I have recently returned from presenting at the NAEYC Conference in Washington DC. During the next few posts I'll share a little of my trip with you dear reader. Hope you enjoy.

Our journey began early Monday morning as the city stretched and shivered in the -9 F subzero temps of a Minnesota morning. My love and I had been up late the night before putting the finishing touches on packing and preparing the feline clan for our extended absence. Now it was time to head out to the airport as the hour neared 6:30. We left our vehicles at our daughter & son-in-law's flight training business adjacent to the main terminal. After a flawless check in and making it safely through airport security, armed guards of ANY kind make me very jittery, we were soon soaring over the stark, whitewashed landscape of western MN and heading for our nation's capital!

Upon disembarking the plane in DC we were welcomed by snow and chill wintry air that turns the nose red and cheeks rosy. What a stark contrast from last year’s NAEYC conference in sunny, warm Anaheim, CA. Today we arrived on a gloomy overcast December day just as snow began filtering through a grey D.C. sky. By the time we hailed a cab snow was swirling around us. As our cab pulled into the Super 8 Motel at 501 New York Ave the grass was white with Washington D.C’s first snowfall.

Once settling into our room and getting our bearings my love and I hit the pavement to explore the neighborhood. Our main destination on this snowy Monday afternoon was to locate the D.C. Convention Center where my workshops would be. Despite his laid-back, lackluster attitude the desk clerk at the Super 8 expressed concern and caution when we inquired how far it was to the convention center. “Oh very far, VERY FAR!" he assured us in a thick Hindu accent. “It is a mile or more, 10 blocks maybe. I call you a cab?” We thanked him but indicated we felt capable of walking the ten blocks. As if speaking to a child he pointed out the frosted window. “It is... s n o w i n g... (he said this rather slowly as if perhaps we didn’t understand the implication of this) VERY cold.” He mimed shivering and pointed to the phone again, “I call you a cab.” It was more of a statement than a question but again we refused and insisted that in MN folks are used to much worse. Actually when we left our dear home early that morning it was -9 F and the 27 degree weather of D.C. was a welcome warming trend.

Thus we departed the Super 8 leaving the desk clerk shaking his head and wondering what he would do with our many belongings once we were discovered frozen stiff in a snowbank the next morning. After crossing a bridge that spanned numerous tracks for both passenger and freight trains we strolled past several blocks of brightly painted row-houses, many with gates and fences as well as metal bars and gridwork ornamenting the ground floor windows. Soon our winter coats were soaked from the wet snowfall and my love’s hair glistened with a white layer of snow. It was a straight shot down New York Avenue to the convention center, and we covered the twelve blocks in about twenty minutes. We resisted the temptation to venture further into the confines of D.C’s downtown as night was descending, the snow continued to accumulate, and we feared getting totally tuned around and still wandering the city at midnight seeking refuge.



After catching a cup-o-java at the friendly neighborhood McDonalds we were safe and snug in our hotel room, shaking the snow from hat and hair as our jackets were laid out by the heat register to dry and be readied for tomorrow’s adventure.

As always thanks for stopping by and sharing a treasured comment. Come on by anytime, I'll leave a light on and set another spot at the table. Take care, achieve excellence, and take care of each other.