Strolling in Old Town

We've enjoyed the perfect week here in Alexandria. The temperatures have remained in the low to mid 70s, not a cloud in the sky and no humidity. Wow. Almost like we've exchanged climates with California... for a week. Andy and I have taken advantage of the weather lately by engaging in one of our favorite pastimes... taking long walks in Old Town.
Down on the Potomac, we were able to get a rare glimpse of... *gasp* the other side! Not that there's much to say about the other side... mostly just Bolling Air Force Base (Andy's office is there) and the sewage treatment plant. Luckily we were standing upwind.
Speaking of everyone's favorite secret agent and rare sights... a picture of him with a genuine smile on his face. Sure, he was laughing at me at the time, but the picture is priceless nonetheless.

The Christ Church (original name, eh?) in Alexandria is supposedly the oldest building in town, though sometimes I have a difficult time believing that. Both George Washington and Robert E. Lee attended church here in their respective eras; each row of pews on either side is named for either Washington or Lee, depending on where the families sat. Pretty neat, really.

The cemetery at Christ Church is (surprise!) one of my favorite spots in Old Town. It is so peaceful now, though it hasn't always enjoyed that serenity. The Union troops used it as a campground when they occupied Alexandria during the Civil War. You'll notice that the headstones are blackened... apparently the soldiers found it advantageous to build their campfires right up against the headstone. That black is the soot from their fires...

Did I mention that we LOVE history? Hmmm...

In Vino Veritas

This explains a lot...

Kitties!

As promised (this video should be viewed with the sound on)*:



*A special thanks to Aunt Nancy for sending us this video

John Brown's Body Lays a' Moulderin' In His Grave

The weather in our neck of the woods was just perfect today -- low 80s, and even better, low humidity!. We elected to take advantage of this unexpected August blessing by taking a long overdue trip up to Harpers Ferry, WV and Antietam Battlefield in Maryland. Suffice to say, it was a Civil War history buff's (that would be me!) dream come true.

For those of you who fell asleep during the Civil War chapter of your 11th grade history textbook, Harper's Ferry is the scene of John Brown's infamous standoff in the name of slavery abolition. It also happens to be where the Potomac and the Shennendoah Rivers meet and continue on to Washington. Pretty dramatic, both visually and historically.

Not all the buildings in the village of Harpers Ferry are in ruins, though that might not be apparent from my selection of pictures. We do have pictures of entire buildings (all circa 1870s and earlier), but those require a nominal fee. Send your requests along with a check addressed to "Katie and Andy's House (preferably not in ruins!) Fund." Until then, enjoy a few shots of the original Harpers Ferry place of worship...


The picture below was taken from a spot called "Jefferson's Rock." The spot is scenic, yes; but Andy and I were more thrilled with the fact that the trail up to Jefferson's Rock is also known as the Appalacian Trail. Yes, that's right folks, Andy and I have officially hiked the AT... for about a dozen yards. All uphill, though.

I've always been drawn to old cemetaries. They're so peaceful and I suppose I see them as a very direct link with those who have come before me. I'm always particularly touched by the numbers of headstones for children I find in these cemeteries. They are a tragic and sobering reminder of an era when a baby was hardly a guarantee, and death was a painful and ever-present part of life.


Though Andy hates sepia toned pictures, I thought this picture taken at Antietam Battlefield seemed most appropriate in sepia. Sorry, Andy.


I am, as mentioned earlier, a voracious Civil War buff. It has held my fascination since I was just a kid. There is something unimaginable about it... and yet I think it is a part of American history that makes us as Americans a bit more human. I could go on, but I think this post is already getting a bit more dark and introspective that we typically like to keep it here at The House of Payne blog.


This picture was taken on what is now referred to as "Bloody Lane." On approximately the spot I was standing when this picture was taken, over 5,000 soldiers lost their lives in the space of about 4 hours. To put it in perspective, more men and boys died in 4 hours in Antietam than have died in 4 years in Iraq. So much for ending on a more upbeat note...


Next post will have kittens, puppies, or a combination of the two... I promise. :o)

Home Stretch

Two months, and counting down....

Deathly Hallows Eve

For those of you who've been living in a cave for the past few weeks (Luray Caverns, perhaps?), today is the day it all comes to an end. That's right, the story of the boy-wizard so many of us have come to know and love well ends with this last book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I can remember when I started reading the series in high school; I can even remember why -- a childhood friend with whom I shared a manic obsession with Roald Dahl suggested I give 'The Sorcerer's Stone' a try. Andy shares this child-like devotion to the Harry Potter books, and 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' was the topic of many of our discussions, early in our friendship. That's why, when we discovered that the local children's bookstore in Old Town was planning a HUGE launch party, we fell just a bit more in love with our cute little neighborhood. Last night was filled with all things Harry Potter -- children dressed in their Hogswart best, chocolate frogs, butterbeer, Charm (spells) courses, care of magical creatures (shelter animals), and a lot more. Up and down King Street was one large Harry Potter celebration, and it was like we were kids for a few hours -- transported into the world of magic.




They certainly weren't kidding around with these Every Flavor Beans. This picture is tough to read, but some of our "favorites" were sardine, dirt, earthworm, and booger. Andy was noticeably upset when he was the unfortunate recipient of a vomit flavored jelly bean. If you ask me, grass wasn't half bad.




You know what we'll be doing this weekend....

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Last Saturday, Andy and I drove out to the Shennendoah valley to see Luray Caverns. According to their website, Luray Caverns are the largest and deepest caverns on on the East Coast. (You're jealous, I know.)


We found it challenging to do justice to the cavern interior as much of the drama and majesty was derived from careful use of light and shadow. Use of a flash meant the image lost a great deal of that drama, and Andy was the only person with access to a tripod -- my camera was just too heavy for the one he was using. Bummer.


The tripod Andy was using is really cool. As you can see from the picture, it is bendy (for lack of a better adjective) and can stand on its own or be attached to a wide variety of random objects. For example, the guardrail seen here.

The caves had pools in some spots. In my opinion, these were the best spots in the whole cavern. These pictures hardly do justice, but the water was so still and perfect, it was like a mirror of the ceiling. As we approached some of these spots, I wasn't sure at first that there was water there at all. So cool in that nerdy geo-major kind of way.


Some of the "formations" reminded me of Pizza the Hut from Spaceballs.




"Oh, Christmas tree, oh, Christmas tree..."



Aww... we're cavepeople.


The view from the Caverns' entrance. As you can tell by the bluish haze in this picture, the day was hot (lower 90s and average humidity). One of the more pleasant aspects of our journey down below was the temperature. The caves maintain a cool 60 or so degrees year round. After nearly 2 months in the DC heat and humidity, the cool temps were heavenly.


On the way home, we took advantage of a relatively nice day and took a drive north on Skyline Drive through Shennendoah National Park. For those of you not aware, Skyline Drive is a scenic byway -- courtesy of the WPA -- along the mountain ridge that runs 80 miles from the northern tip of the park to the southern tip.

Squirrely

"You will be mine. Oh, yes, you will be mine."

Newest resident of the House of Payne

Friday, while I was recovering from my LASIK, FedEx delivered a package market 'perishable'. To my suprise (and elation) Katie had procured an orchid for me (for the past month or so every time we've been near a place selling orchids I've thought about buying one). Lilly showed up in full bloom and is now trying to fit in with Bonnie and Clyde (our African violets) in our room. Hopefully they'll all get along.

Was blind, but now I see...

Yesterday I finally went under the laser and had LASIK surgery on both eyes. Since 7th grade I've had to wear either glasses or contacts so being able to see without either today is quite the experience. Over the next few weeks/months my vision will settle, but as my optomestrist said today, right now it is "perfect." Needless to say I'm very happy.

Michigan

And now from the folks who brought you the critically acclaimed post, "Maine," a collection of photos from our trip to Michigan...

Maine

Some pictures from our New England wedding weekend....