CafeChatNoir

Let me preface this entire discussion with: Had I known about the vigil/protest/rally in Lafayette Park on Sunday night, I would have been there, but I didn’t find out about it until it was too late.

Well, maybe not a riot, but indulge me. I am not much of a peace vigil/protest kind of gal, never have been. I’m not sure they serve any real practical purpose, but that’s what’s great about America – you can go out and do such things without worrying about someone breaking down your door in the middle of the night and shooting you in the head for your troubles. (Thought on my more cynical days I do wonder if the current administration isn’t hard at work on that little problem…)

That being said, with not one, but two vigils scheduled last night, I decided to head up into DC to see one of these up close and personal and see what it was all about, and on a decidedly selfish note, to see if I couldn’t snag a few decent pictures of it all. So, I got home from the gym, cleaned up and headed out, camera & directions in hand.

First stop, the C Street entrance to the Department of State via the Foggy Bottom Metro stop. This vigil was organized by Amnesty International and was billed as a “Vigil for Ceasefire in Lebanon/Israel Conflict”. While I’ve never been officially affiliated with AI, I’ve never really had any problems with their work either. The event was scheduled to run from 4:30 to 6:30. I was running a little late, but but figured things would be in full swing by the time I got there. I stepped out of the Metro station at 5:30 and saw two groups of people coming back with AI stickers on their shirts. Given that it’s a 15 minute walk from Foggy Bottom to State, this means AI hadn’t been able to hold their attention for more than 45 minutes or that the cops had already shooed them off.

Undaunted, I headed over to State anyway. When I arrived at the C Street entrance there were only a few stragglers left, with “Don’t Invade Iran” t-shirts & posters. Well, there’s your problem – this may be a town full of multi-taskers, but they’re not so much into cross-demonstrations. If you come out for an Israel/Lebanon peace vigil, you’re not looking for an anti-Iranian-invasion rally. I lost a little respect for AI on the bait and switch tactics there.

I had some time to kill until the next round and decided to wander around a bit and eventually headed over to the White House & Lafayette Park. Way back in the day Lafayette Park was the protest spot, given it’s location directly across from the White House, with usually at least 2 or 3 groups out at any given time protesting something. I’d forgotten about the sanitizing efforts that have gone on over the past few years, and now it’s basically dead. Just one small group that’s been there as long as I can remember, and that’s it. I liked it better when it was an actual living example of freedom of speech in this country.

Wandered around some more, and then back on the metro and up to the Israeli Embassy, supposed site of vigil #2 of the day, scheduled to kickoff at 7PM. I got there at 7:15, and if there had been a vigil or any attempt at it, the Mossad obviously took care of it and scrubbed any evidence of it’s existence. (I’m more inclined to think it simply didn’t materialize.) But, all was not lost as I still had some daylight and wandered up Van Ness a little farther and looked at all the pretty houses.

Did get a few pics during my hikes:

Statue near Virginia & Constitution:

Organization of American States:

The White House

The lone protestors in Lafayette Park:

Rest of the dolphin pics Done from the boat from the Nags Head Dolphin Watch in Roanoke Sound. Probably somewhere between 6-8 in the group we caught up with.

Rest of the beach pics

Cheeto?? Please? (He’d found a stray one a few minutes early and was hoping against hope that I had been the one to drop it and would have more for him.)

Sunrise this morning:

Didn’t realize when I took the pic that he had already shuffled off this mortal coil, otherwise I would have picked him up and gotten him back to the water:

Yeah, kinda obsessed with the pelicans, but they’re so cool to watch fly by.

Random Surfer

Just liked the way these two came out.

Looking East – Tropical Storm Beryl:

Same time, same place, looking SouthEast:

The fox that lives in the scrub next to the house:

First couple days of blissful unemployment haven’t really felt any different, because I was going to take the first half of this week off anyway had I not quit the job instead. Did have a couple random work related thoughts enter my head today, and it was so nice to then think…”Not my problem anymore.” and away they went.

Hit the MCM registration rally today and I am in. Also had to get a shirt…

Finally sat down and watched the TI (Total Immersion) swim video – yeah, probably should have done that when it actually got here a couple weeks back, but life got in the way of things. 40 minute video, it doesn’t get to actual swimming until about the 38 minute point, LOL. I doubt I’ll remember any of the specific drills by the time I’m in the water, but I’m heading to the pool either tonight or first thing tomorrow, and I’ll look at it again before I go – some pretty cool stuff in it though, the best being what I can only describe as “how to cheat and stay in forward motion when you need a break.” It is however, quite disconcerting that in the opening scenes, absolutely no one is coming up for air…

Definitely enjoying a couple lazy days to be sure. Lecture again tomorrow night up in Carlisle, “The Red Army’s High Commands in World War II”, looks like another good one. Next big project is getting the damn townhouse sold, and then getting this place really seriously reorganized.

http://cafechatnoir.net/tri/photos/varun/index.html

And of course, the weather sucks today…

Playing tourist yesterday…

New stuff in the Photo Gallery. Note to self: Get second memory card and go w/higher res at all times…

OK, so fotojack has come through with the pics, and once again, I apparently cannot race and not look like a complete dork…

took this one. As he pointed out, “See you’re so fast you’re invisible!”

Somewhere mid-course. Damn, that is some beautiful form. If you’re 6 years old. Or named Phoebe.

Just before the finish, you can’t really tell, but I am hauling ass big time.

Decided to spend the afternoon at Kidwell Farm This and more in the Photo Gallery

This and a few more Spring pics in the Photo Gallery.

Cherry Blossom pics are in – and I actually look like I’m running!

And yes, I do look like a total dork. :)

Lighthouse – right around mile 8

Mile 13 – I swear, I really AM running.

I don’t think my timing will ever be quite good enough to get all three of them in the same place at the same time…

Took the camera out on the beach again this evening, changed a few of the settings, already noticing better recovery time (I really have to go re-read the manual on this sucker and take it out more often.

Caught some surfers! Can be seen at: http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/lastwave_2005/
and the rest from this evening at http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/beach2005b/

All are linked up at Cafe Chat Noir – Photo Gallery

Definitely parasailing tomorrow if the weather holds.

So,today I was on the road well before 9, off to the Pea Island Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, as I headed down the bypass I realize I am driving into storm clouds – not to be deterred, I keep going anyway.

Hit the Visitors Center about 9:30, just as the rain starts. I think to myself, “Self, it’s a Tuesday morning, and you’ve got nothing to do and nowhere to go. Why not just keep driving til the sun shines again?”

So I did. And after about an hour, I ended up here:

Cape Hatteras Light

The view from the top is fantastic.

The ranger at the top was highly amused as I hit the top step, looked out the door and could only come up with, “Holy shit.”

Seem to have gotten over my issues with heights today, at least for a while. I can’t tell you how HUGE this is for me. I waltzed right up 257 steps, went out to the rails, took pictures, and even leaned over and looked down. Do check out the album for further proof. I had such a shit-eating grin on my face when I got back down, folks probably thought I got laid somewhere along the way.

After that, I headed back north again, figuring the storm would have passed, and it did. Spent some time in the absolulte hottest part of the day (brilliant) wandering on the trail at Pea Island, and thoroughly enjoying it. It was very hazy, so pics were really hard to do, and I now realize I need to a) shoot at a higher resolution for better crops and b) damn, just get a camera with an even bigger zoom on it.

Full albums at:
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/hl_2005/
and
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/pi_2005/

Another gorgeous day – totally lucked out on the weather this trip.

Have fixed the albums, they now work w/IE – here’s what we’ve got:

http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/beach2005/ – first set
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/gardens2005/ – Elizabethan Gardens
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/aquarium2005/ – NC Aquarium
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/beach2005a/ – from last night

Also all are now linked at the main photo page, Cafe Chat Noir – Photo Gallery

More beach photos here:
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/beach2005a/

Cause I’ve only been logging on to download email, make sure no one has run amok w/my credit cards besides me and take a look at LJ, it’s easier to just put all my replies to the comments on the last post here and just post it when I am back in range again:

– I’m with you on NC beaches being tops. In 5 years, the only changes I have seen up on this side of the island are a new drug store, a new beach store and there is a hotel under construction (and I am pretty sure it’s just replacing another hotel that was there before.)
– If I grew up that close to the beach, I’d likely have never graduated high school. :)
– Sorry, I’m usually behind the camera lens and not in front of it!
– Glad you liked them!
– It’s a good cure for near all that ails you.
– Thanks and hope you’re feeling a little less homesick soon.
– if I wait til the end, I’ll forget all the good stuff. :) This is how I chill out in the early morning and evenings.

I will also spare you the agony of putting 100+ pictures in a post. :)

Full albums at
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/gardens2005/ and
http://cafechatnoir.net/photos/aquarium2005/
and a few of my favs here:

Back at the old homestead out on the deck with my coffee, going through my pics to see what turned out from yesterday and this morning. And this is what I love about my digital camera – I took 110 photos in the past two days, there are 20 something I liked enough to post here, and I don’t have to feel bad for wasting film. :)

I’ve been up since 6 something, have been to the beach, been out and about to check out the wifi access, showered, gotten the kitchen cleaned up, and it’s almost 9:30 and I’m still the only one up. :) I really am turning into my mother, LOL. But I have made a genuine effort to be quiet, as I am sure they were all up quite late, while I crashed hard at 10:30.

The wifi hotspot is in the little new shopping center just up the street, they have a courtyard w/picnic tables you can sit at and have not one but three available connections. Only downside is no open relays for mail, which is understandable, so I have to send email via webmail. It’s quite nice, just missing a coffee shop, but I think I have to go north for that. Think I’ll get me a little thermos type thing today and I can take my own coffee. The shopping center also has “Diva’s” which advertises the best pedicures on the beach. To be honest, I think the beach sand does a better job…

I think the biggest decision we’ll have today is what to do for dinner. I can deal with that level of responsibility. I’ve managed to get a rather ugly bruise on my foot, and I can’t for the life of me figure out how I got it. But it goes well with the two on the side of my leg that look like someone hit me with a stick – again, no clue where I picked those up, I run into so many things through the course of a day.

Rental company just called, apparently the owner is getting a painting estimate and wanted to give us a heads up – I said, “Um, if they want to come over now, they won’t have access to all the rooms, cause I’m the only one up…” – apparently it will be later today or tommorrow.

Got all the old nail polish off my nails that was chipping off anyway and a clear coat on and hopefully I can continue this recent trend of not busting off all my fingernails.

Since getting this started, I’ve been out to the beach yet again, taken a very nice nap (now back to the equivalent at getting up at a sane hour), been to the drugstore for more sunscreen (Bullfrog for kids is in a nice spray bottle, however, all it does is squirt a big blob of lotion on you…not what I had in mind) and since it’s right across the street, I’m back here at the shop to post and check email and such. It’s quite cool to have a dragonfly come sit on the top of the laptop while I type. :)

Last night’s storm:

Sunrise on the beach

Looking South from the stairs to the beach

Looking North…

South again…

Pelicans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Be warned, there will be lots of these while I am here, I absolutely adore them!)

The house we’re staying in

Moxley’s new buddy:

(Do you know how difficult it is to take a photo of a frog at night?)

He looks a little goofier than normal cause I’d wet his head down…

Sometimes I think Fairfax County picked this paint design soley for parade purposes. :)

There is talk of school boundary changes in the area, and folks are NOT happy about it – many buy here specifically for the high school.

This guy REALLY wanted to come over and see Mox. Mox was SO good and didn’t even bark.

About 30 feet up the route, this one hit a shady spot and just decided to lay down and watch the rest of the parade rather than participate. It took a bit of coaxing but his owners got him going again. I tried to get pics of it cause it was very cute, but they didn’t come out. (He wasn’t hurt or anything, just wanted to be a spectator)

Clematis on the deck:

Pansies in the flower boxes next to the swing – volunteers, no less!

A few late wygelia blooms

Hydrangeas:

Clover has taken over the grass, resulting in lots of fuzzy bumblebees:

Butterfly bush that ate Cleveland: (It’s over 8 feet, from *nothing* at the beginning of the spring)

Hostas:

Day Lilies:

Unknowns, but pretty: