Friday, August 26 was a sweltering sunny day, with premonitions of Hurricane Irene now traveling up the coast as we headed south from NYC to Washington, D.C.  It hit the city over the weekend and we spent a rainy day on Saturday tucked into our friends Ellyn and Alan's beautiful condo at The Watergate. What a great place (history has so changed in some ways!) and great folks to be marooned with. The city was spared the devastation that occurred elsewhere and by Sunday we were up and out again.

View ferom the 12th floor of the Watergate during
Hurricane Irene

We met the owner of a business that
provides residential and commercial
composting service, taking food
waste from homes & offices, including
the Peace Corps, composting it, and
providing compost to D.C. area
small farmers  

After joining F/friends at our respective meetings on Sunday morning we ventured around the Dupont Circle area, finding a fabulous farmers' market, complete with portable compost service. Carol --- the rabid composter ---- was in 7th heaven! We spent more time with old (not in years, of course!) friends and shared great stories, memories and much laughter.

Leaving Washington on Monday for points south, we stopped by the Peace Corps offices to visit with our contact Angela at the Africa desk.  She will join others on the staff for our staging process in about two weeks in Philadelphia. (Wow!) Botswana is feeling closer all the time....

In front of the Peace Corps office in
Washington, D.C.

With good friends Dick Merritt (P eace Corps
India 1966-1968), Rob MacDougall and Melinda Murray
in Dick's back yard in Alexandria

With friends Alan Blank and Ellyn Sternfield
their son Michael and daughter Stephi at
Mie n Yu's in Georgetown

Washington Friends Meeting
Florida Avenue, NW

Then Hurricane Irene - Georgetown
Washington, D.C.

First the earthquake -
note leaning tower on left, missing
tower on right, at the National Cathedral