Drum Point Lighthouse in Solomon, MD
Hello Everyone! Long time, no see. I can’t believe that three weeks have gone past since I sent my last newsletter. It felt like 2020 lasted for 5 years, but now 2021 is blowing past as May is right around the corner. I’ve missed writing D.C. Chronicles these last couple of weeks, but I’ve been so busy with all of my other projects that it has been good to back off from that a little. I did want to check in with you all though and update you on what I’ve been up to and some of the places I’ve been and things I’ve been doing.
First and foremost, I did get the second dose of my vaccine and have had enough time pass since my shot to be considered fully vaccinated. My second shot left me fatigued for half a day, which seemed like a small price to pay. If you’re on the fence about the vaccine, please go discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist but from my perspective it was quick and relatively painless. Most of my family and friends have gotten at least one shot at this point, and for that I am very grateful.
Mason and I have continued our daily romps around his neighborhood. Spring is in full effect here in Washington with current highs in the 70s and 80s and he’s enjoyed getting his water shoes on and his feet in the creek. We are both thoroughly enjoying the flowers, bumblebees and butterflies that have come back into our lives. Mason really enjoys blowing the dandelion seeds we find out into the world, and I am enjoying it too. We have added several new walking trails to our portfolio, some of which are really great – especially Dunbarton Park which has some nice quiet meadows (in the heart of the city). Our biggest highlight of the last couple of weeks has been turning over logs in the woods. We have found a bunch of salamanders, millipedes, worms, roly-polies, centipedes and even a shrew (which scared the bejesus out of me). It’s been pretty cool and Mason has gotten his hands as dirty as I’ve ever seen them but he’s sure enjoying it. This will be our last full week together as he starts school next Tuesday. I will miss his company tremendously, but it’s time for him to make friends his own age and for me to get what I need to get done so that I can back on the road in 5 short weeks.
Speaking of which, that is still my plan – a June 1st departure from Washington with a quick stop to see my dad in West Virginia before continuing on to Michigan. I’ve been talking to some friends I trust up there about my visit, seeing as it is the country’s biggest hotspot at the moment, but they all seem to feel that with my vaccine and generally isolated and outdoor lifestyle that my risks are minimal. That’s good because I’ve been doing a lot of planning for my time there, and I’m really looking forward to it. More on that in weeks to come.
My mom and I have been getting out to do some good exploring over the last few weeks as well. She’s healing pretty well from her hip surgery, and while she’s still sore, she’s pretty mobile. We took a Saturday to head all the way down to Point Lookout in Southern Maryland, which was the site of a pretty horrendous prison camp during the Civil War, but now is a beautiful state park with a lighthouse and fishing pier. From there, we headed up to Old St. Mary’s City, the oldest colonial town in Maryland and the 4th oldest in the country. We didn’t have a lot of time there, but enjoyed the recreated Dove tall ship and some of the buildings around town. It was both of our first visit, but we will be back. We’ve also finally gotten to Congressional Cemetery as it has reopened as part of DC’s Phase 2 reopening plan. It was hot when we were there, and we will need to go back with a better map and a clearer plan, but it was definitely very interesting. We’ve also continued our weekly Friday parties, although last week we took it to 3 Stars Brewing Company’s outdoor patio. It sure was nice to be out again.
I also got an invitation from an old college friend to go to a reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas to commemorate its 160th anniversary. Because National Parks are currently closed to living history events, the reenactment took place in Gettysburg on a private farm. It was very well attended for a small event, and we both really enjoyed it. While it would have been more interesting to see it happen in the actual space where the battle took place, it definitely added a new dimension to my understanding of the war and what it would look like to see men advancing across a field towards you. I certainly enjoyed photographing the event and still have a lot of photos to edit.
Between that and the cemeteries, I’ve also been doing some black and white photography recently which I’ve been enjoying. I used to shoot in black and white when I had a film camera, but now that it’s often just a matter of removing the color from a digital image when I’m editing it, I really haven’t shot in black and white in a long time. It is a different process and one that I enjoy and it was nice to have the opportunity to do some recently.
I continue to edit photos and am working on some of my albums for this website. It’s a big project, but it’s coming along and I hope to update you and provide some links in the next week or two. I’m also working diligently on my podcast with hopes of releasing the first episode of Season 2 before I leave in June. I’ve been having fun working on that as well. I’ll also be doing a guest appearance on my friend Nicole’s podcast Tour Guide Tales in a couple of weeks which I’m looking forward to. I’ve been working on playlists and my social media accounts and have even sold a few photos in the last few weeks so I’ve definitely been busy. I don’t have many finished products to show as of yet, but I’m getting there.
Shadow Catcher is back in the shop after blowing out a radiator hose on the return trip from Gettysburg. That was a pretty simple fix, but while it’s there I’m hoping to get them to do some other little things which will get my van ready to hit the road. When she comes back, I’ll get her through inspection and then it’s time to start loading her up. Everything inside has a place and a right way to go in. I’ll definitely be sharing more info on all of that soon as well, as I’m going to be adding a whole section to this site on my van, how I load it and all of the features that help me keep going and self-contained while I do.
Beyond that I’m trying to catch up with friends in the area, make plans for my time in Michigan and Wisconsin, order whatever I still need to order, spend time with my folks, and get out and enjoy this nice weather. I’m also still brewing beer, still tutoring Nick in math and bought a new guitar for the road ahead. It’s been a busy few weeks.
I hope you all are doing well wherever you are. I definitely wish you a wonderful spring and encourage you to get outside as often as you can. I’ll be hitting the road in just under 5 weeks now, and I’m really looking forward to it. There’s a lot of fun and adventure ahead and I sure hope you’ll stick around and come along for the ride. Thank you all for reading and for all your support over the last year. I’ll update you again when I have more to report. Take care out there, and thanks again.
-Mike