I love how in the heart of the Capital of the United States of America, we have the vast lawn known as "The Mall" - - granted, its been getting so much traffic that the lawn is looking a lot like an over worn football field. I love it - - I love the ability go go from cement jungle just a block away to lush green gardens. All of the Smithsonian museums have gardens in their courtyards. Above, the Smithsonian Castle garden that big office building is the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Below, some of the detailed areas of the garden.
This is a courtyard at one of the art museums. I don't remember which one. Chains prevent visitors from walking out into the courtyard. Guess they don't want people throwing coins in the fountain or (bleck!) getting too close to the box wood. The only 'nice' thing I can say about boxwood is you can sculpt it - - other than that, I think it is smelly.
Along 'The Mall' side of the Smithsonian Castle is a gorgeous rose garden. So many varieties!
Near the sculpture garden, a shady retreat from the harsh sunshine and humidity.
All along the walls were different garden areas, each with different featured flowers. I liked this area because of the colorful bird houses.
I gotta tell you, nothing de-stresses me quicker than a nice walk through a beautiful garden.
Oh, tourist tip I want to share about DC. The cleanest bathrooms are in the Art Museums because they are the least visited, well the smaller Art Museums, anyway.
Doesn't that just look like an entrance to a fairy tale garden. It was amazing! The garden was a DuPont familiy improvement. It was smaller than what the Madisons' would have had. The big difference for the DuPonts', they grew flowers in this garden, the Madisons' would have grown fruits and vegetables.
Yes, I was making my visit at high noon on a very sunny day.
I love this lion. He looks like he wants to frolick and play. His brother was on the other side of the stairs.
He doesn't look so bothered that he can't go and play. Its like he's telling the first one, "Hey, its o.k. when the fairy magic comes back, we can play again."
By the way, can I just tell you that I HATE boxwood. The bush smells like stinky wet feet. Bleck! It just makes me want to gag! Of course no one else in my family could smell anything. But look at that glorious garden that stinky boxwood path leads to. I just loved all of the Irises and Peonies. I wish I had a yard this big to accommodate a garden like this. My dad of course commented on the wonderful mowing job - - he should know, in his retirement from 30 years of teaching, he mows the golf course at the Country Club.
Does anyone know what the following flowers are? I want to plant a couple of these in my side yard garden.
I also absolutely love Peonies. I want to plant them in my side yard garden also. I really liked this particular pink variety.
The most exciting thing for me on my recent visit to Montpelier, the estate of the 4th President of the United States, was that I could see a historic home being restored to its original state. You can check out the Restoration Blog here.
Restoring Montpelier to the way it was when James Madison and his wife Dolley lived there was not easy feat. The Estate had been purchased in the early 1900s by the DuPont family and they proceeded to add two additional wings as well as second floors over the existing wings of the Madison home. In the picture below, you can part of what remains of the DuPont addition and that is just a small part of what was there. This DuPont remnant is used as a carpentry shop.
You can see a video and photos of what the home looked like as the Madison's added to it and what it looked like as they demolished the DuPont additions here.
When the home was originally built by James Madison's father, it consisted of half of what you see (the right half). After James married Dolley, he built a mirror image half to the left. The center door was not there while the two Madison families were in residence. So, yes, it was a duplex. After the deaths of Jame's parents he created a central hall, connected the two sides from inside and inserted the central front door.
Below is a side and back view of the house.
Since this is on the National Historical registry, I couldn't take photos inside to show you what they were doing. However, their blog shows you the steps they've been taking to bring the home back to its original 1830 grandeur.
Amazingly, many of the original panels, doors, windows and mantels had been recycled by the DuPonts in other parts of the house so they have truly been able to restore it to its original condition. What they didn't have originally, for instance marble from one of the fire places, they were able to find the quarry in England where the marble was quarried and even the same vein from which is was cut to get a replacement. They had a lot of lucky things like that fall in place for them.
Ok, now for the Marine Corps connection. That tree, that's it.
Its a Cedar of Lebanon and the Marines brought it back from their mission against the Barbary Pirates and presented it to James Madison as a gift. At the time, when the Marines led by Lt. Presley O'Bannon were sent to free US ships captured by the pirates, Madison was the Secretary of State. Apparently, he recommended the Marines be sent - - they were after all, the Delta Force of the day.
This past weekend, I was exhausted, but I still went in to the museum to volunteer, they had 600+ OCS candidates in the morning. My final act, was to relieve a fellow docent at the Iwo flag and I have no idea why I started telling the guests that were there about the final Bonzai attack on Iwo. Only, I didn't call it a Bonzai attack, I called it a Kamakazi attack. Good grief. They were looking at me as if to say, "What are you talking about?"
This is what I was trying to tell them about -- ( from Wikipedia) - - what I told them - - garbage.
On the night of March 25, a 300-man Japanese force launched a final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2. Army pilots, Seabees and Marines of the 5th Pioneer Battalion and 28th Marines fought the Japanese force until morning but suffered heavy casualties—more than 100 were killed and another 200 Americans were wounded. The island was officially declared "secured" the following day.
Although still a matter of speculation because of conflicting accounts from surviving Japanese veterans, it has been said that Kuribayashi led this final assault,[1] which unlike the loud banzai charge of previous battles, was characterised as a silent attack. If ever proven true, Kuribayashi would have been the highest ranking Japanese officer to have personally led an attack during World War II. Additionally, this would also be Kuribayashi's final act of departure from the normal practice of the commanding Japanese officers committing seppuku behind the lines while the rest perished in the banzai charge, as happened during the battles of Saipan and Okinawa. _______________
After my morning at the museum, I came home and took a 3 hour nap Boy did I need it! I still need more sleep. I don't think I will ever catch up.
Lesson - - don't talk military history when you are tired and hungry.
As you know, when I notice new things, I like showing them to you. There is just so much to see in the National Museum of the Marine Corps. You can't and won't be able to see it all.
Being a regular, you get used to things being a certain way. A lighting level, particular items being in a case, or a display. It is amazing how quickly you notice changes. Or maybe I'm just sensitive. Saturday, the Iwo Jima gallery was darker than usual. The other docent said it was usually that dark. No, not THAT dark. I quickly noticed a string of overhead lights that had not turned on.
Well, we've had some empty cases for over two years. Then all of a sudden, artifacts started to appear.
For instance, these Japanese personal items collected by Marines on Iwo Jima. I don't think US Servicemen can smuggle swords and rifles back in their personal gear any more. Since I am a picture person, I find the personal photographs to be the most interesting. The enemy is always demonized, yet the enemy is no different than we are. There are wives that the men knew they would never see, proud fathers the young men wished to honor by their service, and siblings - a brother - who was also serving in the emperor's army. Memories of stolen kisses, family dinners, boyhood pranks played with a co-conspirator. I wonder how often the owners of these photos looked at them and thought to the days before the war?
In the Korean gallery they have added some items that Marines would have been equipped with while landing at Inchon. That big chunk of rock, part of the sea wall.
Artifacts belonging to Marine Corps leadership at the Inchon landing fill another case. The ribbons on the right, "Chesty" Puller's Korean War awards and his pipe. The map in the back ground is an Inchon landing map and in the middle of the case is an action report about the Inchon landing.
Work continues in Semper Fi Memorial Park, it hasn't changed significantly enough for me to post the pictures I have taken. They are building the road to the chapel before they start anything with the chapel. Construction on the chapel is to begin this fall and should be completed in the spring. Construction on the new galleries is also to begin this fall.
I don't watch much television (um, none at all unless its on while I'm at the gym, which has been next to never the last two months because of work) so I had not seen this commercial but I read about this ad in the New York Times Op Ed section this morning.
This ad is being aired in my home state of Ohio.
The one thing that hit me when reading the op ed piece was, this could have been my mom years ago. This is my sister today. Several years ago, when my nephew as 2, he was fascinated with the pictures I was putting in my scrapbook from the Museum. This was all restoration stuff, up close looks at a lot of aircraft. Nephew sat with me, like all 2 year olds and had me tell him what all the aircraft and weapons were, over and over. By the end of the week, my nephew could ID a UH1E, CH-53, CH-46, Harrier, F-18, and anti-aircraft gun. My sister's comment to me, "If he grows up and joins the military, I'm going to kill you."
My family is not pro-military, nor are they anti-military - - they could just care less.
Yes, I'm a bit of an anomaly. Ironically, my dad, a history teacher, took us to visit Civil War battle fields when we were kids - - getting me interested in military related history. They encouraged me when I read every book about the Vietnam War that was in our Smalltown library. However, when I talked about joining the military, out came all the arguments why I shouldn't and why I wouldn't be a good soldier, sailor or marine. Instead of encouragement, they fed my mind with insecurities and doubts. I think they also looked at my joining the military as a failure on their part to provide. Because the only kids in Smalltown, Ohio that went into the military were the ones who 1) didn't have the money for college or 2) had no other options.
Ironically, I am probably one of the few kids that went to college a liberal and graduated a conservative.
To this day, I regret not joining the military, even if just for a short time.
My family is luke warm about my time at the Marine Corps Museum. I've tried showing my dad pictures of something only to have him say, "I'm kind of sick of military stuff." O.k. it was the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where military stuff was front and center on the news. The fact that I work for a defense contractor brings offhanded jabs. I tried inviting my parents down for a family weekend at work, but they declined. However, they've had no problem driving further south to my sister's to attend things at UVA. Do I feel slighted. Yes, I'll be honest. But it is what it is.
My mom recently commented, "You spend to much time at that Marine Museum, you need a life."
"THAT" Marine Museum. Holy cow, that is like saying "THOSE people."
I have a life. I enjoy the time I spend at the museum and the people I meet, the things I learn. However, this past month, I've struggled with that comment she made. My friends from church were so surprised that my mom made that comment, "Don't they see how you light-up when you talk about it? You really come alive." Her comment has really deflated me. I'm struggling to choose not to let it suck the enjoyment I have out of it.
My parents continue to say, "Not our kids."
The op/ed's author quotes the comments of a soldier's mom, "Does that mean that she wants other people's sons to keep the wolves at bay so that her son can live a life of complete narcissism? What is it she thinks happens in the world?... Someone has to stand between society and danger. If not my son, then who? If not little Alex then someone else will have to stand and deliver."
All I have to say, is, it is a hard life and I respect the men and women who choose that career path. MoveOn.Org is so lucky to have such a strong military backing their right to free speech.
That was the comment an Officer Candidate made to me Saturday. He and two other candidates asked me how to get into a particular gallery and I showed them the "secret door" short-cut.
I gotta tell you, I would hate to be a female candidate. The female drill instructors were really riding these women. Holy cow! I observed one female candidate get "talked to" and the candidate, fighting back tears, had to stand and say how she had messed up.
The men got it just as bad. I asked one officer if he was going to tell his group about the Huey he said he'd gather them up and let me tell them. To one guy he says, "Are you part of my group." The candidate didn't answer correctly. The officer said, "Its yes or no. Are you part of my group? Yes, or no."
For some reason the song Paradise by the Dashbaord Lights just flashed through my head..."Whats it going to be boy, Yes......Or....NO!?"
I wonder how many candidates are praying for the end of time - - or at least the end of the summer. I also wonder how many will choose to be Marine Corps Officers.
This is the place where I share the things going on in my life such as travel, family events, interesting people I meet and things going on at the National Museum of the Marine Corps (where I volunteer). Writing and photography are ways that I process new things or events. Yes, there may be an occasional work vent or political/current event rant. That said, the views and opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of any organization I may be affiliated with.
