This is one I took on an actual stroll along the National Mall.  It was a beautiful autumn day with a clear sky, and the Washington Monument was right in front of me, posing if you will. Like many native Washingtonians, I've never been to the top of the Washington Monument.  Perhaps I need to add that to my list of things to do. 11/07/2010

I took this at last Saturday's Rally to Restore Sanity down at the National Mall.  As we were trying to get out of the middle of the mob and reached the area south of the National Gallery, I noticed people climging all over this piece of scupture to get a better shot of the goings on.  And while I thought about joining them for a nanosecond, my little voice said, "Whew!  Pat!  This is a piece of art!  Climbing it would not be good form!"  A minute or so later, Officer Friendly arrived on the scene and shooed everyone off, but something tells me that as soon as he left, more people would scurry up to try the same thing.  I'll have to admit, tacky or not, it sure was tempting! 11/05/2010

I took this one walking down 16th Street last Saturday.  I was with Barbara-Jo Berberi, and we had just finished a fun breakfast and were headed for my car.  And both of us had cameras in hand! It seems like I always have my camera in my hand (well, not right this minute!) and sometimes I feel like it may annoy the people I'm with when I see one of those photo ops that screams "Stop!"  But walking with a blog buddyis different, because we were both stopping every few steps to capture something on our little digital discs!  Saturday was one of those perfect Washington fall days - just a little crisp with a clear blue sky for most of the day.  And this was one I had to grab. 11/03/2010

Here we are: It’s late in the day, and I’m trying to pick out properties for a buyer I’m going to meet in the morning. It doesn’t help when all the places look alike in that price range, does it? Next on the list is just one more renovated condo, number 17 of 23, or something like that. It’s in a nice place in a charming landmark DC building on 16th St, but the interior looks rather non-descript. I must have seen this a thousand times: blonde cabinets, black granite counters, stainless steel appliances, stackable Euro-style washing machine, exposed duct work—you know what I’m talking about. As I said, it’s late in the day, and I’m going through the motions, clicking through the virtual tour. Kick this one off the list, or keep it? But then -- HA, HA! There’s another picture of the kitch... 11/02/2010

Is Buying From A Neighborhood Expert The Best Way To Find Your DC Area Home? Every week, I come across at least one well-written post advising consumers that buying from the "Neighborhood Expert" is the only way to go.  After all, they know better the kinks of the neighborhood - which homes are inhabited by couples who constantly scream at each other, which houses have the most annoying barking dogs, which back yards are jungles that will attract unwelcome critters, the pricing nuances - you get the idea.  And there certainly is some truth to this.  But when you are looking for a buyer broker to represent you in a transactions, local expertise may be somewhere on the list, though nowhere near the top. Heresy, you say? Think about it.  Not too many people call me to say "I want a great h... 11/01/2010

Yesterday on my way home from Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity, I noticed a little sign as we passed the Church of the Epiphany with information about the Washington Bach Consort's Noontime Cantata series at the church.  It brought back memories. Back in the late 1970's, soon after conductor, J. Reilly Lewis, founded the group, I wound up playing second flute with my friend, Penny Fischer, playing principal.  It was wonderful.  J. Reilly Lewis gets Bach.  And he knows how to communicate with his musicians so that we, in turn, really got Bach. Like the entire orchestra, I learned an amazing amount from this man, and also from playing with Penny, who was very generous with her knowledge of Baroque ornamentation.  I think the Washington Bach Consort may be the best chamber group I eve... 10/31/2010

It's been a long day, and it's still young!  When I woke up, I could see it was one of those perfect Washington days.  The temperature was in the high 60s range, and the sky was a gorgeous blue. It started fun.  I picked up blog buddy Barbara-Jo Berberi who is here for a visit to her son, combined with an afternoon at Comedy Central's  Rally to Restore Sanity.  We had a totally fun breakfast at my favorite Dupont Circle greasy spoon - Trio's Restaurant.  We of course had to take the obligatory photos of each other taking photos of the other!   Barbara-Jo was totally fun, and she has the same wonderful personality that comes through in her posts and comments. Then it was home again to meet my friend Ruby and head down to Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity.  We drove to her office down... 10/30/2010

10/29/2010

Its the most wonderful time of the year. With less than eight weeks left till Christmas,I guess its safe to say that right? Many people are going to be traveling during this Holiday season. So if you are visiting family members or friends during the Holidays in the Nations Capital and don't know what to do,I definitely know one thing you can do. How about attend the National Christmas Tree Lighting. For 87 years it has been a tradition in the Nations Capital. In 1978,a live 40 foot Colorado Blue spruce was transplanted from York Pennsylvania to its present site on the Ellipse,the greasy area south of the White House. In 1954,a pathway of peace,56 smaller decorated trees representing all 50 states,five territories and the District of Columbia were planted surrounding the National Christm... 10/29/2010

Free DC Area Local Events This Free DC Area Local Events is brought to you by Securemedy Incorporated. The Security Remedy at Work for you. For more information about Securemedy,visit their website at www.securemedy.com Happy Friday again everyone. Wrote a blog earlier please check it out when you can DC Area local events. Not going to say much. But I will say that that the idea of doing a Free DC Area Local Events came from this state of this sluggish economy which has prompted many people to scale back on their spending habits and live the lifestyle that they are not use to living. When you don't have no money,it aint funny-I wasn't trying to rhyme there by the way,I am just being honest. Anyway here is this week Free DC Area Local Events                                               ... 10/29/2010

DC Area local events.      This DC Area local events is brought to you by Wegman's store in Woodmore Towne center-Woodmore Towne Centre welcomes Wegmans. Wegman's was named by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010: Wegman's. Eat Well. Live well.      Happy Friday everyone. Yes! After a taking a long hiatus from writing these DC Area Local Events blogs,I am back on the job. Then again after writing this one,I guess I was reminded why I haven't written one in a while-This stuff is a lot of work. LOL. But serving my local viewers/readers by giving them what they want is my main priority. I have probably lost my four viewers. What can I do to get my four viewers back? More on that later.      Anyway here it is folks. Local events happening in DC this weekend... 10/29/2010

This is one of the shots I took last weekend on my trip along Skyline Drive, just west of Washington, DC.  These are basically the skeletons of trees that were infected with some sort of parasite that killed them all.  Still, it was eerily beautiful. Then, there was this one below, who was just posing against the clear blue sky for my camera! This weekend, the trees will likely be at their peak.  Alas, I will be working.  I took both of these with a Nikon D80 - set on automatic, of course!  I'm still figuring out the fine points of how to work it. 10/29/2010

Like many youth orchestra programs around the country, the DC Youth Orchestra has produced many professional musicians, including my ex-husband, a superb cellist who plays with the Washington Opera Orchestra.  And there are countless other graduates of the program who came out of it life-long music lovers. This year, there are about 600 young players from the DC Metro area between the ages of 7 and 19 who participate in the program.  Very young musicians have the chance to try out many instruments until they find one that fits.  Then as they progress, they get to play in one of twelve different ensembles, until they win a seat in the full size symphony orchestra made up of the regions finest young musicians. And they play real music,  This season's repertoire includes Dvorak's New World... 10/28/2010

Whatever your political views might be, it's important to express them in this year's mid-term elections. For those of you around the country, be thankful for your representation here in Washington.  You see, the people who actually live here really do have "Taxation Without Representation". It's right on our license plates! We don't have a Senator or Congressman (or woman) we can write or call if we have an opinion on what they are doing with health care, the economy, or anything else that's going on here.  We only get to vote in Presidential elections and for our own Mayor and City Council - and even the laws they enact are subject to Congressional review and approval.  Today, a friend emailed me this.  If you are a Gilbert and Sullivan fan, you will really love it -  and it has somet... 10/28/2010

  FREE SPENDING - FREE SPENDING   COME GET YOUR FREE MONEY HERE   Just bare with me on this one... roll with me here. This is not about pointing fingers, but possibly what we can do and with the current elections coming up.   A Call to Action         Remember Schoolhouse Rock and some of the videos that they ran doing Saturday morning cartoons?  This was one of my favorites, I am Just a Bill.  but talk about an excellent message and good solid education at such an early age. Have we gotten away from this kind of thinking with our kids now? Shouldn't they bring this kind of stuff back?  I better many adults and young adults could use a quick history lesson in how Capital Hill works.       How about we get back to the fundamentals, knowing how the system works, and basically make people a... 10/26/2010

Many of my buyer interviews begin with the prospective client saying, "Please!  I don't want to live in a center hall colonial"  And they often buy one anyway.  Between about 1930 and 1950, most of the houses built in many of the Upper Northwest DC neighborhoods were colonials.  They are known for being totally symmetrical, usually brick, usually with shutters, and while some have additions on the sides, most of these homes got expanded with rear additions.  The floor plans include a entry to a center foyer, and typically there is a hall leading back to the kitchen and a stairway leading to the second floor (which can offer some feng shui challenges, I am told).  The living room is off to one side, usually with a fireplace, with the dining room and kitchen on the other side. On the seco... 10/24/2010

This was supposed to be the weekend the tress would be in full bloom along Skyline Drive.  So, as this is the last weekend I'll have off for a while, we packed up cameras and IPad and headed a couple of hours west.  While they are not anywhere close to the peak ("Ah, that's nature!" as the Park Ranger put it) it was a beautiful sight.  I had my Nikon D80, which I almost never use.  I also had my little Lumix, which is so simple that I tend to favor it.  Well, little Lumix had a dead battery, so I had to use my big girl camera.  Hmmm.  It's worth it to lug the thing around!   10/24/2010

  One of my favorite things about living in Crestwood, a close-in Washington, DC neighborhood,  is the proximity to Rock Creek Park, which runs through the city, starting in Georgetown and ending up someplace in Gaithersburg.  I had to stop on my way home from an appointment to capture this scene.  All it needs is a deer (maybe two) on the other side of the creek going for the low tree branches! Rock Creek in autumn is a pretty amazing place! If you are planning a move to the Washington, DC area, I can help!  Call, email or text me at: housepat@mac.com 202 549-5167 Licensed in DC, MD & VA   10/20/2010

Yeah, yeah!  You readers think this is a post written by that prolific blogger, Patricia Kennedy.  Hah!  It's not!  Pat forgot about this contest, so I had to break into her computer to write an entry for her.  My ulterior motive?  To expose how stingy she is with one of the items stored under her kitchen sink:  my Fiesta Delites dog treats! First, an introduction.  I am the occasionally maligned Willie, the hyper-active Labradoodle who somehow (strange karma, perhaps?) got paired up with Pat as my human.  She has introduced me to you through several posts, in particular one accusing me of humping a client's leg.  OK.  I do that.  But still, I thought that post was in questionable taste. Things might have worked out swimmingly if Pat hadn't hired a dog trainer who believed that feeding ... 10/18/2010

Earlier this month, we examined the 3rd Quarter market statistics for the upper DC neighborhood of Colonial Village. Today, we will take a look at Shepherd Park. The two neighborhoods, divided only by 16th St, are often seen as a unit, as they share many characteristics as well as a very active citizen's association. Since their real estate profile and 20th century history are somewhat different, however, it makes sense to separate them for the purpose of market analysis. To begin with, the homes and lots are--on average--a little smaller on the Shepherd Park side.  Although the neighborhood has calm, wide, green streets, its character  is strongly influenced by the proximity to vibrant and big city-like downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.  (The Colonial Village side, on the other hand i... 10/18/2010