George Washington, More than the First President

Monday I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, our nation's first president. I am slightly obsessed with presidential homes, and though not very knowledgeable about history, I love the older homes and plantations and visiting these sites where they actually had laundry buildings keeps me in perspective and reminds me how fortunate we really are to have indoor plumbing air conditioning.


In the short afternoon I was at Mount Vernon yesterday, I learned that George Washington was more than a president and the nation's highest ranking army official. He was the people's president, stepping down honorably after two terms of service in a time when most countries served under a monarchy of a greedy ruler. He was an inventor, a self-taught man and he was an agriculturalist.

Mount Vernon is serene. It is awesome. And it is incredible that it is so well preserved even after millions of visitors tour through the mansion each year. Of course the highlight for me was seeing the furniture in the house in the rooms that George decorated, which was customary in that era. And the other highlight was seeing his farm, where he used rotational farming practices. I was slightly dismayed that George Grant hadn't brought Angus to America yet, and so Milking Devons were the General Washington's cattle breed of choice. One of the very interesting inventions on the farm was this 16-sided threshing barn, that was two story for "threshing" wheat. Horsess would stomp over the wheat on the top level, and the grains would fall to the second level. Of course, being covered, this harvesting method could be done in any weather conditions.

I'll definitely be making a trip back to Mount Vernon again. And I would recommend you do too!

Please come back for more photos. This machine of mine is being a little cranky! It took forever to get one uploaded, and now keeps giving me errors!

Four hours, three tourists, one stop

Last weekend, my friend and co-worker Robin and I headed East for the Mid-Atlantic Junior Angus Classic, where we and two NJAA directors helped with this junior show at Harrisonburg, VA. It was typical MAJAC weather--cold and damp, but we still had a great show evaluated by my friend Alan Miller. The show was over in good time on Sunday, and we dropped Chris Cassady off at Dulles Airport. Robin, Andrew Rogen and I had time to kill as we didn't fly out til EARLY on Monday morning. Andrew asked how far we were from Washington D.C., so we punched 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. into the Garmin and in less than 20 minutes we were in the heart of D.C., a place none of the three of us had ever been.

We didn't let a little mist in the air or a slight breeze dampen our experience! In a little more than 4 hours we walked 6 miles or so, saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, U.S. Capitol (from a distance), the White House, and the Treasury Department. And, I didn't even get honked at, which is better than I can say during Robin's and my drive to Whitestone Farm on Thursday, but that's another blog...

Here are Robin and I in front of the Washington Monument, both a little more enthusiastic about the "longer" daylight hours that daylight saving time provided!

And me, at the Washington Monument with the Lincoln Memorial in the far background. It was a damp, windy day, but we were three tourists with nothing but time, enthusiasm and cameras!





Honest Abe was huge! I was so glad to get to see these monuments and memorials at night with the lights on them. If the weather was going to be rainy and damp, might as well look for some positive!



I loved this shot of the flag, Washington memorial, and fountain. Once I get a subject, I could shoot it all day (you should see my Eiffel Tower pictures).




This Korean War Soldiers Memorial was very moving. It was so dark by the time we got there, it was almost like we were among the soldiers. A great reminder that freedom is indeed never free.

Finally, our parking garage was right near the National Press Building, and well there is still a little journalist left in me, so I couldn't resist one more posed shot!



Who knew that three friends could have so much free fun in one place in four short hours? I definitely will head back to D.C. in the near future, and once again was reminded that we must live each day to the fullest and take advantage of every opportunity! I mean, I could have sat in the Fairfield Inn and watched the March Madness selection, Facebooked and did my show report, but how much fun would that blog have been for you all to read?!?!