We spent one last night on the road, at our daughter’s house in Washington, DC. She and her husband were wonderful hosts and it was lovely to spend time with them. At the same time, we weary travelers are ready to be home.
Tonight, as we continued our journey home, we stopped off in our old Takoma Park neighborhood for a lovely dinner with friends at Cielo Rojo. Tomorrow, we’ll be back in Easton, and back to our welcome routines.
On the way back north, we stopped for a couple of nights outside Charlottesville, VA, and enjoyed a walk in the woods.
Though we only got a few hours above fifty degrees (not kidding), we still enjoyed our time in South Carolina. We traded the snow storm in the mid-Atlantic for views like this:
Must say, I got a chuckle out of this:
With snow hitting the mid-Atlantic, we spent a lovely afternoon at the Murrell’s Inlet (SC) Marsh Walk.
Now in South Carolina comes news of a major snowstorm forecast for home - 10-13 inches is the prediction. We may not have true spring weather, but overcast skies and rain sure beat a foot of snow.
Driving south on I-95 you begin seeing billboards for the South of the Border rest stop as you approach the South Carolina state line. Seems wildly inappropriate considering what’s currently happening in this country. (Actually it was inappropriate even before Trump’s mass deportation efforts.)
First day of our long-awaited Southern Road Trip. I’m not sure how far we’ll have to go to reach warm weather, but I can tell you it’s not in Richmond. Cold, wet, grey - more winter than winter. Here’s hoping for something better in the Carolinas.
Strangest thing happened today. I ordered Bernard Darwin’s autobiography from ThriftBooks. It arrived and the cover looked right but inside was Physique and Metaphysique Kantiennes by Jules Vuillemin (in French!). Not sure how such a thing happens, but I’m looking forward to ThriftBooks explanation.
Got word yesterday that my very reliable 2009 Toyota Highlander needs several thousand dollars of age-related repairs. Not unexpected, but still… With ChatGPT’s help, I started a repair/replace analysis, final decision TBD. But I have to say it’s shocking how much it costs to buy or lease a new car.
A break in the weather; perhaps a turn towards spring. But for sanity’s sake, I’m mentally preparing for six more weeks of winter. (Just imagine, in a few short months, I’ll be complaining about the heat!)
It’s a special day indeed - colonoscopy prep day! Comes once every five years for me. At least I have the propofol to look forward to… gonna ask the anesthesiologist to “take me down slow.”
First day in months it’s been above 50 degrees. It gives me hope that spring is out there somewhere.
Chipping away at my desk, listening to some James McMurtry. I’m struck by the literary quality of his songs. Like father, like son I suppose.
Who would have ever thought that after 30+ years my wife and I would find a sport that we both enjoy playing together? But I guess that’s the magic of Pickleball. (That’s assuming you’ll grant me that Pickleball is indeed a sport!)
Beautifully broken in a time of absolute disruption.
Ruby is getting over her kennel cough - she’s ready to get back in the game!
Not since Trent Dilfer led the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XXXV…
The game was a bust, but the halftime show was epic. It felt groundbreaking, both culturally and technically. It was a show in a stadium, but it was no stadium show - it felt as though it was produced exclusively for those watching at home.
Who would have ever thought a show preaching that love is stronger than hate would be controversial? That celebrating Puerto Rico and Latino culture would be political? Despite critics best efforts to “other” him, Bad Bunny’s performance was both unifying and life-affirming.
I didn’t know much about Bad Bunny before Sunday night - but now I know he is a brilliant artist who understood his global audience and the moment.
Our town’s small but mighty Academy Art Museum is definitely punching above its weight:
In celebration of the 100th birthday of groundbreaking American artist Robert Rauschenberg (1925–2008), the Academy Art Museum presents Rauschenberg 100: New Connections… Centered on the monumental, one-hundred-foot-long color photograph Chinese Summerhall (1982)—rarely exhibited because of its scale and fragility—the show offers an extraordinary look at Rauschenberg’s first journey to China and his creative partnership with master printmaker and Eastern Shore resident Donald Saff.
A new documentary short tells the story of the world’s longest photo.
