George Resigns

One thing the Maryland State House is known for is that it is the place where General George Washington resigned his military commission to be President of the United States. Here in the room where that took place, they have a full-size statue of George Washington. Of course, you can stand next to him and have your photo taken. Here is a rare photo of me and an even rarer photo standing next to George. Too bad, I decided not to show that photo.

State House Window

The old glass in this Maryland State House window gives an impressionistic view of the city. Over the years, I have taken hundreds of photos through windows, mainly in old buildings. Here in Annapolis, the view is likely very similar to what those who built the building saw back in the 1700s. Tall buildings, with the exception of the churches, are banned from the old downtown section of Annapolis and Washington, D.C.

Dogwood

I have always heard about dogwood trees but I think this is the first time I have seen the flowers and realized what they were. Here is a description of the genus Cornus from Wikipedia.

Cornus is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen. Several species have small heads of inconspicuous flowers surrounded by an involucre of large, typically white petal-like bracts, while others have more open clusters of petal-bearing flowers. The various species of dogwood are native throughout much of temperate and boreal Eurasia and North America, with China and Japan and the southeastern United States particularly rich in native species. 

Species include the common dogwood Cornus sanguinea of Eurasia, the widely cultivated flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) of eastern North America, the Pacific dogwood Cornus nuttallii of western North America, the Kousa dogwood Cornus kousa of eastern Asia, and two low-growing boreal species, the Canadian and Eurasian dwarf cornels (or bunchberries),  Cornus canadensis and Cornus suecica respectively.

Senate Chambers, Maryland State House, Annapolis, Maryland

The Senate Chambers in the beautifully restored Maryland State House. Here is the description of the Chambers from the msa.maryland.gov website.

The Senate Chamber is decorated in red and white, the Crossland colors of the Maryland Flag. Woven into the carpet is the Great Seal of 1648. The Senate Chamber has two visitors' galleries which may be entered from the second floor. There are 47 senators, one from each of Maryland's legislative districts. The Maryland General Assembly meets every year for 90 calendar days, beginning on the second Wednesday in January.

Maryland State House, Annapolis

It finally stopped raining and got warm enough in Annapolis to get out and see the city. We took some time to visit the old State House in downtown Annapolis. Here is what msa.maryland.gov has to say about the old building.

THE BEAUTIFUL MARYLAND STATE HOUSE is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use and is the only state house ever to have served as the nation's capitol. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783 to August 13, 1784. During that time, George Washington came before Congress to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War. 

The State House is where the Maryland General Assembly convenes for three months each year, and the elected leadership of the state — the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Delegates and president of the Senate — all have their offices here.

An Interesting Job

Yes, this is the dome of the United States Capitol Building. If you look closely, you can see some workmen climbing up the outside. Does this look like your dream job?

A Rocky Path

Although it is getting to be Spring here in Maryland, I still go back to my memories of the sandstone on the Colorado Plateau. This isn't a particularly narrow canyon, but it is spectacular in the formations of the rocks. Unlike many such canyons, you can drive right to the mouth of this one and walk in along a comparatively level floor. As with all photos in these canyons, the contrast between the shade and sun are extreme.

Ctenanthe burle-marxii

Ctenanthe is a genus of flowering plants of the family Marantaceae described as a genus in 1884. They are evergreen perennials, native to Central and South America (primarily Brazil). They are grown for their attractive, often variegated foliage. They are frost tender, requiring a minimum temperature of 13 °C (55 °F). See Wikipedia: Ctenanthe

I saw this beautiful plant in the National Botanical Garden on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

The Dome and Flame on the Library of Congress

This is actually "The Torch of Learning." Here is an explanation of this iconic detail of the Library of Congress in an article entitled, "Bringing Light to the Jefferson Building."

As a part of the renovation of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, workers have installed a reproduction of the original 12-foot-high Torch of Learning atop the building. 

After a pedestal was assembled and secured to the top of the Jefferson's lantern, the 4-foot torch was hoisted and attached to the pedestal. Installation took approximately 10 days.

The torch was "illuminated" by the application of 2312-karat gold leaf, square by square, a process that took about three days. Expert architectural gilder Lisa Da Silva Cotter completed the gold leafing of the flame. 

The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) recommended the award of a $5.2 million contract to PEC Inc., Laurel, Md., in October 1995 to replace the Jefferson's copper roof, dome, and torch. Subcontractor James Myers Co. Inc., Beltsville, Md., is responsible for the ornamental work on the roof, including the torch. 

The original torch was removed in January 1996 and used to make molds for the new one, which was created in heavy-duty copper. Assembled in four sections, the pedestal is riveted onto a steel substructure and then soldered. The torch was molded in one piece. A lightning rod about the size of a pencil will project about 12 inches from the tip of the flame.

Early Spring Color

We walked by this beautiful tree on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building. These are not flowers, the leaves are red in color. There seem to be a number of conflicting theories as to why some trees have red leaves in the spring. But most of those tree's leaves turn green. We have a lot of red trees in Annapolis. But this one was especially pretty.

More Orchids

These particular orchids are in the United States Botanical Garden located right next to the U.S. Capitol Building. In all the times we have been to D.C. we have not even noticed the Botanical Garden before. What a wonderful discovery. We will probably go back there many times, perhaps just to say hello to the cactus.

Orchids

You might think that orchids were rare plants from the way they are grown and sold. But quoting from Wikipedia: Orchidaceae:

Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species, distributed in about 763 genera. The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species nearly equals the number of bony fishes and is more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. The family also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants. The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species).

Brigham Young

Every state in the United States gets to place two statues in the U.S. Capitol Building. Utah's statue is Brigham Young. He has been called the "American Moses." My ancestors back four generations and their children were sent to settlements in the Western United States by Brigham Young. So it is not surprising that I have an affinity for him and what he accomplished.

Another View of the Capitol

I decided I liked this view of the U.S. Capitol Building also. I liked the flowering trees and the perspective. We were visiting the Library of Congress at the time this photo was taken so it is not the traditional view from the Mall.

The United States Capitol Building

We have been visiting Washington, D.C. a number of times as we work in the Maryland State Archives and we finally got around to visiting the Capitol Building. It was a lovely day and so there were mobs of people. The tour of the Capitol was well organized even despite the huge crowds and we had a very informative tour. The trees in D.C. are getting leaves and it wasn't cold or raining for a change. This photo is taken from my iPhone. If I pull it into Adobe Lightroom, I can change it a bit to look like this.

Peacocks and Peonies

La Farge, John, Peacocks and Peonies I, 1882, stained glass window, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Henry A. La Farge, 1936.12.1

Stained glass or art glass is rather difficult to exhibit in museums. It is usually associated with churches and some other buildings. The Smithsonian American Art Museum has a few good examples, including those built into the building that used to house the Patent Office. We see some amazing things as we visit our nation's capital city.

Color, Color, Color

Like many of the other National Parks in Arizona and Utah, there are huge areas in Capital Reef National Park that are only very occasionally visited by tourists. Most of these areas require either a high-clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle or a long hike on foot.  We do both. When we got to the popular places in Zion National Park or Bryce National Park, we see more people than scenery. There are too many other places to visit in both Utah and Arizona to focus on any of the main attractions. One exception is Grand Canyon National Park. The crowds are concentrated in such a small area and the Canyon is so large, that you can always find places where you can enjoy some solitude. Capital Reef is like that also.

Monoliths in Capital Reef

Living in Utah gives one access to many out of the way places. Some of these have an out worldly feeling. This is one of those areas. This is Capital Reef National Park in the areas where few of the millions of tourists visit.

Abraham Lincoln

I have been reading a three-volume history of the U.S. Civil War. I have read it before and I know how it ends, but it is still interesting to go back through all the battles in so much detail. The history gives you a great appreciation for President Abraham Lincoln. There are a number of things in the Smithsonian that remind me of Lincoln. This bust is very well done and is very close to the life-mask that they have in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. This bust is by Augustus Saint-Gaudens was done in 1887, long after Lincoln was shot.

Patterns of Spring

Spring was late this year but the trees finally bloomed and some of them are starting to have leaves.  We have mostly shed our winter coats and traded them for raincoats. We have had a few beautifully warm days, but cold weather acts like it will remain until May. We enjoy the few trees with flowers and because we spend most of our days indoors in semi-darkness digitizing historical records we are thankful when we have an opportunity to get out and see the outside world.

Sky and Cliffs in Capital Reef

We are just now getting into Spring in Maryland. But what is missing is the sky and cliffs. From my perspective, green is very oversold. I will take brown, red, and blue any day over green. Granted, there are a lot of interesting things here in the East and I do enjoy seeing and learning about the history, but my heart is still out there in the desert with the rocks, wind, clouds, and cliffs.

Can You Read This?

You will need to click on this image to enlarge it. I found this on the wall at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. You might need to try to read it before it becomes obvious.

Hurricane Lamp

When I was young and lived in a very small town in Eastern Arizona, we had sporadic electrical service and often had to rely on these kerosene or hurricane lamps for light. They give a lot of light if this is your only source. The idea of using a wick and a combustible liquid for a light source goes back thousands of years. Today, we rely on batteries and electrical lights, but is there is still a place for this type of technology? Where do I buy kerosene?

Revisiting Coral Pink Sand Dunes

We had one or two days of fair weather here in Annapolis, Maryland and now it is cold and raining again. I was getting nostalgic for my visits to the beautiful parts of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. There is nothing like this in Maryland. Perhaps when Spring finally arrives I can find some photos here in the Frozen East.

Almost Finished

I am reaching back into my archive for this photo. Back in 2015 when we were visiting Washington, Utah. I must say that the traffic in Washington, Utah is a lot easier to take than the traffic in Washington, D.C. The dead prickly pear plant is what is almost finished. One test of how dry it is in the Southwest is to see if the cactus are dying.

Wasatch Mountains in Spring

Here in Maryland, the leaves are just now coming out on the trees. It seems like we have been in perpetual winter. I do miss the mountains and the deserts of Arizona and Utah. Here is a lovely view of the Wasatch Mountains about an hour from our home in Provo. Right now in Maryland, my view of the parking lot of our apartment complex.

UNIVAC 1232

One of the most dramatic changes during my lifetime has been the development of powerful computers. Computers such as this UNIVAC 1232, were the ones I knew about when I was much younger. The mechanism on the right in the large blue box is the tape reader. It used huge spools of magnetic tape for data storage. I can distinctly remember seeing these machines when I was a teenager. This machine was developed and manufactured by Sperry Univac's St. Paul, Minnesota division and was the military version of the UNIVAC 490. It used transistors and had a 30-bit word length and came supplied with 32,000 words of memory or about 123 K. In contrast, my iPhone has 256 GB of storage. That is about 268,435,456 Kilobytes. I am currently using 8 Terabyte hard drives or about 8,000,000,000 Kilobytes.

Maynard Dixon

One of the painters I like the most is Maynard Dixon. He was born in Fresno, Califonia in 1875 and died in Tucson, Arizona in 1946. Brigham Young University has an extensive collection of his paintings and many are on the walls of the Special Collections Library in the Harold B. Lee Library on campus. There are always a few in the Art Museum on campus also. This is an unusual painting from the Smithsonian American Art Museum called "Shapes of Fear." You can read more about Maynard Dixon and see more of his paintings at MaynardDixon.org.

The Business End of the Space Shuttle Discovery

The Space Shuttle Discovery has more spaceflights than any other spacecraft to date. Quoting from the Wikipedia article entitled, "Space Shuttle Discovery,"

Discovery became the third operational orbiter to enter service, preceded by Columbia and Challenger. It embarked on its last mission, STS-133, on February 24, 2011 and touched down for the final time at Kennedy Space Center on March 9, having spent a cumulative total of almost a full year in space. Discovery performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. It also carried the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. Discovery was the first operational shuttle to be retired, followed by Endeavour and then Atlantis.

The Space Shuttle Discovery is housed in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. By the way, it is really huge compared to almost all the other airplanes or spacecraft housed in the museum.

SR-71 Blackbird

One of the most recognizable aircraft of the United States Air Force is the SR-71 Blackbird. Here is one at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. Here is a summary from Wikipedia about the airplane.

The Lockheed SR-71 "Blackbird" is a long-range, Mach 3+ strategic reconnaissance aircraft that was operated by the United States Air Force. It was developed as a black project from the Lockheed A-12 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1960s by Lockheed and its Skunk Works division. American aerospace engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson was responsible for many of the design's innovative concepts. During aerial reconnaissance missions, the SR-71 operated at high speeds and altitudes to allow it to outrace threats. If a surface-to-air missile launch were detected, the standard evasive action was simply to accelerate and outfly the missile. The SR-71 was designed with a reduced radar cross-section.

Frowny Face on the Space Shuttle

I can only conjecture that it is sad to be cooped up in a hanger and not flying off into space. This is a fabulous museum. This is the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Curtis P-40 E Kittyhawk

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia is part of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. You could spend weeks just walking around and looking at all the airplanes, rockets, satellites and other exhibits. This is a Curtis P 40 E KittyHawk. There are many variations of this particular airplane. Here is a short description from Wikipedia: List of Curtiss P-40 Warhawk variants:

The P-40E played a major role in the defense of Philippines, Java (NEI), Australia and New Guinea in 1942, and with the Desert Air Force (DAF) in intense fighting against the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica also in 1942. The P-40E was also an important type for the Soviets, particularly in the Leningrad area but also in the siege of Moscow and at Stalingrad. 

In the Desert War the arrival of the heavily armed, fast and maneuverable Kittyhawk led to the accelerated retirement of the Bf 109E and its replacement by the faster and more maneuverable Bf 109F. The top scoring DAF squadrons, including No. 3 Squadron RAAF and No. 112 Squadron RAF, transferred from the Tomahawk to the Kittyhawk, scoring many kills against Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica types, helping the DAF to hold on through this tough period. Many RAF and SAAF P-40 units also took heavy casualties - especially as Me 109F variants began to arrive in Theater in late 1941.

Naval Academy Chapel

Here is the description of the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland.

The historic Main Chapel at the center of the Yard – and its landmark dome – are symbolic of the vital role that moral and spiritual guidance plays in the development of Midshipmen into naval officers. The Commodore Levy Center and Jewish Chapel combines the aesthetics of Ancient Israel, the nobility of sea service, and the sacred experience of faith in the fabric of its architecture. Together with 7 other smaller chapels and prayer spaces, the Naval Academy Chaplain Center provides and facilitates for the religious needs of the 4500-strong Brigade of Midshipmen and its faculty and staff.

Naval Academy Museum Ship Models

The Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland has the second largest collection of ship models in the world. These are amazingly detailed quite large models some of which are hundreds of years old. This one is an unidentified British Second Rate 90-Gun Ship from about 1720. This is a 1/4 scale model. I simply can't imagine the time and skill needed to build one of these models.

Spouting Flames

This is the back end of an old cannon with an embellishment of a figure spouting flames. After I looked at the photo, I also noticed a small graffiti. This is also called tagging and is just about everywhere you look nowadays. This cannon is on the Naval Academy grounds in Annapolis, Maryland.

Door Knocker

Sometimes the world seems full of details. This ornate door knocker is one of those details that you might miss unless you look carefully and with interest at the world around you. Open your eyes ane really look, you might be surprised at what you see.

Annapolis Stop Sign

If you look ahead, you can see that this street ends right here for traffic going straight. So what are you supposed to do? Stop? But the only thing you can do is make a right turn. Think about it. This is driving in Annapolis and all of the area around Washington, D.C. We find things like this all the time. This photo was taken by my wife Ann at a corner near us.

The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C. is emblematic of the entire Smithsonian organization. Here is a very short explanation of its function today from the Smithsonian Website.

Completed in 1855, the Castle is our signature building and home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center. As such, it makes a great starting point for your journey—here you can get a grasp of the scope and scale of the Smithsonian, see collections highlights from each of our museums, tour the Castle’s 19th-century architecture, see what’s going on today at all the museums, and consult with our in-house experts about what to see and do.