Harpers Ferry

Six years ago when we visited Ukraine for Erik's Fulbright, we regularly confronted the region's contested history and the complexity of identifying heroes during wartime. Ukrainian partisans who were active in the western part of the country where we lived were portrayed as patriots by some and villains by others. The interpretation of John Brown, the abolitionist who led the failed raid on Harpers Ferry on the eve of the Civil War, is an American example of this phenomenon. During our decade in Kansas, we became familiar with John Brown as the hero depicted in the John Steuart Curry mural in the Kansas State Capitol. Visiting Harpers Ferry yesterday, we witnessed a more ambiguous portrayal. Below are some images Carter took during our road trip.

Ruins of an Episcopal church.

Harpers Ferry from Jefferson's Rock.

 Jefferson's Rock.

Cemetery at the summit of the hill behind town.

Carter earned three NPS Junior Ranger badges on the visit and we all learned a tremendous amount about the Lewis and Clark expedition, John Brown's raid, the Civil War, and the history of US military armaments.

Around the World in a Day

#PassportDC is one of our favorite cultural events in the area and we have enjoyed the embassy open houses tremendously. Last year, we were able to spend most of the day touring Embassy Row. This year's busy weekend schedule only afforded us enough time to go to Kazakhstan, Australia, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. Along the way we tasted wonderful local treats: doughnuts in Kazakhstan; Vegemite, cheese, meat pies, sausage, and wine in Australia; a Pisco Sour and Inca Cola in Peru; and mango spread in Trinidad and Tobago. We also enjoyed incredible music, art, and conversations with people we met along the way.   

Carter was able to wield a sword in Kazakhstan (fortunately still in its scabbard).

At the Peruvian Embassy, Carter and Lea posed with alpacas and their companions.

It was a lovely spring day and a fabulous event.

Almost Spring

We have encountered an unusually late springtime in the DC area and have been waiting impatiently for signs of winter's end. The area's iconic symbols of spring are the cherry blossoms and they are also late arrivals. By this time last year, the trees had blossomed and the flowers were already disappearing. While Lea attended a gathering of Roeper students and alumni in the District on Friday evening, Erik and Carter checked on the status of the blooms. They found only one tree with open flowers - the rest are still waiting for the chill to depart. The Cherry Blossom Festival begins this weekend; hopefully the timing will be just right.

Carter is Eight

Over the weekend, we had a small gathering to mark Carter's eighth birthday. The theme was "a trip around the world." The party included the creation of imaginary countries, flags, and anthems, and was topped off by the lovely cake produced by a local bakery that you see below. Happy Birthday to Carter!

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Today we attended the Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown. We found a nice spot on the parade route and waited on the cold curb for a while, popping fun trick noisemakers that a fellow parade-goer gave to Carter. Finally, the colorful parade passed by. Happy Year of the Snake!