A recent blog post offered the bold and possibly premature proclamation that we are entering a post-pandemic era, at long last. The reality of the coronavirus pandemic is that we are not yet out of the woods. But there's a pretty significant corner turned when one is post-vaccination, especially with the reportedly incredible efficacy of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at preventing both infection and transmission of the virus, even with the variant strains becoming increasingly common. To feel like there is a potential return to normalcy is awesome. So too was the chance to work again onsite in a school. That's what the last two weeks have permitted me: eight days of (mostly) onsite work at an elementary school in the District of Columbia Public School System. Last Wednesday, an early conclusion of my duties gave me a whole afternoon to head down to the National Mall and enjoy extensive walking and lots of photo ops.
I'd hoped to go by the Jefferson Memorial but it was closed for renovations. I went ahead and parked near the Tidal Basin and hoofed it around the base of the Washington Monument and across the Mall to the Ellipse area to get as good a glimpse of the White House as I could, now that it's occupied by a decent and effective President. Lots of big construction, though, is happening on the South Lawn and that meant a construction fence blocked the better views.
The new National Museum of African-American History and Culture has such impressive exterior architecture.
It was a beautiful day to find myself at the base of Capitol Hill and to photograph the US Capitol while it currently enjoys majority control by a party committed to democracy, rather than opposed to democracy.
The sun was brilliant upon the Supreme Court Building.
This was my first chance to visit the new World War II Memorial, which was beautifully designed.
It is always sobering and moving to visit the Vietnam Memorial.
Steps away is the Lincoln Memorial and its timely reminder of what a fragile republic this is, once more raising the question as to whether this nation, or any nation, conceived of and by and for the people can long endure, given the unfathomable divisions of the moment.
And was I in time to spot Presidential transport coming in toward the White House, by chance?
The Lincoln Memorial is an imposing edifice.
One last look up the National Mall toward the US Capitol...
I'd never seen the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial so I made sure the walk back to the car allowed me to circle through that monument.
An additional bonus, of sorts: this was also exactly when the remarkable Brood X 17-year cicada emergence occurred!
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