Day 4 in DC

On Day 4 we traveled by train to Mount Vernon to see the home and farm of George Washington.
"Putting a hand to the plow" has been an important faith theme for us.  This plow reminds me of an old plow
on my Grandfather's farm.  Of course it was no longer used even when I was a kid; Grandad had a John Deere.

The farm is huge, so a rest stop along the way was important.

On the Washington farm were slave quarters, a poignant reminder of the fact that people make mistakes.
And it is always a mistake to believe that we have the right to rule the lives of others.  Especially when it is
for our own good and not theirs!

Near the Washington Mall is the memorial to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
These are as fresh as yesterday and many years back.  Thank you, Lord, for those who
believe they can make the world better by risking their lives for what is right.

At the transport museum we saw lots of very interesting things, including about 100 feet of US Route 66,
which we had traveled a month ago with the granddaughters on our Trans-Western Tour.
This picture of an Oklahoma oil field truck brought back memories too, as my Grandad
was a truck driver in his early years in Oklahoma, before he became a farmer.
He died at 99 years 10 months in May 1994 and is a joy to remember.  

Day 3 in DC

On Day 3 we visited the Capitol building - it was a better tour than we expected.  Ronald Reagen's statue has a piece of the Berlin Wall at the base.  And the sound in the old chamber is really great.  

We walked from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial.  That is a good bit of exercise!
Then we went by the Vietnam War Memorial.
That night someone threw green at Lincoln but only hit the pedestal.

We played "Night at the Museum" at the Air and Space Museum and marveled at the accomplishments
of Amelia Earhart

Amelia danced with the Degas sculpture in the movie. 

And the dinosaur ran all over the museum chasing bones for Larry.
This was lots of fun since we watched the movies with the granddaughters.

We also scoped out the International Spy Museum for the grandkids, whom we hope to bring to DC some day.  Here the Strategist tries to find the enemy camp on the GPS.  

A trip is not complete without some of the local wildlife. Since we have lived in Kenya, we are very conscious
of live animals.  This squirrel made his home on the Washington Mall.