extra security to get onto the mall as part of the extremely underwhelming “State Fair.”

And then the fireworks coming later than normal this year are trying to break the world record for most shells exploded. That provoked warnings about extremely unhealthy air quality with all the smoke and particulates likely hanging around under the heat dome.

We’re happy to skip that.

It’s hot here!
last update: 07/02 @ 17:04

The promised “heat dome” has arrived in force.

I’m glad I got out earlier in the week when it was about 15 degrees cooler (and it was likely less humid as well).

Today was a really good day to stay inside with a lap kitty and good book :)

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