It seemed like the perfect time to visit DC. We'd heard from many people that the fireworks on the Mall was quite a show. We found a terrific hotel deal on the web that essentially gave us the hotel room free for the price of a plane ticket. On top of that, it turned out that the retiring head of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History was an acquaintance of Jim Hargrove père, and we were able to arrange a private tour of the museum.

In those innocent days before 9/11, we didn't give a thought to the possibility of terrorist action. Only later did we learn that government anti-terrorist personnel were working 24-hour days and later admitted to being "petrified" at the prospects.

We also hadn't counted on was the weather. As we left the hotel the morning of the Fourth, Linda said, "Maybe we should take umbrellas, just in case." Jim, who knew whose job it would be to go back for the umbrellas objected, "It's not going to rain." We have now agreed that he will never again make such a foolish statement, and that he will always go back for the umbrellas. Fortunately, it was warm.

Highlights:

1. The museum tour, especially the bird collection. Though disparaged by our more knowledgeable birding friends as poorly maintained, we found it interesting. The items collected by Audubon and Darwin are of more historical than ornithological interest, but we were impressed.

2. The fireworks: We were at the FDR Memorial when the rain began in earnest. That is about as far as you can get from the other interesting areas around the Mall. We crowded into the gift shop along with many other tourists waiting for the rain to quit. The streets turned into a parking lot, so any idea of taking a taxi was out of the question. When the rain let up, we started walking toward the Lincoln Memorial. By the time we arrived, we were soaked, even Linda who had accepted Charles's offer of the only umbrella. We wormed our way through the crowd sitting on the steps and finally got out of the rain under the main portico. Then, magically, the rain stopped just in time for the fireworks, a magnificent 30 minute display that probably exceeded the previous best show in Jackson, WY in 1996. The rain began again shortly afterward, soaking us again as we raced to the Metro with thousands of other people.

3. Wildlife: Charles had found a friend in need of a house sitter in Maryland, providing him with reasonably priced accommodations for the summer. He had numerous tales of the animals in Rock Creek about a block from the house. We checked it out. A chorus of Wood Thrushes provided background music from the woods. We coaxed huge snapping turtles out of the depths of the creek with offerings of chicken necks. Just when it was almost too dark to see, the muskrat (lifer mammal) Charles had promised swam into view.

4. Chance encounters: The rain persuaded us to eat in the hotel dining room on the 5th. At the next table, a black man about our age heard us talking about Thomas Jefferson, and especially his curious ambivalence toward slavery, and observed, "You seem to be intellectuals." That proved to be a good opening, and we chatted for about an hour. As it turned out, he was from Monroe, LA, where he had taken part in the civil rights movement of the 60's. He lamented that the high school students he was chaperoning weren't interested in much of the history of Washington. When they had toured the White House, all the students wanted to know was, "Where did Clinton and Monica do it?"

5. Dining with family: We had a marvelous brunch with Sandy Fowler and Sarah Bird (Chris was away) in the new part of the Old Ebbit Grill.