An Aside ...

The jaunt to the nation's capital has been inspiring and daunting. Our feet are tired, but our spirits are high. We marvel at the level of openness of our society. I also am extremely proud that our nation provides such a cultural center for the world to share along with its citizens ... free of charge. Where else can one see a DaVinci, the Magna Carta, Dorothy's ruby slippers, our nation's most revered documents - the Declaration of Independence, Preamble to the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, incredibly intact archeological artifacts, gems and minerals, the original set of Sesame St and Julia Child's PBS cooking show, portraits of our nations most famous historical figures, and thousands of other wonders  ... just by choosing a museum of interest and walking in ?

Thank goodness, the Smithsonian Institution was established and supported over the years ... it is a phenomenal foundation and after spending a few days here in Washington DC, SB and I are really proud that we have been members and supported the SI over the years.

We have also decided that the evening views of the major monuments are stunningly beautiful. Last evening, we took a bus tour around the city and stopped to enjoy the sights ... with about a million other tourists.