Elmer Lindstrom's Blog

Friday, October 31, 2008

Monticello

I had an outstanding day yesterday... I drove to Monticello and spent almost five hours wandering the grounds...guided mansion tour, garden tour, plantation tour and the like. It was an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Fall day - lots of color on the grounds.

Monticello is quite different than Mount Verson - a reflection, I think, of the two very different personalities that were our first and third Presidents. Mount Vernon seems very functional - the house is grand for that era, of course, but somehow seems "ordinary" nonetheless.

Monticello, on the other hand, is a work of art from top to bottom. Every room, every flower bed, and every pathway is meant to be a part of a most wonderful picture. And this is not the fancy of modern conservators; Mr. Jefferson made detailed notes about every aspect of the plantation - the house, garden, and farms. And every effort is made today to remain true to those descriptions - including the species of all the flowers - all of which are the same cultivars (or very close to them) that were planted at the estate in the late 18th century.

Indeed, I am so taken by my two days of Presidential house hopping that I have decided to backtrack 30 miles today and visit Montpelier, the home of President James Madison. Montpelier was acquired by some branch of the Du Pont family and was greatly enlarged in the early 20th century but is now being "deconstructed" and restored to its early 19th century appearance. It should be fun!

After my Monticello visit I roamed the campus of the University of Virginia for an hour or so and then had supper in the University district - burger and beer night. Then a couple of episodes of South Park and to bed.

I'm afraid I still haven't downloaded any new pics...but they will be coming soon. The weather is beautiful again today so I plan to make hay while the proverbial sun shines.

I spoke to Alison yesterday morning and she and Doug arrived safely in Atlanta. They should be in Savannah today.

Life is good.

I'm off to Montpelier.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

A Crisp Fall Day

Greetings from Charlottesville, Virginia and the lovely Dinsmore Inn. I'm staying in the "James Madison Room" and typing away at a beautiful antique writing desk. I just had a fine breakfast of bacon, blueberry pancakes, juice, and coffee and am contemplating the day's agenda. It's clear as a bell this morning, no wind, and about 35 degrees. A classic Fall day.

Yesterday I visited Mt. Vernon. It was great fun although a tad blustery. I spent about three hours roaming the grounds and, of course, took the mansion tour. I took lots of pics but haven't had the ambition to process them yet. Maybe later today.

The drive from D.C. to Charlottesville was very nice. There's lots of fall color - although the foliage is past it's peak in D.C. Still plenty of orange and red here, though, and it will get greener as I move south.

Today I'm going to visit Monticello and wander around the University of Virginia campus. Take another boatload of photos. Tomorrow I will drive over to Williamsburg. It's supposed to get warmer as we head into the weekend...should be around 70 on Saturday.

Last night I wandered into the old part of Charlottesville which has been turned into a pedestrian mall with lots of restaurants, galleries and the like. Had a couple of glasses of good Italian wine at a wine bar called Enoteca and then supper at a nice Italian joint called Fellini's #9. They had live music - a folksy trio that was pretty good. I sat at the bar for supper and visited with a number of folks - mostly youngsters most of whom are students (as are all the wait staff). As always, I like the feel of a University town. Folks are very friendly.

I sure enjoyed my visit with Martha. I hadn't seen her in a couple of years - she hasn't been to Juneau for awhile - and it's the first time I had a real chance to talk to her in many, many years. She is the same delightful person I knew in our years together working for Al Adams - still obsessive about politics although her canvas is much bigger now than in Juneau times. She is very close to Senator Stevens and his staff on both a personal and professional level and his conviction is causing her a great deal of heartfelt concern.

I just read the morning newspapers and it sounds like all the national Republican leaders are pigpiling on the resignation bandwagon. In Alaska, the Republicans are apparently split with some calling for Uncle's head and others saying he should stay the course. The only new poll numbers I've seen show Begich now ahead of Stevens by about 8 points.

I cannot say that I have shed any tears over Uncle's demise - it's long past time for a change. On the other hand, Stevens did have many legitimate legislative accomplishments over the years - his bipartisan work on fisheries issues for example - and now his legacy has turned to ashes.

Well, time to get on with the day. I leave you with one photo from the FDR memorial on the Mall:

Hey, buddy, can you spare a dime?

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Dateline Washington

Greetings from the nation's capital. It is a beautiful Wednesday morning and I will be headed-out to Mt. Vernon and on to Charlottesville in an hour or so. Will pick-up my car at the airport.

I arrived in D.C. about 10 PM on Monday. It was a long day; but everything went off without a hitch.

Yesterday I walked the National Mall all afternoon. Hit most of the major monuments...and will upload more pics later. Last night my dear friend Martha and I went out for supper in the Old Town part of Alexandria...had a decent (but not great) meal at a French restaurant and then, for dessert, stopped into a Tapas establishment where we had profiteroles, coffee, and after dinner drinks. And as a bonus, entertainment in the form of flamenco!

My dear friend Martha Stewart

Flamenco!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Why Vacations are Important

Exhibit A:

Ho! Ho! Ho! The view from my deck this morning Sunday, October 26th. Fortunately, it's supposed to turn to rain later this afternoon.

Next post: Dateline Washington!

Friday, October 24, 2008

Counting the Days

I heard at the Club yesterday that we were within a day or two of setting a record for most days of consecutive rainfall. I don't doubt it for a second. We've had two big storms blow through in the past three days - big time wind and rain.

So...it is with very little regret that on Monday morning I set-sail for the Southland. Might even try some hominy and grits. And of course, hush puppies - which I believe are cornmeal cakes fried in fat. Good and good for you... Come to think of it, I better make sure my prescription for my cholesterol meds is filled.

As is now customary, I will be lugging-around 25 pounds of camera gear as well as my laptop and will do my best to keep you amused and abreast of my travels. Here's the basic itinerary:

October 27th - fly to Seattle (AS 72) and on to Washington D.C. (AS 2).
October 28th - Sightseeing in D.C. and dinner with Martha Stewart.
October 29th - Stop in Mount Vernon and then drive to Charlottesville, VA. I will be staying at the Dinsmore House Inn http://www.dinsmorehouse.com/
October 30th - Sightseeing in Charlottesville and vicinity - Monticello and the University of Virginia are top attractions. There's also a nice golf course operated by the University.
October 31st - Drive to Williamsburg. I'll be staying three nights at Magnolia Manor http://www.magnoliamanorwmbg.com/
November 1st/2nd - Sightseeing around Williamsburg - Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Norfolk are all attractions. Also the College of William & Mary.
November 3rd - Hit the road for South Carolina. I may drive straight through to Hilton Head (about 9 hours) or I may lay-up somewhere if I get tired.
November 4th /11th - Golfing and sightseeing with Dougie and Alison at their condo (need to get the address this weekend). I suspect we'll drive-up and spend at least one night in Charleston.
November 12th/13th - Drive back to D.C. I need to be at the airport by 2 PM or so - I will spend the night somewhere enroute on the 12th. Perhaps in the Raleigh/Durham area which is supposed to be nice. Or I may drive the coastal route.
November 13th - Fly to Seattle. Overnight at a hotel at Sea-Tac.
November 14th - Fly to Juneau (AS 75).

So there you have it...the Fall Victory Tour East Coast Swing.

In other news, I have eagerly been awaiting the Uncle Ted verdict for three days. But it sounds like the jury is wrapped-around the axle pretty tightly. Too bad. I was hoping for a quick conviction on at least one count. The Washington Post is now reporting that the jury has been excused until at least Monday and maybe until Tuesday due to a death in one of the juror's families.

Right now I see a mixed rain and snow shower out the window - no, make that hail. There's even a chance for a thunder shower (with more hail I would expect) this afternoon. A change of pace anyway...

Most of the leaves have now been stripped-off the trees by our recent windstorms. Many of them are now residing in my elder's gutters which I need to clean-out before I leave. But that can wait for tomorrow when we're only supposed to have frequent showers and not much wind.

I'm going to go have a workout and then haul a bunch of my old "work" clothes over to St. Vincent de Paul. I had all my dress shirts laundered and starched and most of them are still in pretty fair shape although I noticed that a number of them were purchased at Klopfensteins which has been out-of-business for something like fifteen years. Gonna take 'em a boatload of ties, too. Most of my suits still fit...guess I'll hang-on to a couple although I'm not sure why.

I was thinking maybe Sarah could take me shopping for some snazzy retirement duds. Reckon I'll take a jacket and tie back East...don't really know what to expect in the way of fine dining dress codes in that neck of the woods. And I will be going someplace nice in D.C. I'm sure...

I'll post again this weekend if anything interesting occurs. Otherwise it will be DATELINE WASHINGTON.

Have a great weekend everyone.