CM meets Katy --- Code Monkey arrives at Gina's house and meets Katy. Katy thinks, "Is that a toy for me?"
CM rides Katy --- "Oh no! I'm a toy for him!"
CM meets JoCo monkey --- Code Monkey meets a little cousin of his. JoCo Monkey has a JoCo tattoo on his chest, drawn by JoCo himself. He tells Code Monkey what a nice man he is and that he should enjoy living with him at his journey's end.
CM in Historic Old Greenbelt --- First stop on the tour is Historic Old Greenbelt, where Gina lives. She has to go teach a pottery class at the Community Center, so Code Monkey comes with her.
CM Pottery studio --- Code Monkey comes to Gina's pottery class. Here he is with some student work.
CM w/Pottery student Rayna --- Getting a lesson from one of Gina's star students.
CM with pots --- Hanging around Gina's studio.
CM climbing on pot --- Monkeying around.
CM on pot --- Tada!
CM w/Gina's pottery --- "Do I blend in?"
CM w/Gina studio --- Gina throws a bowl while Code Monkey watches.
CM w/ Frog --- There are some neat sculptures and other art in the Greenbelt Community Center.
CM w/ Otter -- "Whee!"
CM w/ Beaver --- More friends.
CM w/ Celestine --- Code Monkey learns artist-in-residence Celestine is a JoCo fan and a great fabric artist.
CM w/ quilt art --- "Nice quilt, Celestine!"
CM w/ Witch --- She had a little friend meet Code Monkey.
CM w/ Kathy's paintings --- Another Artist in Residence's art.
CM w/ weaving --- Elizabeth's weaving of random things.
Outside the Community Center --- On the outside of the building are a series of Freizes. We The People...
To Form A More Perfect Union
Establish Justice
Insure Domestic Tranquility
Provide For The Common Defense
Promote The General Welfare
Friezes -- Most of the building
CM w/ Roosevelt Poster --- On to the Roosevelt Center, where this poster is in the window of the New Deal Cafe.
CM w/ Greenbelt Theater --- There is a lot of Art Deco architecture, like the movie theater.
CM sees Zombie Statue --- A little scary; Code Monkey doesn't understand why there is a statue of a woman eating a child's brains in the town square. Gina can't explain it either.
CM Busch Gardens Wolf --- The next day we head to Busch Gardens for Gina and Renee's annual birthday roller coastering trip. First thing we see in the park is an enclosure with about 6 bald eagles, but that picture came out too blurry. Next was the wolves.
More wolves
CM on The Griffon --- At Busch Gardens, we rode in the front row on every roller coaster! We even got the park picture from their newest coaster, The Griffon. Wheee! John, Gina w/ Code Monkey, Tom, Renee, and Alex.
CM w/The Griffon -- Watching the Griffon after the ride.
CM The Griffon loop -- Upside down is easy!
CM w/ Alpengiest model --- We rode Alpengeist but didn't get a picture of it, but here Code Monkey pretends he is on it again...
CM free falling over Alpengeist --- "Whee!"
CM w/ Unky Alpengeist
CM skiing w/ John --- Photo op!
CM is a bit small
CM in "France" --- Code Monkey like you...
CM and friends --- Code Monkey in front of The Big Bad Wolf with the roller coastering crew (minus Gina) - Alex, Renee, John, and Tom (JoCo fans all).
CM and The Loch Ness Monster
CM takes a nap --- Apollo's Chariot was closed for a while because of weather, so we rested in line and waited out the rain.
CM playing Fluxx --- The next night Code Monkey went to game night at Wunderland, the home of our friends the Looneys of Looney Labs (the game company that makes Fluxx and many other games). Here he is playing Fluxx with Alvaro, Alison, Andy, and Kristin.
CM looks at his hand.
CM Meets Andrew Looney --- Andy gave Code Monkey an autographed Fluxx card.
CM meets Tirade --- Tirade is Wunderland's mascot.
CM hangs out --- Listening to music and hanging out with Alison and Alex.
CM considers playing Hold'em --- Checking out the Hold'em game. Didn't have the $ to play!
CM playing w/Pyramids --- They use Treehouse pyramids for poker chips, but they are just fun to play with and look at.
CM and more art --- Checking out this game themed painting by Lee.
CM Mai Tai --- The next night we went out to dinner and a movie (The Dark Night).
CM at the National Arboretum --- Saturday was tourist day. We started at the National Arboretum. This large painted globe was in the lobby of the visitor center and we discovered many more wherever we went in DC the rest of the day.
CM National Arboretum Koi --- Tourist Day! National Arboretum! Hungry Koi!
CM watches kid feed the koi
CM looks at Bonsai #1 --- The Arboretum has a huge permanent Bonsai exhibit. We find it facinating and can't help but include many pictures!
CM Bonsai #2
CM Bonsai #3
CM Bonsai #4
CM Bonsai #5
CM Bonsai #6
CM Bonsai #7
CM Bonsai #8
CM Bonsai #9
CM Bonsai #10
CM Bonsai #11
CM Bonsai #12
CM Bonsai #13
CM Bonsai #14 --- Chinese Pavilion
CM Bonsai #15
CM Bonsai #16
CM Bonsai #17
CM Bonsai #18
CM Bonsai #19
CM Bonsai #20 --- Last one!
CM w/Gina approaching columns --- Another very cool thing at the Arboretum are the old National Capitol Columns. They used to be part of the East Portico, and now sit on this hill holding up the sky!
CM getting closer to columns
CM Arboretum Columns
CM inside the columns w/ John
CM w/John among the columns
CM, John, columns
CM and columns
CM and Gina --- in front of the pool.
CM and nice little water feature.
CM gets to downtown DC --- We drove into DC and parked near the Native American Museum.
CM w/ Teepees --- We walked along side the Museum, and saw these teepees.
Front of the Native American Museum --- We didn't go in because there was a long security line, and we had other things to do.
CM goes toward Capitol --- We head to the United States Botanic Garden, and see the Capitol.
CM outside Botanic Garden --- Another painted globe!
CM The United States Botanic Garden w/Capitol
CM sitting on top of the world
CM in the greenhouse --- The Botanic Garden has many greenhouse rooms featuring all sorts of climates and the plants that live in them. This is the main entrance room with a wide variety of plants.
CM delicious globe --- This one made him hungry... Looks yummy!
CM and banana trees
CM in the Jungle --- This seems familiar somehow...
CM the desert w/ brains --- yummy, prickly brains.
CM Botanic Garden Jungle Papaya --- No picking fruit allowed, Code Monkey!
CM w/ orchids
CM in tree w/ orchids
CM w/ globe, Capitol, Chris, John
CM at Air and Space Museum --- Next was the Air and Space Museum. There were many many interesting things here.
CM w/Sputnik --- Code Monkey checks out a life size model of Sputnik 1.
CM w/Sputnik (blurry)
CM w/ SpaceShipOne
CM w/ Viking Lander
CM pretending he's a pilot
CM looking up --- into the space capsule.
CM and rockets
CM and rockets and stuff
CM more spaceships
CM an interesting display
CM w/ Laika --- We found this display about Spunik 2 with a picture of Laika!
CM another view of the rockets
CM w/ the moon lander
CM the Smithsonian Castle
Smithsonian Castle
CM more Castle
CM a friendly DC squirrel --- This squirrel came up to us when I made kissy noises and I happened to have some nuts and seeds to offer him.
CM and squirrel
CM and friendly DC squirrel #2
CM feeds squirrel
CM Washington Monument --- We didn't get too close to the monument (other things to do) but we had some fun with the pictures we took.
CM pretends he's King Kong
CM Just kidding
CM w/ Washington Monument
CM The Jefferson Memorial across the tidal basin
CM self explanatory --- We went to visit the FDR memorial as a tie-in with Old Greenbelt. Plus it's a pretty cool memorial. Very extensive with lots of sculptures and waterfalls.
CM FDR Memorial farmers
CM FDR Memorial soup line
CM FDR Memorial fireside chat
CM FDR Memorial fireside chat #2
CM FDR Mem. sculptures
CM FDR Memorial FDR and Fala
CM FDR close up
CM on FDR's shoulder
CM Eleanor Roosevelt full
CM Eleanor Roosevelt
CM w/ Gina and FDR waterfalls
CM looking across the tidal basin
Close up Jefferson Memorial and Capitol
CM Nice view
CM Strange fountain --- There were a few of these on the wall of the bridge over the tidal basin between the FDR Mem. and the Jefferson Mem.
CM approaching Jeff. Mem.
CM Jefferson Memorial --- We didn't go inside because we were exhausted from all the walking and still had a long way back to the car!
CM Jinx and Gina and Snow Monkey --- The next day we met Jinx at a lovely Thai restaurant and Code Monkey went off with her. But she brought Snow Monkey to take his place so I wouldn't be as lonely without him. How sweet! Goodbye Code Monkey!
CM w/ Snow Monkey
