Georgetown Today

Georgetown is booming today.  I took a long walk at lunch since I did not get on the treadmill this morning.  I made quite a few discoveries on my walk.  First, I found out that we have a West Elm on M Street.

I have received their catalogs in the mail for some time, but I did not know we had a store so close by.  A good find.

A little further down the street, I found Janus et Cie.  I know nothing about this company.  I do not receive a catalog.  A Google search tells me they are headquartered in Chicago, IL. with stores throughout the country.  Their furniture seems to be of the avant garde. 

I loved this window.

As I made my way down M Street toward Dean & Deluca and the old Georgetown Mall (which is closed and under renovation), the sidewalks and the traffic were packed.

Traffic stacking up in both directions.

This young woman had been watching me taking pictures for some time.  When I crossed M Street she decided to turn just as I got the shot.  Her debut on Welcome to Crest Avenue.

As you can see, we have beautiful skies and interesting cloud formations today.  I think many took off work today to celebrate Good Friday.  I hope you are enjoying the day also.

Georgetown Today

Georgetown is booming today.  I took a long walk at lunch since I did not get on the treadmill this morning.  I made quite a few discoveries on my walk.  First, I found out that we have a West Elm on M Street.

I have received their catalogs in the mail for some time, but I did not know we had a store so close by.  A good find.

A little further down the street, I found Janus et Cie.  I know nothing about this company.  I do not receive a catalog.  A Google search tells me they are headquartered in Chicago, IL. with stores throughout the country.  Their furniture seems to be of the avant garde. 

I loved this window.

As I made my way down M Street toward Dean & Deluca and the old Georgetown Mall (which is closed and under renovation), the sidewalks and the traffic were packed.

Traffic stacking up in both directions.

This young woman had been watching me taking pictures for some time.  When I crossed M Street she decided to turn just as I got the shot.  Her debut on Welcome to Crest Avenue.

As you can see, we have beautiful skies and interesting cloud formations today.  I think many took off work today to celebrate Good Friday.  I hope you are enjoying the day also.

On the Next Episode of Spring Preparation at WTCA, . . .

Happy Good Friday to one and all.  Easter is a mere two days away.  Hard to believe.  I hard cooked a dozen eggs last night and placed them in the refrigerator.  We will dye them today so that we can have a festive table setting for brunch on Sunday.  Our friend Lea will be joining us for mimosas and bloody mary's on the deck.  Brunch will consist of scrambled eggs, freshly ground pork sausage from our recent purchase of fresh pork cuts with Bob and Bette, a fresh fruit bowl and homemade popovers.  Delish.

I sent an Easter arrangement to my family in Midlothian, VA which is scheduled for delivery today.  I chose this very pretty Wondrous Nature bouquet from FTD.  I like the name.  If I worked for FTD and was in charge of naming arrangements, I would use Wondrous Nature as a name.  If you are out there, FTD people, hear my offer to name arrangements.

Any arrangement that combines iris AND lilies is going to be hard for me to resist.  A very pretty arrangement.  I chose the medium sized arrangement, not the small nor the large.  I thought the small would be too insignificant and the large might be gauche.  If the arrangement were all one color, I would have chosen the large.  I sent an arrangement of all white lilies and white nasturtiums when a cousin died a few years ago.

We anticipate a very busy weekend at Crest Avenue.  The weather is supposed to be spectacular with temperatures in the 60's.  Rain will move in late on Sunday.  But that is OK.  We will have had nearly two beautiful days to get lots done.  One thing we will be tackling is the winter burn the boxwoods along the front sidewalk have suffered with this year.



Winter burn on boxwoods.


I am not certain what has caused this.  At first I thought it might be damage done as a result of putting down ice melt pellets at one point during the winter when we were expecting a snow storm.  But along my morning walks through Foggy Bottom near Georgetown, I have seen the same burn on boxwoods at various addresses.  Maybe the owners at these addresses used ice melt pellets also.  It is impossible to know for certain.  We are going to try a new product that I have found in hopes that we can turn this around.

On a happier note, and just on the other side of the yard from the poor boxwoods, I am pleased to report we have lots of green showing up on the hydrangea.

We will snip off the dead blossoms which still remain on the woody growth from last year in anticipation of this beautiful new growth which is just starting to appear.

What a wonderful time of year.  Everyone get outside and enjoy the weekend if possible!

On the Next Episode of Spring Preparation at WTCA, . . .

Happy Good Friday to one and all.  Easter is a mere two days away.  Hard to believe.  I hard cooked a dozen eggs last night and placed them in the refrigerator.  We will dye them today so that we can have a festive table setting for brunch on Sunday.  Our friend Lea will be joining us for mimosas and bloody mary's on the deck.  Brunch will consist of scrambled eggs, freshly ground pork sausage from our recent purchase of fresh pork cuts with Bob and Bette, a fresh fruit bowl and homemade popovers.  Delish.

I sent an Easter arrangement to my family in Midlothian, VA which is scheduled for delivery today.  I chose this very pretty Wondrous Nature bouquet from FTD.  I like the name.  If I worked for FTD and was in charge of naming arrangements, I would use Wondrous Nature as a name.  If you are out there, FTD people, hear my offer to name arrangements.

Any arrangement that combines iris AND lilies is going to be hard for me to resist.  A very pretty arrangement.  I chose the medium sized arrangement, not the small nor the large.  I thought the small would be too insignificant and the large might be gauche.  If the arrangement were all one color, I would have chosen the large.  I sent an arrangement of all white lilies and white nasturtiums when a cousin died a few years ago.

We anticipate a very busy weekend at Crest Avenue.  The weather is supposed to be spectacular with temperatures in the 60's.  Rain will move in late on Sunday.  But that is OK.  We will have had nearly two beautiful days to get lots done.  One thing we will be tackling is the winter burn the boxwoods along the front sidewalk have suffered with this year.



Winter burn on boxwoods.


I am not certain what has caused this.  At first I thought it might be damage done as a result of putting down ice melt pellets at one point during the winter when we were expecting a snow storm.  But along my morning walks through Foggy Bottom near Georgetown, I have seen the same burn on boxwoods at various addresses.  Maybe the owners at these addresses used ice melt pellets also.  It is impossible to know for certain.  We are going to try a new product that I have found in hopes that we can turn this around.

On a happier note, and just on the other side of the yard from the poor boxwoods, I am pleased to report we have lots of green showing up on the hydrangea.

We will snip off the dead blossoms which still remain on the woody growth from last year in anticipation of this beautiful new growth which is just starting to appear.

What a wonderful time of year.  Everyone get outside and enjoy the weekend if possible!

Cool Comfort by Ikea

We talked a few weeks ago about the Sheex system, which are sheets designed to bring coolness to the bed for those of us who suffer with overheating during the night.  Strangely enough, after that post I was in my local IKEA store and discovered that they too, are now offering options to their customers for helping to make the nighttime hours more comfortable.  As I made my way through the store, I came upon this sign in the textiles department.  I was intrigued. 

 

They explain here the different levels they offer in comforters from 1 through 6.  I was primarily interested in a lightweight comforter.

They have Cool Comforters (for people like me.)

They have Warm Comforters.

And they have Extra-Warm Comforters.



I opted for a Level 1 comforter insert.  I have been very pleased with this choice.  I am actually able to finally enjoy having a comforter on my bed which I can use every night and that does not end up on the floor by the following morning because I was smothered by it all night.  I have been using the Level 1 comforter insert during these final few weeks of winter and it has served me well even on chilly evenings with the heat turned down.  Of course, this is subjective and positively an individual choice.  You may like to get a Level 1 or 2 comforter insert for the summer and spring, a Level 3 for the fall, and a Level 4 or 5 for the winter months, depending on the temperatures where you live.  If you are particularly cold natured, then a level 6 is for you.

Once you choose your preferred comforter insert, the real fun begins.  Now it is time to choose your comforter cover, or duvet.

IKEA sells the comforter covers in a multitude of colors and styles.  I chose the striped one shown above, third from the left.

You will surely find a cover that suits your decor.  You may even want more than one for when your mood changes and you want a new look.  It is so easy to slip the comforter insert of your choice inside the cover, snap it closed and place it on the bed.  Another thing I really like is the cover is easily removed and can be washed in your household washing machine.  When dry, simply place the comforter insert back inside, snap it closed, and place it back on the bed.  So easy and so much more affordable than having a regular comforter cleaned.  That runs $35 here and it was something that I did regularly since I allow Baxter on the bed.

Life is short.  Make it as comfortable as you can.  This definitely falls into the "Things We Like" category here at WTCA.

Cool Comfort by Ikea

We talked a few weeks ago about the Sheex system, which are sheets designed to bring coolness to the bed for those of us who suffer with overheating during the night.  Strangely enough, after that post I was in my local IKEA store and discovered that they too, are now offering options to their customers for helping to make the nighttime hours more comfortable.  As I made my way through the store, I came upon this sign in the textiles department.  I was intrigued. 

 

They explain here the different levels they offer in comforters from 1 through 6.  I was primarily interested in a lightweight comforter.

They have Cool Comforters (for people like me.)

They have Warm Comforters.

And they have Extra-Warm Comforters.



I opted for a Level 1 comforter insert.  I have been very pleased with this choice.  I am actually able to finally enjoy having a comforter on my bed which I can use every night and that does not end up on the floor by the following morning because I was smothered by it all night.  I have been using the Level 1 comforter insert during these final few weeks of winter and it has served me well even on chilly evenings with the heat turned down.  Of course, this is subjective and positively an individual choice.  You may like to get a Level 1 or 2 comforter insert for the summer and spring, a Level 3 for the fall, and a Level 4 or 5 for the winter months, depending on the temperatures where you live.  If you are particularly cold natured, then a level 6 is for you.

Once you choose your preferred comforter insert, the real fun begins.  Now it is time to choose your comforter cover, or duvet.

IKEA sells the comforter covers in a multitude of colors and styles.  I chose the striped one shown above, third from the left.

You will surely find a cover that suits your decor.  You may even want more than one for when your mood changes and you want a new look.  It is so easy to slip the comforter insert of your choice inside the cover, snap it closed and place it on the bed.  Another thing I really like is the cover is easily removed and can be washed in your household washing machine.  When dry, simply place the comforter insert back inside, snap it closed, and place it back on the bed.  So easy and so much more affordable than having a regular comforter cleaned.  That runs $35 here and it was something that I did regularly since I allow Baxter on the bed.

Life is short.  Make it as comfortable as you can.  This definitely falls into the "Things We Like" category here at WTCA.

Peace 2

Another view of the peace lily.

It has not started to fade in the least.  You can see the two smaller ones on the right in the this picture.  They have not bloomed.  But in the future I hope to have lots of blooms from all of them.

Peace 2

Another view of the peace lily.

It has not started to fade in the least.  You can see the two smaller ones on the right in the this picture.  They have not bloomed.  But in the future I hope to have lots of blooms from all of them.

Duck, Duck, . . . No Goose

I thought this was so funny when I left last night.  These two ducks were sitting on the pavement, sunning themselves.

As you can see, there is a fountain behind them.  Usually when they make their way up onto the plaza they play in the fountain.  I guess they were tired of playing last night and wanted to dry out, so they just plopped down right there.  People were coming and going as usual and they wre just unconcerned about any of us.

Duck, Duck, . . . No Goose

I thought this was so funny when I left last night.  These two ducks were sitting on the pavement, sunning themselves.

As you can see, there is a fountain behind them.  Usually when they make their way up onto the plaza they play in the fountain.  I guess they were tired of playing last night and wanted to dry out, so they just plopped down right there.  People were coming and going as usual and they wre just unconcerned about any of us.

Peace Lily in Bloom

Easter is almost here.  I have been so busy with the kitchen renovation and other projects that it nearly slipped my mind.  I did get a card in the mail to my family in Midlothian, VA yesterday.  I should, at a minimum, dye some eggs and set them on the dining room table.  I have no plans for the weekend as yet.  I think the cold weather is affecting everyone.  It is usually starting to warm up a bit just before Easter and since that has not happened this year, my clock has been thrown off.  But not every living thing is still in the winter doldrums.  My peace lily presented this beautiful bloom yesterday.

Just beautiful and timed perfectly.  I have three of these plants on my desk.  The other two are smaller and have not sent up any blooms.  Isn't nature magnificent.  Look at the way the petal curves on the end.  Perfection personified. 

Peace Lily in Bloom

Easter is almost here.  I have been so busy with the kitchen renovation and other projects that it nearly slipped my mind.  I did get a card in the mail to my family in Midlothian, VA yesterday.  I should, at a minimum, dye some eggs and set them on the dining room table.  I have no plans for the weekend as yet.  I think the cold weather is affecting everyone.  It is usually starting to warm up a bit just before Easter and since that has not happened this year, my clock has been thrown off.  But not every living thing is still in the winter doldrums.  My peace lily presented this beautiful bloom yesterday.

Just beautiful and timed perfectly.  I have three of these plants on my desk.  The other two are smaller and have not sent up any blooms.  Isn't nature magnificent.  Look at the way the petal curves on the end.  Perfection personified. 

The Unveiling of the Frost Protection Bags (Part II)

Today, we removed the frost protection bags from the potted palms.

Here is first one.

And here is what we found after removing the cover.

And the second one.

And what we found after removing the bag.

Disappointing results for sure, but not a complete failure.  Both pots were heavily mulched in the fall, so the roots of these palms should be in good condition.  I am not going to be so quick to give up on these.  I believe there is a chance that new growth will come forward.  It's just going to take some warm, sunny days.  So all is not lost here.  Or at least that is my belief.  I also believe the asparagus fern may be salvageable in the hanging baskets.  The begonias in the hanging pots are gone.  They have shallow root systems and the cold was just more than they could bear.  I am going to severely cut back the ferns and these palm fronds and wait.  As Big Daddy Pollitt said to Maggie the Cat (aka Elizabeth Taylor) in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, "There is life is this girls body."  I believe there is life in these plants.

So what we have learned in this experiment is that Frost Protection bags do not work on plants that are not intended to be outside during the cold winter months.  They will work if you have evergreens that you wish to protect from getting burned during the winter months.  I am experiencing that very phenomena on the boxwood hedges along the front sidewalk this year.  For reasons unknown, they took a particularly difficult hit this winter.  If these bags or a burlap wrap had been installed, we may have avoided this.  We will discuss this in more detail in the upcoming weeks.