Fall has been such a busy season so far, it's making my head spin. This past weekend, I went to the gym twice, got the car's oil changed, did some holiday shopping, believe it or not, adjusted a zillion clocks in the house, sold a few items on eBay, and attended another DC Flickr meetup. The weekend Netflix movie was Peter Jackson's King Kong, which while a bit long, did feature the lovely Naomi Watts. Tomorrow is election day, and lord knows how long that's going to take. Wednesday I'm getting a flu shot, and Friday I'm taking the morning off because the plumber is coming over to look at our water heater. in other words, this will be a busy week.

The Flickr meetup was fun, though. It took place at Rocket Bar, at 714 7th Street NW, which I'm quite partial to as a venue. Rocket Bar is no dive bar, but it also isn't a snooty lounge for trendy people who look like fashion models, either. The drinks aren't too expensive, and if you like pool, you're in luck because they have several pool tables. It's clean, spacious, and has neat rocket-themed decor; the only problem from the photography perspective is that it's pretty dark, so you need to use a high ISO and a fast lens down there (it's below-grade). I brought my Canon 50mm f/1.4 USM, which did pretty well considering the conditions.

I really enjoy the Flickr meetups, and it's fun meeting the talented photographers behind the frequently amazing pictures online. This time, I finally met the famous M, who was friendly and very funny, as well. For some reason, there were a lot of people originally from Long Island there yesterday, and a couple were actually from the south shore of Suffolk County, near where I grew up. They got a kick out of my NY Islanders keychain, which I showed them. Nice group of people!   

Very worried about the election tomorrow. Vote, people, especially anyone in Virginia!

Crisp fall weather is finally here, and I love it! To mark the occasion, I took a long walk in Rock Creek Park yesterday. It's so nice there this time of year, with the bugs and humidity finally gone. I didn't see any wildlife, or thankfully encounter any coyotes, but I did hear a lot of unusual bird sounds. The foliage wasn't very spectacular, with only a few trees in the yellow and red stages; they seem to be going straight from green to brown this year. Still, it's soothing to watch the leaves fall from the taller trees and flutter to the ground, and to hear them crunching underfoot while walking along the path. I love the sound of the leaves going under the wheels of cyclists going by, and the sight of them floating down the creek like little boats.

I took my camera on my little hike, and have started posting the photos in a new Rock Creek Park set on Flickr. 

The downside of the season is that it is a bit depressing, and the shorter days and falling leaves are a reminder of our mortality. What really seals the deal is the return of Eastern Standard Time in a few weeks, plunging millions into premature darkness every day for the sake of a few farmers(?) and/or schoolchildren. Why we don't have year-round Daylight Saving Time is unfathomable, or at least split the difference and leave it at that.

It's during the shortest days of winter that Rock Creek Park gives a more sinister impression. The natural beauty is still there, but the shadows are longer and darker, the sunlight weaker, the sounds of unseen animals a little more menacing. Thoughts turn to Chandra Levy, and the old stories of stone altars with animal sacrifices in the park. Scary, but remember that spring is around the corner!

Weekend plans include the arrival of summerless_year , who will be our guest for a couple of days while she's visiting the northern hemisphere. I predict that when she meets Oliver, hilarity may ensue, if he reacts at all like he did the last time we had houseguests. Also on the agenda is another Flickr meetup, this time at Solly's Tavern on U Street, where they have a nice patio and can presumably accommodate the group. Hopefully summerless_year will come along as well.

 Unfortunately, the weekend weather will not be as fine and dandy as it's been the past couple of days. They're predicting typical July in Washington weather, about 90 degrees, humid, with a chance of afternoon or evening thunderstorms. Blech. 

The fire in the Market Square North office building must have involved the air conditioning units on the roof. When I walked by the site this morning, I saw a tractor-trailer-sized portable air conditioner parked in front, with huge cables going all the way up to the roof. Also, the doors were open in some of the retail spaces, despite the warm, muggy weather, so their AC must be down. My guess is the portable unit is a temporary solution while the burned equipment is replaced or repaired. 

This is neat: NPR used my photo of the Newseum in their blog, "Blog of the Nation." I guess that's what Flickr is all about, sharing photos and disseminating images far and wide. I'm just glad it was NPR that used one of my photos and not Fox News, or the Washington Times. That would have really made me snort up my coffee in a combination of horror and amusement!