Always Bigger in Texas It’s busy, busy, busy as the guiding season swings into high gear with cherry blossoms and spring break equaling an avalanche of visitors. I recently toured with senior citizens who traveled by motor coach from the mid-west to see the extraordinary blossoms at their peak. Having strolled along the Basin, where […]

Pretty in Pink We are amidst the bloom here in D.C. and it may be that all the rain has given us an extra dose of pollen; everyone is going about their business with a sneeze on their lips, including me. Arlington Cemetery, my favorite place, always looks crisp and fresh this time of year; […]

The “False Narrative” The third anniversary of the 2016 death of Fairfax County, Virginia, firefighter Nicole Mittendorff is just around the corner; it reverberates to this day after her suicide was linked to workplace bullying. Within the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department (FRD) and in the firefighter and paramedic union, IAFF Local 2068, […]

The New York Roadway Disaster Twenty people were killed this past weekend when a “stretch limo” type vehicle crossed a T-intersection, striking cars and trees. My work has me riding in all manner of commercial vehicles and I have learned they are not equal where safety is concerned. It’s crucial to be informed, to pay […]

Freedom Gets a Do The dome of the U.S. Capitol, made of iron and bolted together, was assembled during the American Civil War, a sign from Lincoln, they say, that the Union would prevail. It did. Atop the dome is the Freedom Statue, there since 1863, all 15,000 bronze pounds of her. She faces east, […]

Like many parts of the nation, we have had our share of rain (and more) the past few weeks. There was a nine-day stretch where the sun seemed on vacation from the skies. We can echo that from the standpoint of rain it’s been one of the wettest ever. Because the Potomac River bisects the […]

It’s June already and we are in the throes of the D.C. guiding season. It’s that time when you can barely remember one group from the next nor what you said or to whom you said it. This is my ninth year and and for the first time, I have had eighth-graders inform me with […]

Last evening, the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, I found myself at Arlington National Cemetery touring with 8th-graders from Ohio. It was 6pm sharp, we were at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and the changing of the guard was underway. It being the day that it was, a sentinel was in charge rather than a […]

It’s Now or Never Many folks visiting the Cathedral these past few years, and even some working there, have lamented the “disneyization” of the place. First they started charging to enter. Then they locked the doors to ensure no one was sneaking in to God’s great house free. Next came the multiple gift shops, some […]

Upturned Everything and Azerbaijan It’s been a gusty few days here in the Capitol, I was walking up 22nd st. Friday evening when a howling wind stopped me in my tracks. Thankfully, the temperature has been not so bad making the wind, its longevity and speed, more of a curiosity than anything. But, to be […]