My camera and I went to pay tribute to Matthew Brady, the famous photographer of the Civil War. He died in 1896, and these days can best be found in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC. Sure enough, he was hanging out with his pals, Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass (although they are buried elsewhere). The cemetery has many former members of Congress, soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War and Civil War and more. It also has a lot of dogs. You see, those congresspeople didn’t allocate funding for the upkeep of their graves. So the Cemetery hit upon an unusual funding strategy: for $15 you can let your dog roam free in the cemetery. And let me tell you: the dogs think this is the greatest thing ever! Rather few seemed to be concerned with paying their respects to Duffy, however. ...
On Memorial Day weekend, Karen and Kayla came to visit us in Washington. The weather o Sunday morning was gorgeous with cool, dry air and blue skies. We drove about 40 minutes to see Glenstone, an indoor and outdoor museum outside of DC. Split Rocker The most memorable sculpture is a flower-and-plant-covered wireframe of a rocking horse, which sits on top of a hill. You can see it from every direction. The artist is Jeff Koons. ...
On opening night for Porgy and Bess at the Kennedy Center, Audrey, Karen, Kayla and I had perfect seats about a half dozen rows behind the orchestra pit. Close enough to see the beads of sweat on Porgy after his climatic fight with Crown. Audrey made me swear not to sing along to “Summertime” and anyway, as an amazing soprano was in the lead, I didn’t even dare try. Before the show, we toured the Kennedy Center, checking out the museum exhibit about Kennedy and the arts as well as the great view from the fourth floor terrace. There was also an extensive museum exhibit about Porgy and Bess. ...
For a week of respite from troubled times, we visited the North Fork of Long Island in April. We had some sunny, but breezy and cool days. Spring was just launching. Dramatic clouds and a new 10-stop filter gave me plenty to explore in the watery world of the Peconic Bay.
Entering Lou Lou’s, I was magically transported to the 1940s in glamorous Southern California. This recently remodeled club would be perfect for the Rat Pack. It’s inside the equally stunning Lafayette Hotel. If in San Diego, check it out! We came to celebrate my birthday and to check out Peter Bernstein, a jazz guitarist. He was playing with faculty and students from nearby San Diego State University. ...