NRC committee meeting

I was in DC for a NRC sub-committee meeting. Got to visit two of my favorite buildings!

921 Ost NW

Building Museum

At Kennedy Center

Here is Anne on the Millennium Theatre stage at the Kennedy Center introducing Wisconsin Polka Music! She also got to fly her kite next to the Washington Monument.

Back in DC

Ack is back in DC at a UCAR and DOE meetings and to receive NASA's Excellence in Public Service medal. Alana is not in New Orleans and Anne and Erin are visiting Ireland.

Ack is back

Ack was back in DC all last week chairing a NASA Senior Review panel. He and Alana got to spend some time together. They saw "Wolverine" which had some pretty good special effects. It also helped to interpret some later movies. For example, the woman he fell in love with, before losing his memory, sure looked a lot like Jean of the X-men. On Friday I also visited some museums, including the Museum of American History. This picture is of a tree that was 'cut down' by bullets in a civil war battle in a woods. I remember first seeing this with Tom Fusco and felt it was a good way to image how many bullets were fired during a rush through the woods.

Another visit

Ack and Anne visited DC (and Alana) again in late March 2009. Ack had a couple of meetings - one with NOAA, one with NASA and one with USRA. We stayed the weekend to visit with Alana, enjoy the cherry tree blossoms and look and houses/condos to buy. It was very nice to experience spring again!

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! Ack was at the Smithsonian and watched the fireworks with Alana on the Mall. Ack even watched a parade - without Anne.

We are Back...

... into DC. Anne came over the weekend to see a bit of the Smithsonian Festival, where Alana is working. She is now on a cruise with the Pryor family. Ack came on July 1 to first work with the American Meteorological Society workshop for teachers. He then is working at the Smithsonian Festival as a panel participant in the NASA exhibit. On stage on July 2, 3 and 4. On Wednesday night Ack went to the Shakespeare Theatre Company to see the Imaginary Invalid by Moliere. Argon was played by Rene Auberjonois - the changling in Deep Space Nine. Wonderful play. It is a bit amazing that a play written in French in the 1600s could be so funny today.

The Drive Back

We had a wonderful visit with Erin and Al on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning but after we left Bloomington, the trip became a challenge. What was normally a 50 minute drive to Indianapolis turned into a 4-hour drive trying to avoid flooding. Many roads were closed or washed out by Saturday rains. Thank goodness we had a detailed atlas on Ack's Palm Pilot. We eventually made it to Illinois by taking county roads in relatively high terrain. Here are some photos of the flooding.

Once we got out of Indiana, we spent a relaxing night with old friend from Fort Collins days, Alison Bailey, in Bloomington IL. On Sunday, we raced to Madison, making it between two big storms - just in time to empty the gutters and see another storm roll into town in from the NW.

Leaving Town

After cleaning the house and packing the car, we finally left DC around noon. We traveled to Monticello. Unlike Mount Vernon, Monticello is was worth the visit. An interesting house. We then drove into West Virginia and stayed overnight just outside Charleston. On Friday afternoon we made it to Erin and Al's in Bloomington, Indiana. We had a wonderful lunch downtown and some rich chocolate ice cream from Blu Boy chocolate shop. Then visited the very nice Art Museum at the IU campus.

Last Blog from DC...

Well, we are heading out and back to Madison. With stops at Monticello, and Bloomington, IN (Erin and Al's) and Bloomington, IL (Alison's). We should be home by Sunday. We enjoyed DC tremendously and encourage all to visit this great capitol city of ours (and to have as many wonderful family and friends in the area too -- they certainly helped make our stay so great).

We'd add a picture but Anne's camera is packed and Ack's accidentally got washed.

Now, on to a new blog...

Great Talk!

Anne gave a great talk at the Library of Congress. About 90 people showed up, more than previous lectures - they had to get extra chairs for the room! The audience was engaged in the captivating presentation. We will post the link to the talk when it is available from the LoC.

Visitors

Mimi and Joe came to visit to hear Anne's talk at the Library of Congress. They arrived via Amtrak from New York. Here they relax with tea and reading!

Glen Echo Park

We finally got to Glen Echo park! We went to the Washington Folk festival there. Not the big Smithsonian, this is one put on by the Washington Folklife Society. It was nice though rain early afternoon probably kept attendance down. We walked around, did a little dancing and rode a carousal. We had a wonderful dinner at a resturant on the corner of S and 14th. I can't remember the name, but Alana, Erin and Grace ate there back in the summer.

Kennedy Center

We went to the Kennedy Center Friday night with Paddy. Check the coats out on Paddy and Anne! The National Symphony Orchestra played pieces by Jean Sibelius - noting the 50th year since his death in 1957. The three pieces were Symphony No. 1 in E minor; The Oceanides, and Symphony No. 7 in C major. Wonderful music in the concert hall, where no seat is bad.

Aaron Douglas

Great exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Originally from Kansas and later at Fisk University in Nashville, Douglas was a major figure of the Harlem Renaissance. This piece is owned by the people of Wisconsin, thanks to a purchase by Governor Patrick Lucey. It usually hangs in the Governor's Residence in Madison.

Graduation

Congratulations to Emanuel for graduating high school. Ryan and Victor had a family gathering to honor the event. Also congratulations to Julie, daughter of Dan and Christine for also graduating. We got to meet entire Dan/Chris clan along with Aunt Romie

Great Falls National Park

For Memorial Day weekend, Anne and Ack headed out to Great Falls National Park. It has a wonderful series of water falls. We got a later-than-planned start (Anne was working on her book), so we arrived around 10 am with just a short line on the two-lane highway to get into the park.When we left at 2 pm, it was so crowded that the line to get into the park was two miles long -- literally. So if you plan on visiting, go early! The trails are easy and parallel the Potomoc. You'll find an ocassional kayaker defying the rapids or climbers scaling the gorge's walls. The site has an interesting history display about how canals were used in the area too.

We also saw a snake eat a frog!!!

Farewell to Erin

There is no joy in Mudville -- Erin left today. We had such a great visit with her and Al; it's very sad to have them gone.

After dropping Erin and Al at the airport, Anne and Ack went to Mt. Vernon (we're in the better-see-it-now-cause-we're-leaving-soon mode). It was very crowded, cost $13 to get in, and the gardens were nice for vegetable but no flowers. Plus, it was a 45-minute wait to get into the mansion, so we didn't go in, but here it is for you.

Longest Escalator

Ack went to Wheaton to ride what we've been told is the longest, continuous escalator in the country (the "everlasting escalator"). Pretty cool......

For our last night together, we (Alana, Erin, Al, Anne, Ack) ate at a new restaurant in the area - Corduroy.  It is ranked as #17 in the Washingtonian's top 100 restaurants. Wonderful meal, particularly the Peekytoe Crab & Egg Custard Soup.

Art class

Ack is finishing up an abstract drawing class he his taking through the Smithsonian. It's taugh by Dalna Dastur. The figure is one drawing, 24 x 38 inches in charcoal and pastel.