Hello Everyone, another week has come and gone as I continue to wait patiently for an end to the pandemic. We’re already halfway through September which is really hard for me to believe. Next week will be week 26 in this series, marking half a year since I turned my headlights towards home and chose to wait this pandemic out here in D.C. Some of that time has passed really slowly, and yet it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here for six months at all. I’m still just trying to make the best of it. As always, I’m very grateful to my folks for having me and giving me a safe harbor through this storm. It’s not how I would have chosen to spend my 2020, but as the saying goes: life is what happens when you’re making other plans.
I’ve spent a lot of time this week with young Mason as we set out on our daily adventures into the neighborhood together. This week we’ve crossed mighty rivers (or maybe just meandering streams), faced off against fierce (decorative stone) lions and ventured deep into the heart of darkness (aka Glover Archbold Park). He’s added some letters to his knowledge base – “E” (for elephant) and “O” (for Ohio) and is getting closer to understanding how many three is. It’s truly special and remarkable to watch him grow and learn and discover and I think every day he learns something from me, and I learn something from him. It’s great when he sees a bumblebee or a butterfly and the way he points it out to me is like it’s the single most remarkable thing that’s ever existed. When he’s really enjoying something, he just coos which is one of the best sounds on earth. He loves big trucks and busses, and it’s fun for us when the bus drivers honk their horns and wave back to us. We continue to have a really good time together and every day is a new adventure.
Last Friday my folks and I once again retired to the basement for our weekly Forget-About-It Friday festivities. We started out this week with a brewing session as we had to get our Oktoberfest brewed if we want it ready to drink by October (which is fast approaching). Then we relaxed into a Renaissance Night in Sherwood Forrest with beer, roast turkey legs, breads, meats and cheeses. We listened to some great old music, played a fun game of Gluckhouse, and generally had a merry old time. It was another successful night.
Saturday morning was rainy and gloomy so I enjoyed some quiet time with my book and my coffee. I spent the rest of the morning organizing some photos and posted the gallery from Bryce Canyon National Park I had mentioned last week. In the afternoon, we settled in for a long few games of Carcassonne with the newest expansion we just received (the much sought after Inns and Cathedrals). It was great. Afterwards I cooked up some beautiful quiches to be ready for Sunday morning.
The quiches came out really well – much better than my first attempt a few weeks ago. After breakfast I spent some time working on the cabinets in Shadow Catcher now that it’s getting cool enough to work inside my van. I had finally tracked down some replacement hinges in the spring, and was really happy to find they were a perfect match when I installed them. It’s not often that a van project comes out that well. I finished just in time to crack a beer and settle in for some NFL football as my Washington Football Team took on the Philadelphia Eagles. As a lifelong Washington fan, it’s been many years since I had anything to cheer for but this turned into a really great game. We won, and won decisively which was really exciting. After the game we headed out back to crack the lid off of our fire pit for the first time in a few months. We had a nice fire and even broke out some s’mores which was a nice finale to the weekend. As I was settling into bed, I got a text from my friend Dustin in Japan and ended up giving him a quick call to catch up. For the two years I lived there he was one of the only other native English speakers in my village, and we became good friends. I miss him and his wife and it’s always great to catch up with him.
Yesterday, my mom and I set out on another journey around D.C. to try and explore a bit more of our fine city. Following our renaissance theme from the weekend, I wanted to shoot some of our beautiful cathedrals and castles around town. The conditions weren’t ideal as the smoke from the west coast fires has made an appearance on the east coast, but we still enjoyed a long ride around the city and I got a couple of decent shots.
The weather has cooled off significantly this week and I even had a sweatshirt on this morning for my walk. This means I’ve had to try and keep Mason from going into the creek we play near which isn’t always easy or to his liking, but I’ve been pretty successful at it. Today we found a new spot to throw rocks which was nice and had a little wider beach for us to stand on. He’s really enjoying the leaves falling from the trees and I keep telling him that in a couple of weeks he’s not going to believe what happens to the rest of them. After he went for his nap, I stopped off at the grocery store to pick up some things for tonight’s Dinner and a Movie which will be one of my folks’ favorites: Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves.
This weekend I hope to get out overnight on Saturday and take Shadow Catcher out for a spin and a camping night. It will be great to have a little me-time and be back on the road, even if just for a couple of days. The days are going to start getting shorter and the nights longer and colder so I want to make the most of the fall while it’s here. Then next week I hope to head up and see my brother and his kids in New Hampshire before winter sets in. The leaves should hopefully be changing up there and I’m looking forward to some New England fall foliage (and my camera is too!). Other than that, I’m going to keep sorting through my photos and hope to publish another set from another National Park in the next day or two and also the story of the Sewall-Belmont-Paul House, another of DC’s oldest which I’ve been working on. It should be a busy and wonderful week and I’m really looking forward to it. I hope you all have a wonderful week as well, wherever you are, and I will see you right back here next week. Stay safe.
-Mike