Critical Mass in DC

Friday after work, I headed down to DC to meet Emily & Jason for a Critical Mass bike ride. I was really looking forward to this as I'd never cycled in DC before and the weather was perfect. We rode in jeans and t-shirts with no helmets as many of the cyclists were Washingtonians who used their bikes simply to get from A to B and held a more casual attitude to cycling. I felt as though I was breaking a law and rather liked the feeling of freedom that I felt. We were not going to be riding fast and being in a large group I felt safe.

 We met at Dupont Circle and as the departure time neared everyone started riding in circles around the fountain while a couple of guys belted out some country tunes.

Then we were off! With bells ringing, horns blowing and whistles shrilling along with hoots and yells from riders, we started our trek. I sported a huge grin as I pedaled, which I saw mirrored in everyone's faces, the atmosphere was almost euphoric as everybody happily gunned through the streets. We passed the White House and I delighted in a guy waving to the tourists we passed, shouting out, "Thank you very much for coming! Very pleased to have you here!" The crowds waved back at us probably thinking we were some publicity stunt. But hey, we were, weren't we? Before long we were crossing The Mall with The Capitol on one side.

The Monument glowed in the warm light of the sunset and we carried on, getting closer to The Capitol.

I stopped to watch the group and laugh as they spent a good 5 minutes just going around in circles.

Taking this photo of Emily was pretty difficult. I'm not too good at taking photos while moving. 

This guy was incredible. He's got one bike fused to the top of another. Extreme balance and diligence is required here and he had mastered both. Obviously whenever we needed to stop he had to jump down. He rode around with a boom box playing and a bunch of flowers in his basket. Note the bike tattoo on his leg.

We entered the Eastern Market district and noticed heavy grey skies above us. A clap of thunder and some flashes of lightning announced the oncoming storm. This was an excellent opportunity for a beer stop. About half the group agreed with us and the rest continued their ride.

We were drawn to The Fridge, a performance space where local talents can play, display or learn. Drums were on the agenda tonight but once we learned the venue was dry our interest waned and we went back to the street to find a bar.

I loved this bunny painting on the side of The Fridge. He looks like he's eating the shrub below him. We locked our bikes up and settled down to chat and people watch. We'd only felt a few drops of rain but we were settled now so decided to hang out for a while.

 'A while' turned into longer than we thought and as it darkened we thought we'd better head back towards Dupont Circle. A quick stop at an underground garage where Jason swapped his bike for another, (this bike nut has bikes all over DC, and I'm working on him to let me do a blog on his scattered bicycle collection), and then, oh gosh, a pit stop at another bar above Chinatown.

It was gone 11pm by the time we emerged and unlocked our bikes again. Emily and Jason cycled with me back to Stuart where it wasn't until I sat in the driver's seat that I realized I was actually tired. We'd covered about 11 miles but it had seemed like a lot less. Here is our route. It was a wonderful experience to cycle through the streets of DC without any honking from cars or irritated pedestrians. This city is very bicycle friendly. CM holds their rides on the first Friday of each month. Come on out and have some fun, it's free!

A Ride to the Monastery

Saturday was a great cycling day so Barb and I set off from her house in Manassas hoping to clock up 20 miles.

 The first scenic view we saw but the usual ugly 'all looking the same' homes marred the photo. Barb pointed out some a little later that only had about 9ft between them with windows looking onto each other. Nice.

We saw the tops of these silos from the road and climbed up a bank to investigate further. We were intrigued to find a labyrinth walkway in what seemed to be a private garden. I was enchanted when I noticed the silos had stained glass set in them. We saw a man coming our way on a mower so backed away as we were worried we were trespassing but our curiosity had been sated so we were content.
Our next stop was the St. Benedictine Monastery. As we rode down the leafy driveway the sounds of traffic became distant and it seemed like we were entering a refuge of peace. We reported at the main office and spoke with one of the smiling nuns who seemed to have an aura of serenity surrounding her. There was a wonderful calming atmosphere about the place and we slowly rode around exploring.

We came across a small vegetable plot with a bench and swinging seat. This statue stood by a metal seating area and I was drawn to his face noticing that his eyes were almost alive. We couldn't fathom out what they were made of but he had a friendly air about him.

 

There was a garden further up set out in a circular design with pathways between the beds. The perennials were sprouting new growth and already many of the plants were flowering. One bed interested me in particular as it comprised of plants that deer don't like. Apparently they are not fond of thorns, fuzzy leaves or highly scented foliage.

This little chapel was being cleaned by another nun and she readily let us inside to have a quick peek at a few wooden benches, a mosaic on the wall and a stone floor. The monastery also has a thrift store so I know where I shall be taking my unwanted stuff when I have a clear out in the near future. Barb also found out later that the silos we'd seen earlier belong to the monastery so I shall look at those closer on my next trip to this little haven.
We reluctantly joined the mad traffic as we continued our bike ride and approaching Barb's house again were pleased to find we'd cycled exactly our 20 miles. Mission accomplished. We wrapped up the day with a BBQ; steaks, potatoes, salad and cheese with chips, and of course beer.

 Arde was quite vocal in his request for us to share and his persistence paid off with some juicy mouthfuls of steak followed by some serious lip licking. 
On Sunday, I drove out to Marshall to view a place to live that I saw advertized. I had first visited this small rural town a few weeks back and loved its character.

I found this abandoned house on the outskirts of the town and plan to revisit it.
So at the end of this month Kota and I shall be living in a converted farm building with regular visits from black bears, black snakes, foxes, deer and the family of barn owls that live in the silo at the end of my building. We'll be looking at the Milky Way and shooting stars in the evenings and enjoying the complete tranquility of the countryside. I shall be able to get back into my arts and crafts again since I'll have an extra bedroom and enjoy the pleasure of sitting outside reading a book without plane or traffic noises in the background. And I'll still not be too far from work or the city when I want to visit. Bliss.

A Royal Wedding

I took the day off work on Friday 29th April to watch The Royal Wedding. My plans were to get up early, which I did, then watch guests arrive, which I did, then somehow in there grab a shower and get dressed up. Well I didn't do that bit because I couldn't drag myself away from the TV, so I watched the whole vibrantly happy event in my nightie with a tiara perched on unruly hair while sipping a cup of tea and munching on champagne truffles which had arrived from Mum in England the day before. I also sat with my camera stuck in front of me taking shots from the TV so all posted here are from my little screen and therefore not of good quality but happy reminders nonetheless.

Our lovely Queen looking radiantly healthy as she arrived at the Abbey, wearing Jimmy Choo shoes , God Bless her.

Kate arriving with her father, wearing an exquisite Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton, with a 1936 Cartier tiara borrowed from the Queen.

Prince Charles with Camilla, and Princess Anne with husband Timothy Laurence, really looking like her mother in this photo.

Prince William and Kate exchanging vows...

...and walking back down the aisle as Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Banks of photographers holding their heavy lenses while focusing on the front of the Abbey.

The Queen looking happy as she heads back to the Palace for the balcony appearance and the newly married couple paying their respects to the Cenotaph, a memorial to fallen servicemen of WW l And ll.

A sea of a million happy faces in the jubilant crowd. See a 360 degree image here.

Kate and William on the balcony where they delighted the crowds by kissing not once but two times. It was at this point that I finally broke away from the screen and cracked open a bottle of bubbly to toast the happy couple and grab some tissues. I've sad 'happy' so many times here, but not too many as everyone was...happy! The whole event had been timed to perfection and gone without a hitch;what a wonderful ceremony and a delightful day.

Kota didn't think so...

Bluebells after the Storm

After work on Wednesday I went for a short hike in Bull Run Park to see how the bluebells were faring after the weekend storms. The area had been hit pretty hard and I wasn't really expecting to see any flowers so was delighted to see as I drove in, a carpet of blue defiantly blooming by the river banks.

There was a lot of debris still rolling down the river and caught up in the branches on trees on the banks. I helped out a bit by clearing some of the smaller shrubs of their load so their leaves could open properly.

Even little white violets were defiantly standing firm, still smeared with mud. These would've been completely covered by raging waters over the weekend.

i walked up and down the river bank occasionally slipping as the ground was still very wet. I marveled at how quickly nature recovers after these events and was walking slowly appreciating their beauty when my thoughts were interrupted by a guy holding a camera.
"Do you you know where the best flower shots can be found" he questioned. I stared at him incredulously and fought to keep my lips tightly shut. Really? We're standing in a nature photographer's paradise and he's asking me that? I simply shook my head and shrugged my shoulders then started to walk away not trusting myself to speak. 

I took some more photos of blossoms, again impressed how they were still on the branches after being beaten by heavy wind and rain just a few days previously. The sun was starting to set and a flock of gooses waddled past me contentedly grazing on the grass. Time to head home.

Blooms and Bright Lights

The whole of Saturday was spent being luxuriously lazy since there was a heavy storm passing through and any outdoor plans would be scuppered. It's been months since I've done this and boy, was it needed. I got DVDs and snacks after a sleep in then spent most of the day horizontal watching the screen or napping. Kota kept me company and napped with me, sometimes on my shoulders, my back, my tummy or above my head. We changed positions as a team. The sluggishness continued through to Sunday with Kota letting me sleep in until 9:30. Can't remember the last time we slept that long. Then after a long wake up period with breakfast in bed and the sun prodding bright fingers of light through my blinds, I decided to get up and get outside.

The wind was still quite strong and I had no interest in strenuous exercise so I went for a hike in the battlefields down the road and took a new trail. The wet ground and high water line were the only evidence of yesterday's heavy storms that had raged with thunder and lightning plus tornado warnings. I got wet knees as I took some photos but shrugged it off.

I also took the opportunity to take a photo of a dogwood tree that had caught my eye every year as I drove past it. Every year I'd thought about stopping to photograph it and never had, until now. Another task struck off my list.

I drove to another part of the battle fields and came across two people in the park road crouched down taking photos of a bug. Still feeling laid back I had no intention of disturbing them and quite happily sat and waited for them to finish so I could pass by. The redbud trees and dogwoods were all bursting open and it seemed to me that leaves which been been tight buds in the morning were now unfurling in the warm sun. I finished pottering around the park and noticed a small traveling fair in Manassas. I would be back later.
As darkness approached, I grabbed my camera and tripod and drove back down to Manassas for the fair. The lines waiting to go in were long but moved fast and before I knew it I was caught up in the swirling bright lights with throngs of people milling past. 

The Fire Ball ride caught in a long exposure and then at a fast speed.

This little girl looked so cute as she waited for the ride to start.

This ride was like a pendulum that swung from side to side, here it's static...

...and here going full swing. They didn't have a ferris wheel this time which was a shame as they're so colorful to photograph but I'd taken plenty of shots and was shocked to look at my watch and see it was nearly 11:00pm. Time to head home to bed and try to sleep with a kaleidoscope of colors spinning through my head.