The Merry Marsden Travels

Wed. Nov 9/11 Sunny 66 degrees Metro to L'enfant Plaza and stroll over to the Library of Congress (Jefferson Buildin g) - another beautiful building - tour of The Great Hall, Main Reading Room and Jefferson Library Room. Saw the Giant Bible of Mainz (Germany) - written by hand by monk on parchment in the mid 1450's and the Gutenburg Bible - first book printed with movable metal type (only one of three perfect vellum copies in existence.) Strolled over to Madison Library and got my LOC Library Card - good for 2 years and now I can go into the special reading rooms. Watched some "I Love Lucy" clips from a exhibit that was there. Walked to Air and Space Museum - amazing place but teaming with school kids. Had lunch salad at the McDonalds on site. Over to the White House Visitors Centre and watched film. Walked by historical Willard Ho tel and stopped in fancy Lobby there. The Trolley Tour driver said that presidents would meet with influential citizens in this l...

Still in Arizona and what is happening now you ask? Well ..... 1) Sally and Barb very much enjoyed their 4 days at the Casa Grande Gourdfest. They learned new techniques, bought a few items and conversed with gourders from all over. 2) Sally, Russell, Barb and I did take in a movie one night - "The King's Speech" starring Colin Firth - good movie that should get some Oscar awards? 3) On Monday, with Gourdfest over, we had a day to do touristry things before our time together was over so we first visited the Casa Grande Ruins. Casa Grande means Great Hous e in Spanish. It is a structure built in the middle of the desert by the Hohokam Indians 700 years ago. It consists of 11 rooms and is 4 stories high (picture to follow when I return to Texas). It was situated in a community of thousands of Indians and they are not sure of the function the building had but it may have been an observatory because there are openings in the building that align specifically with the sun and m...