Washington, D.C..

After hogging (a rather inelegant word for keeping a thing to one's self) one of three small tables at the Starbucks across the street from the hotel, and coincidental with the completion of downloading maps of portions of the Russian Federation, the sun partially emerged from an overcast sky, and I thought I would go walkabout. When I left the table, it was if I had thrown a bread crust on the ground in the midst of a flock of ducks. I emerged unscathed from the stampede.

I took a walk over to Union Station as I had never seen it. It is quite a great hall, and undergoing repairs and renovations in spots. It was not even full of people, but nonetheless full of noise and life, with a jumble of commuters and tourists and locals and security police, many of whom, when unable to understand each other, resorted to speaking more slowly and much, much louder. One very red faced man was nodding his head vigorously as he yelled in a heavily Germanic accented voice at a middle aged Asian woman who stood silent with a perplexed and submissive expression behind the counter of her souvenir stall. I feared for a moment he was going to grab her, dispatch her quickly, and stuff her into one of the huge wheeled suitcases he had clutched, one in either large fist. Either case could have swallowed her whole, likely without bending. As I passed, she smiled a tentative smile up at him, bobbing her head quickly. His big red faced cracked into a broad, tooth filled smile, and he bowed to her in return. I commenced breathing again. No intervention would be required. 

From Union Station I crossed through part of the Arboretum as I headed to the National Botanical Garden. 

The Capitol is under renovation, and scaffolding cross-hatches the dome, looking light and almost feathery on the bold, substantial structure beneath. 

I have been intending to visit the National Botanical Garden for many years. Sadly, it is really not that special. In my opinion, both Chicago and St. Louis have better gardens, as does Bremen, Germany for that matter.  Nonetheless, there is still a great deal of beauty to enjoy inside the conservatory. 

Walking back towards the hotel, I crossed the end of the mall, and paused for one of the iconic views in D.C.

That's right, a view of tour busses, parked in a row neatly blocking what almost everyone else came to see, the Washington Monument at the far end of the National Mall. 

It was a pretty nice day, as it started with breakfast at Founding Farmers with my friends Bryan and Mary and their son, Jack the Bold. Bryan and I were in town together for the event at the Department of Justice, and they are now headed to Nurth Carolina for sun and relaxation. When I said goodbye to them later, it was like severing contact with Alaska, a casting off as the next adventure begins.