Happy Holidays

Washington, DC

I hope everyone has plans for an excellent July 4th weekend. Remember our founding fathers, I suggest Ben Franklin in particular- he was really the most interesting. How can you resist learning about the continuous invention and wooing of French women? I am sure many of you will choose to focus on Sam Adams- at least you are trying.

I believe this postcard is supposed to capture the Capitol at night. I think if the Capitol actually looked like this at night I might head for a bomb shelter. On a lighter note, perhaps it is a 4th of July firework spectacle. This leads me to a very important question:

Which City has the best fireworks?

BOSTON VS. PHILLY

The Joy of Painting

Kings Canyon, California

An ode to happy, little trees. We miss you Bob Ross.

Matt will be with us again shortly.

See Rock City

Chattanooga, TN

The gnomes are from Rock City theme park in Chattanooga, TN. Rock City refers to actual rocks, the kind you would find on the top of a mountain. This is not like Detroit Rock City (sorry Michigan- Tennessee is a country music state).

In 1928 Frieda Carter "forged a path through the wilderness" and came upon the scene above. It is difficult to tell in the chain of events if the gnomes existed before or after Frieda's moonshine consumption. Eventually Garnet Carter (husband) figured he should make some money off of this wilderness bender and began an advertising campaign of painting "See Rock City" on barns near highways. When tourists got wind of the gnomes selling moonshine they decided perhaps Chattanooga was a good spot to stop for the night.




Rock City is a surrealist adventure- there's a fat man's squeeze, the needle's eye, black lit/neon dioramas of fairy tales, and a Mother Goose land that would delight Salvador Dali. AND there are Christmas lights and cocoa in December to make it a little more weird and fun.

I bet you thought there was no reason to visit Tennessee. Well, you were wrong. Make a vacation of it. Once you leave Chattanooga you can head west to the Mississippi River and that's Mark Twain territory.

To learn the real story of Rock City click here.


Not sure. Bo Peep perhaps? She is creepy.


Fairies visiting sleeping children.


The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker. That wave moves.

The Capitol was built on a swamp

What everyone wants the weather in DC to be like today:



What the weather in DC has felt like for the past two weeks:


The flooding has been serious. The capitol is underwater. According to the Washington Post, we are reaching typical rainfall amounts for the whole month.

P.S. - It is unique to find a postcard someone has typed. I have visited NY for four days and found it to be quite pleasant. I am sad Mary Louise has to go about her father's business. I think she should give the state another chance.

UPDATE: A star from Coney Island's Astroland has made it to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Check out the Air and Space blog for more info.