Discovery

Discovery Communications HQ:
Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland

For a number of years, the City of Silver Spring, Maryland, was an industrial, rundown blight. Then, in the 1990s, Discovery Communications located their headquarters here and the area began a period of revitalization that has resulted in a downtown that is attractive and enjoyable. I was down there the other day to shop at Whole Foods and Panera and couldn't resist snapping this picture. To see a photo of Silver Spring every day, visit this City Daily Photo Blog. I think I've said this before, but one of these evenings, I need to go down and take pictures of this building at night. It's pretty cool all lit up.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

Pink

Runner : Sligo Creek Park

Yesterday morning, I went walking in Sligo Creek Park and snapped this picture of a runner coming over a footbridge. I also took some cool pictures of a tree fungus, some wildflowers, and a dad pushing his kids in a double wide stroller. But this is the one I chose for today's purposes.

Sligo Creek Park is a lovely expanse in Montgomery County that stretches from Takoma Park northward to University Boulevard in Wheaton. It has paved trails, playgrounds, exercise stations, tennis and basketball courts, and a public golf course and is a lovely place to walk, run or bike. Like its counterpart, Rock Creek Park, Sligo Creek Park is an oasis in the midst of traffic and suburbia and a beautiful place to get away from all the hubbub.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

Two Things Challenge: Corner / Stone

Corner : Market at Kennedy Street and Colorado Avenue NW

This week's 2 Things Challenge was Corner / Stone. My original plan was to go to Capitol Hill and take a picture of the cornerstone on the U.S. Capitol, which was laid by George Washington and his Scottish Rite Masonic brothers in 1789. Alas, other commitments and ailments kept me at home. Instead, I give you these: the Golden Corner Market at Kennedy Street and Colorado Avenue NW. I've never been inside myself, but it's a tiny little retail/restaurant strip typical of urban settings and quickly becoming extinct.

Stone : Sligo Creek : Takoma Park, Maryland

This second photo is of Sligo Creek in Maryland, which is where I went this morning for a walk. I'm not sure what the content is in the stones that fill this creek (I should have paid better attention in that geology class I took in college), but I thought the setting was pretty.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

Pairs

Yesterday evening found me in Silver Spring with some friends to see Batman: The Dark Knight. (Side bar: Heath Ledger is very good in this, though I'm not 100% sure I'd call it an Oscar performance. Ledger aside, save this movie for your Netflix queue. I don't think it was worth the $10.25 price tag.) While I was waiting for my friends, I leaned up against the wall of the theater, rested my camera on my arm, and started snapping pictures of people in twos. They didn't have to be a couple, they just had to be two people together. This picture was my favorite of the eight or nine I took before everyone showed up.

And, one of my readers asked if I wouldn't try posting only one picture a day here. Apparently, I was making it difficult to choose one really good one out of several. Hence, only one picture here at DCC today. If you want to see a couple more of my pairs pictures, visit Standing Room Only!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

Wings of Fancy

Iridescent green beauty

Yellow monarch and a blue beauty...

Yesterday, I had to go to Kensington, Maryland, to drop off some pictures for a photography competition I've entered. While I was out and about, I decided to head over to Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Regional Park based on the recommendation of a friend. Brookside has some lovely gardens and, even better than that, a live butterfly exhibit!

Here are a few photos of the many beautiful butterflies and moths, as well as a couple of pictures of the flowers and plants on the grounds. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask the docent the names of the species I photographed. Aside from the monarchs, I have no clue what I have here, but they were very pretty.

This gorgeous blue butterfly never landed anywhere.
I had to chase him/her around the solarium in an attempt to get a good picture!

Monarch butterfly

To see a few more pictures of the butterflies and flowers in this unique park, visit Standing Room Only.

Backlit tropical

Busy bee buzzing on a zinnia

Cape Daisy

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

Study in Blue

Gentleman in Blue on a Bench :
Laurel Avenue : Takoma Park, Maryland

Again, random photos with no particular meaning except these are a variation on a theme of blue! Hope you've enjoyed yesterday's and today's entries. One of tomorrow's entries will feature things yellow and orange. How droll, no?

River Visual : Roosevelt Island : Washington, D.C.

Blue Bead Bento Box : S&A Beads : Takoma Park, Maryland

Ethereal Dusk :
Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, Maryland

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

Study in Green

Landscape lighting :
Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, Maryland

Just a few more random photos of no particular significance, except these are all a variation on a theme of green.

L: New growth on a maple tree.
R: Clover on the forest floor.

L: Backlit trees on the grounds of the Mormon Temple.
R: 15-second timed exposure of the Washington DC Mormon Temple.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

Blue Skies

Blue skies / Smiling at me / Nothing but blue skies / Do I see...
Irving Berlin, 1926

I took several of these a couple of weeks ago while I was out in the States visiting my parents and helping my dad with a construction project and a couple of these in Rock Creek Parkway on Wednesday while I was out enjoying the weather and some exercise. (Click on images to enlarge.)

Happy weekend, everyone!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 4/08

Bibliophile

Whatever your interest, you're sure to find a book
that covers it at the Friends of the Library Bookstore

Borders Books & Music it ain't, but if you want to take your time browsing,
pull up a chair and enjoy your finds

Tucked into the basement of the Wheaton Regional Library in Wheaton, Maryland, is a cavernous corner devoted to the selling and donation of books--young and old.

Within its narrow walkways and high shelves you can find everything from a 1920 printing of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn as part of a collection of works by various writers to copies of National Geographic book series, from case bound copies of William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich to Tom Wolfe's A Man in Full. There are encyclopedia sets and special collections, children's books and Reader's Digest condensed volumes. There are mystery/thriller and trashy romances, history and poli-sci, cook books and career manuals, travel guides and map books, language primers and textbooks. You name a genre or an author and you're likely to find something you'll be happy with.

But here's the best part: the prices. You can pick up a box of books and still spend less than $20. Most case bound books are $1.00. The paperbacks are $1.50 - $2.00 (haven't quite figured out why these are more than the case bound.) All of the books are in relatively good condition, which is important if you have hang ups about grimy, I-don't-know-who's-sneezed-in-it books like I do.

If you love books, but you don't always love the hole buying books can put in your budget, check out the Friend's Bookstore at the Wheaton Regional Library. And if you have books you don't want to throw away (perish the thought!) or you don't want to give to Goodwill, you can donate your tomes to the bookstore. It's tax deductible, by the way.

11701 Georgia Avenue (cross street is Arcola)
Wheaton, MD
T: (240) 777-0688

Hours:
Mon-Thurs 10.00A-8.30P
Friday 10.00A-4.30P
Saturday 9:00A-4:30P
Sunday 1:00P-4:30P

http://www.folmc.org


P.S. If you're like me and you have books by the bazillions, you should check out this blog. (The name is a shock and misread initially, but look at it again and you'll notice it's a play on words. I promise it's legit and isn't some lewd, inappropriate site.)


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 3/08
Text copyright: On Rush Hour in D.C.--my firstborn blog ever

Two Things Challenge: Sun / Shadow

Sun and shadow reflected in the window
Wheaton Regional Library, Montgomery County, Maryland

Sun and shadow with cat and water bottle
In my home office, Washington, D.C.

Sun and shadow between buildings
Takoma Park, Maryland

This week's 2 Things Challenge was Sun / Shadow. Thankfully, we're moving out of winter and into spring. Put another way, the days are getting longer and the shadows are getting shorter!

I had so many pictures to choose from that already existed in my files, including a really, really cool picture of National Cathedral, but I decided to actually go out and find new subjects to fit this challenge and here they are: my interpretations of Sun / Shadow!


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 3/08

Target

Target in Silver Spring, Maryland

In 1902, George Dayton built a department store in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, called Dayton's. For 60 years, Dayton's was a fixture in Minneapolis. In 1962, the company opened a retail location in Edina, MN, and called it Target. (Real Target aficionados pronounce it Tar-zhay.)

Today, Target is the 5th largest retailer in the United States behind Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Kroger, and Costco. Target and Wal-Mart are direct competitors and customers are divided into one or the other camp. When it comes to ads, Target's are the hippest! (Okay, to be fair, I wanted to include a Wal-Mart ad, but I honestly couldn't find any on YouTube. I found a lot of parodies, but no ads. Sorry.)

This is the Target in Silver Spring, Maryland, which is about 10 miles from where I live. In about a month and a half, a Target will open in the District's Columbia Heights neighborhood (about 3 miles from my home) and will be joined by several other big box retailers.

Here's a fun tidbit: the red shirt/khaki pants ensemble Target employees wear is affectionately called "The Target Tuxedo."

Photo: D.C. Confidential, 1/08

Festive

Christmas lights at the Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland.

One of the many creches on display at the Mormon Temple Visitors' Center in Kensington

Through the end of December, there are several light festivals in the D.C. area. In its 30th year, the Festival of Lights at the Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland, has gained popularity over the decades. Where before it was mostly people from the neighborhood and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who visited this yearly event, now folks from all of the region drive to Maryland--some by the busload, literally--to see the lights and attend musical performances in the Visitors' Center. The Festival of Lights also includes a live nativity and a display of creches from all over the world. My favorite this year was the Amish creche.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/07

Fall

Foot bridge over the C&O Canal.

Wide Water Gap near Angler's Inn.

Fall is here and if you want to see the colors up close, a good way to do that is to go walking on the C&O Canal. During the week, traffic on the trail is pretty light. Couple it with cooler temperatures, some breezes, and rain and you'll end up with lengthy gaps between the people you pass. In another week or so, the colors should be especially prolific. Due to drought this year, though, they won't be a vibrant as years past nor is it likely they'll last long. Still, it's one feature to like about living on the East Coast.

Contrast early fall with mid-spring by going back to these pictures I took in May.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential.

Spicy

Cinnamon, cinnamon, cinnamon. There's Vietnamese, Chinese, Indonesian.... Who knew, right?

Not only that, but it's "fancy" too!

Like the sign says: Spices A - Z. If you can't find it in the retail store, you're sure to find it in Penzey's catalog where the inventory is even larger.

If you enjoy cooking and you like to keep a good stash of dry spices around, your purveyor of choice should be Penzey's. Recently, the spice trader has started opening retail locations around the country. Case in point would be two locations in the D.C. area--one in Rockville, Maryland, and one in Falls Church, Virginia. (The pictures here are from the Rockville store.)

This store has ten or 12 kinds of peppers, five kinds of cinnamon, six different grinds of sea salts, curries galore, four kinds of basil, taco seasonings, salad dressing mixes, and even hot chocolate! There's something here for every connoisseur, backyard BBQ'er, gourmet hobbyist, and stay-at-home mom/dad.

I spent $65 on eight bottles of spices and seasonings, as well as a gift pack as a birthday gift for a family member.

If you like to cook, head out to Penzey's. You'll love it!

In Rockville at 1048 Rockville Pike
and in Falls Church at 513 W. Broad Street.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (09/07)

Next Stop... Kensington

This is the train station in Kensington, Maryland, on Antique Row--the older part of Kensington proper. The CSX Railroad runs through here, as does the MARC train. Otherwise, it's just a quiet little station with a limited number of parking spaces. Across the street, on Antique Row, though, there are some great shops that feature old books and vintage bathroom hardware and similar goods.

Zip: 20895

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 07/07)

Oz

Mormon Temple at sunset from the Capital Beltway (I-495)
just north of Washington, D.C.

View from the parking lot of the Visitor's Center

Rising above the Capital Beltway just north of town is the Washington, D.C., Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I stopped and took some pictures the other day, then tweaked them a bit with my photo software.

The Washington Temple is the fifth largest temple in the church's system of temples. (The largest is in Salt Lake City.) Among other things, this is where Mormons go to be married not just 'til death do us part' but, as they believe, 'for time and all eternity.' Contrary to popular myth, being Mormon does not automatically mean you get to go into one of these buildings. Members are required to meet a stringent list of requirements that include adherence to a health code, payment of tithing, service to the church, and obedience to the church's leaders.

If you commute on the Beltway in D.C., you're bound to hear references in the traffic report to "congestion/smooth sailing around the Mormon Temple and Georgia Avenue." Most folks in the area jokingly and affectionately refer to this temple as "Oz" or "The Emerald City."

Zip: 20895

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 07/07)

Atypical

Most of the architecture you find in homes in the D.C. area is largely influenced by early European architecture. Compared to other parts of the country, it's heavily traditional. Mostly Federal, Georgian, early Colonial, New England, some French Provincial--loaded with brick and columns and porticos and high ceilings and trim, etc.

Occasionally, though, you run across a home in this area that defies the traditional norm. A case in point is this home. Located in Takoma Park, just off of Sligo Creek Parkway, it features cinder block construction with large windows and abundant open space. As a friend of mine said the other day, "It looks like it belongs in Marin County, California, or somewhere on the West Coast. I wonder if it's lost?"

Zip: 20910

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 06/01)

Today's Potatoes Are From Rigby, Idaho

Little cheeseburger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, and mayo,
a side of fries, and a Cherry Coke, Five Guys, Silver Spring, MD.

Having lived in California and eaten at In-n-Out Burger, it's a thrill to find a fair equivalent to the aforementioned. Welcome to Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries! These guys make a fabulous burger and rockin' fries. What would make this joint 100% perfect would be if they'd add milk shakes to the menu, but hey, you can't have everything. This burger, which soon found its way to my stomach, was cooked at Five Guys' newest franchise in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Five Guys was started in 1986 by--well, five guys--who wanted to make good, quality burgers and fries. The Washington Post calls Five Guys' "the Willy Wonkas of burgercraft" and they consistently receive high marks in Washingtonian Magazine and Zagat Survey. For a long time, the only Five Guys' restaurants were the original burger stand in Alexandria, Virginia, and one or two other locations in the D.C. area. Several years ago, they decided to franchise and now, you can find Five Guys as far north as New York and all the way down in Florida to the south. They're slowly moving westward, as well, with locations in Tennessee and Ohio. The next time you're in D.C., stop at Five Guys and have a burger. Oh, and the wipe board always says, "Today's Potatoes Are From Rigby, Idaho."

Be sure to check out this anecdote from my trip to Five Guys in Rehoboth Beach and play along!

Zip: 20904

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 05/07)

Tranquility

Approach to Widewater from the east, C&O Canal Towpath,
Angler's Inn, Carderock, MD.

Bonsai-like outcropping with trees, blue heron, and reflection,
Widewater, C&O Canal Towpath, Angler's Inn, Carderock, MD.

When I can't get to the beach and I want somewhere quiet to sit and reflect, I get up early in the morning and go to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath near Angler's Inn on the Maryland side of Great Falls on the Potomac.

The C&O Canal originally was built and served as America's first interstate commerce throughway for goods in our country. Today, in the D.C. Metropolitan Area, you can hike, bike, and kayak on more than 180 miles of trails and water. If you wanted to take on a bike trip, you could start in Georgetown, D.C.'s toniest neighborhood, and end in Pittsburgh, PA, Steel Capital of the World.

Here are some facts about the C&O Canal:

• Construction was started on July 4, 1828 and completed 22 years later on October 10, 1850.
• The canal cost $14 million to build and, at the height of construction, comprised a labor force of 4,000 men--most of them immigrants from Ireland and western Europe. In all, 35,000 laborers dug the canal, as well as aqueducts, culverts, locks, and lock houses.
  
• In the C&O Canal National Park, which was established in 1971, the canal is 184.5 miles in length, six feet deep, 60-80 feet wide depending on the section, and has an elevation of 605 feet. The towpaths, along which the product-laden barges were pulled, was originally 12 feet wide.
• There are 74 lift locks on the canal. They are 100 feet long, 14 feet wide, and 16 feet deep.
• The canal operated from 1850 to 1924.
• An average trip down the canal took seven days, working 18 hours per day.

The pictures above are of the approach to Widewater, about 1/4 of a mile west of Angler's Inn. The scene is idyllic and features a couple of tiny islands in the middle of this resevoir that have an almost Oriental quality about them. They look like large-scale bonsai. On this particular morning, the blue heron were especially active and, if you look closely, you can see several on the rocky outcroppings.

Zip: 20854 (Angler's Inn)
Zip: 20854 (Great Falls Nat'l Historic Park)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 05/07)

Facts About the Canal courtesy of the National Park Service, C&O Canal FAQs.