The Arlington Loop

I went to Arlington to ride with a friend leaving from her house.  Boy, when I got to her neighborhood I knew I was in trouble.  It's called "Potomac Overlook" ... which means it is HIGH above the Potomac on the Virginia side.  And to get there, my car was using gas, not switching to the hybrid side of things. In bike terms, that means hills.  No, let me correct that == HILLS!!

And there were definitely hills.  Oh my goodness.  We only rode 27 miles but lots of hills.  And actually, although it was a beautiful blue sky day, and only 88, the sun got very intense around 11.

I love riding from Arlington though, because these views are what's within easy reach by bike.  There were few tourists today since Congress is out of town and lots of school kids went back today. That makes for nice biking as there are fewer clueless people wandering into the bike lanes.

East side of the Capitol.  Look at that blue sky!

This is the Washington Monument, decked out in its scaffolding for the repairs due to the minor earthquake we had a while back.  I think it looks like it's wearing orthodontia...you know, those awkward teen photos? Nowadays I see a number of my contemporaries wearing braces though, so who understands the minds of dentists and orthodontists other than their accountants?

And on that subject, $10.5 million is being spent.  Okay, I understand it's Washington, Father of our Country.  But jeez, if you've read what he wrote, you'd know he would rather feed and educate people than erect any kind of monument to his name or reputation. And this figure, $10.5 million, would stagger him. He wanted the new capital to be near Virginia, but he did NOT want it named for him. A man of vision and humility and generosity.  Mount Vernon, his home, was more busy than any hotel or boarding house in America at the time. He was practically bankrupted by his service to the country, long after he had left the presidency. Would it make sense to honor him by saying, "Sir, we will spend the money, instead, on the descendants of your slaves and others yet disadvantaged by the color of their skin or the origin of their birth?" I know, I know -- what then would we do with the blasted monument.

On less weighty subjects, this photo (I can't crop my finger out of it without hurting the image) is of a cool sculpture at the Botanical Gardens.  Look closely...it's called, "pollinators"

And these berries are from the same place.

These, George Washington would have admired...a temple to his importance, not so much.