Waterfall

A waterfall at National Zoo

Need some water?

One more nice view from Luray

Something pretty from Luray

New growth

Yes, this is from the Spring, but I still think it's pretty

Stained glass

A couple of windows from National Cathedral

Clouds

Sometimes it pays to get up early. The glow of pink and orange called me outside before 7 this morning.

A harvest moon

Been enjoying the moon this week, both at night and early in the morning. This is last night's harvest moon.

Fire

Several Manassas families are homeless tonight after fire tore through their homes this afternoon. Three houses were destroyed and five others damaged. I can't imagine how they feel right now or how frightened they were when their homes were burning. It was pretty scarey last October when my neighbor's shed caught fire. I just knew the tree hanging over into my yard or the fall leaves on the ground were going to catch fire. My prayers are with these families tonight. These photos are from last fall.

Still hanging on

The mystery flower blooms again

Meowwwwww

Seems we have a cat. Well, to be honest, we've seen a family of cats who have made our back yard their home. Not sure how to get rid of them.

Funny faces

Milkweed--plant and bugs

I saw a lot of both of these at Monticello. I had no clue what type of plant or bug they were but thanks to Google, I've learned something new today. I love Google.

United States Air Force Memorial

If you've ever seen the Air Force Thunderbirds, you'll recognize what inspired the design of the United States Air Force Memorial. This memorial stands tall in Arlington, Virginia. I took this photo while visiting the Pentagon Memorial. You can also view it from Arlington Cemetery.

What's up grasshopper?

I was opening my mailbox yesterday and turned my head to see this green thing staring at me. I won't tell you how high I jumped.

Battle of Manassas

News reports out yesterday are saying that Manassas will be a hot tourist spot next year as the area marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Here are several photos of what people will see if they visit.

Stonewall Jackson stands guard over the battlefield.

The confederate dead are remembered at nearby Groveton Cemetery.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails at Monticello

Everywhere I looked I saw butterflies during our walk through the flower gardens at Monticello

The George Washington Masonic Memorial

We made a short stop in Alexandria last Saturday to pick up a friend at the train station. This building, the George Washington Masonic Memorial, sits up on a hill across the street from the train station. My step-grandfather was a Mason. I need to add this to my list of places to visit.

My visit to the Pentagon Memorial on 9/11

We visited the Pentagon Memorial yesterday, the 9th anniversary of the attacks. We weren't allowed inside the memorial when we first arrived as it was closed due to a suspicious package. We left, had a nice dinner at Legal Seafood, then headed back to the Pentagon. By the time we returned, the memorial had reopened but the streets were now blocked for a 9/11 memorial run. Thanks to our GPS, we managed to weave our way through the streets and found the memorial parking lot. I'm glad we didn't give up.


The locator stone at the entrance lists the victims names and birth year.

Once you locate the victim on the locator stone, you can then go to the age line within the memorial to locate the bench for that victim.

The memorial is surrounded by ornamental grasses that we could hear blowing in the breeze. That sound, along with the sound of the water beneath the benches, is what you hear while you walk through the memorial.

President Obama visited the memorial earlier in the day and laid this wreath at the memorial gateway. The date and time of the attack is etched in the limestone: September 11, 2001 9:37 A.M.



Each victim has an individual bench. The plaque in the water at the base of the bench lists the names of their family members who were also victims, linking them together.


Each bench is positioned to distinguish who was in the Pentagon and who was on the plane, American Airlines Flight 77. Benches honoring victims of the Pentagon see the name and the Pentagon in the same view. Benches honorinng victims from the plane see the name and the direction of the plane's approach in the same view.




The memorial is located on the side of the Pentagon where the attack occurred. You can see the difference in the stone on the building in this photo. You also see the Age Wall on the bottom left corner of this photo. The wall starts at 3 inches, the age of the youngest victim, and grows to 71 inches, the age of the oldest victim.

Remembering 9/11

Pictures taken last December when we visited Ground Zero