Old Town Crier - June 2025 by Old Town Crier

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

As I write these Publishers Notes on May 25th, it is a perfect spring day. Blue skies with puﬀy white clouds. The high temperature will be in the low 70's. The last round of rain has been helpful for the ﬁelds that I travel by in Southern Maryland each month and the crops of corn, soybeans and winter wheat are thriving. It really feels like springtime is here to stay for a while. Hard to believe that summer is just around the corner already.

The popularity of Old Town and Alexandria continues to grow as does the traﬃc traveling through town. We live in the 300 block of South Washington Street and there isn’t a time of day or night when there aren’t vehicles headed in both directions. While I love living in Old Town and we depend on tourists to pick us up as a good resource for the region while they are here, the number of people that are roaming the waterfront and lower King Street are doubling every day. Summer is a good time for us locals to make plans to get out of town for a few hours/days.

Fortunately, if you do decide to get out of town, we have many nice destinations within an hour’s commute – many that have been written about in the “From the Bay to the Blue Ridge” section. From classic small towns in Southern Maryland like Solomons in Calvert County, located between the Bay and the Patuxent River, to Leonardtown in St. Mary's County, located on the water Breaton Bay which ﬂows into the Potomac, there are many places to plan a day trip. If the lure of the mountains is calling, you will discover ﬁ rst class wineries, breweries and distilleries near small towns the likes of Middleburg, Sperryville, Luray and Little Washington.

In keeping with the get out of town theme, From the Bay takes us to the beautiful Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Solomons and Julie Reardon reminds us why it is important to buy from local food vendors and farmers markets and gives you several options for places to do just that in To the Blue Ridge

Contrary to the above suggestions, we stayed close to home for our Road Trip and spent an afternoon at the United States National Arboretum in North West D.C. I have lived in this area for 72 years and this was my ﬁ rst time there. It is a special part of the city for sure. Who knew there was 451 acres of legitimate green space in the heart of our Nation’s Capital?

We celebrate “Flags and Fathers” this month as well as the fi rst day of summer. Be sure to read about the origins of Flag Day and pick up a few tips on how to practice flag etiquette when displaying the red, white and blue. I want to cringe every time I see a place that has a torn, filthy flag flying. In the May issue Caroline Simpson gave us the specs for applying for the job of “Mom” and in these pages she tells us about what she has learned from her father in our Father’s Day feature.

In High Notes, Ron Powers gives a listen to Noel Gallagher after the breakup of Oasis, while Last Word columnist Miriam Kramer pens a case for The Sandhamn Murders.

This month we welcome a new advertiser, the Peak Shenandoah Wine Region representing six of the wineries of the Shenandoah. Matthew Fitzsimmons introduces us to Peak Shenandoah Wine in his Grapevine column.

Doug Fabbioli addresses a Facebook post he saw on a local page stating that “Virginia wineries are a joke”. Doug sets the record straight in his Exploring Virginia Wines column. We all can learn from his thoughts.

In Let's Get Crafty, Tim Long takes a visit to Bear Chase Brewing Company in Bluemont, Va. As a coincidence, Bear Chase is about a mile or so from our inside back cover advertiser, Twin Oaks Tavern Winery which, by the way, has had an extraordinary face lift and is also now owned by a dear friend of Lani’s. Great two-for-one destination when you are considering the aforementioned day trip to the mountains! Tim's article is all about our tagline..."From the Bay to the Blue Ridge".

On the health and beauty front, From the Trainer’s Ryan Unverzagt shows us how to get our triceps ready for the beach and Nicole Flanagan reveals a bit about the value of yoga in Fitness

Also in this issue, and much more, you will ﬁ nd Go Fish columnist Steve Chaconas giving us some great ideas for Father's Day gifts as he also lets us know about the great time of year for bass ﬁshing as Lori Welch Brown writes about the lure of the seasons, but says “Summer, you are

pretty special” in Open Space. Sarah Becker looks to the skies and ﬂight in A Bit of History and we revisited Mystic Bar & Grill in search of Father’s Day worthy eats in Dining Out

I hope that everyone enjoys this month’s issue of the OTC. We have been bringing interesting stories, local and regional information and entertainment to our readers since January of 1988. It is our pleasure to bring this unique magazine to you every month. Please patronize our advertisers as they are our livelihood.

Don’t forget Flag Day on the 14th and Father’s Day on the 15th! Hang up Old Glory and give Dad a hug!

The Old Town Crier congratulates our friend and wine rep extraordinaire, Holly Rocco Feraci, on her new position as Chief Sommelier and National Sales Director at Barboursville Vineyards, one of the Commonwealth’s premier vineyards. She joins Luca Paschina, Barboursville’s longtime Estate Director and Winemaker, and his team as they strive to promote Barboursville across the nation and abroad. We also want to bid a fond farewell to Jason Tesauro, who has ﬁlled these shoes for two decades, and wish him all the best as he takes his expertise back to his roots in Italy.

Captain Bob circa 2023 under sail on the Patuxent River with the “Betsy Ross Flag” ﬂying.

L to R – Luca, Holly, Jason

ON THE ROAD WITH OTC

DMV residents, Stephanie Jones, Nancy D'Agostino and Heather McGhee visit former Alexandria residents Bruce Wood, Estella Laguna and their newest edition, Buckley, in San Antonio, TX. They took the OTC with them on their day trip to William Chris Vineyards (WCV) in Hye, TX. WCV joined with 23 of the leading wine regions of the world to support “Truth in Labeling” as a part of the global Wine Origins initiative. They support global eﬀorts to uphold the integrity of each winegrowing region and their place names. William Chris Vineyards has been named to the Top 100 Best Vineyards three years running: 2022, 2023, and 2024. WCV is the ﬁ rst and only Texas representative on the list.

If you would like to see your photo in this space, take the OTC with you on your next adventure and take a high resolution photo or photos of you and yours checking us out and send it with information for the caption to oﬃce@oldtowncrier.com and put “On the Road” in the subject line.

This photo was taken at the United States National Arboretum in the Aquatic Plants Garden located in “Our Nation’s Capital”. This garden is only a small part of what is in store for those who visit this amazing property that sits on 451 acres in the northeastern quadrant of Washington, D.C. just oﬀ of New York Avenue. The Arboretum is an amazing expanse of true “green space” in the heart of the concrete and brick jungle of the city and visiting there is almost like stepping into another dimension.

Probably more well known for being home to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and Garden and the 400-yearold Yamaki Pine known as the “Peace Tree”, there are several other gardens – each with a diﬀerent theme - to stroll/ drive through. More information about the Arboretum and the gardens can be found in this month’s Road Trip column. Cover photo by Bob Tagert. Bonsai photo by Lani Gering.

We had another winner! We haven’t stumped anyone in quite a while. Curtis Mason picked up a copy at Fontaine’s Caﬀe & Creperie located at 119 South Royal Street in Old Town on May 2nd and it appears he immediately recognized the “snippet” of the mural as the side of the Fibre Space building in the 1300 block of Prince Street.

We are hoping that this month’s clue is a bit more challenging. For starters, it isn’t located in Old Town proper but is on one of the most well-traveled streets in Alexandria. If you are the ﬁ rst person to respond with the correct location, you will receive a $50 gift certiﬁcate to one of the best French eateries in the DMVBastille Brasserie & Bar

In order to participate, Like and Follow us on: Facebook @oldtowncrier and Instagram @otcregionalmag

Send a PM with your guess and we will contact the winner each month via PM to arrange for prize delivery. Mural photos by Lee Moody.

Alexandria Events- June 2025

World Pride and Alexandria Pride

Alexandria welcomes LGBTQ+ couples, families and friends to stay in and explore the city during World Pride 2025 and beyond. Visitors can take advantage of special World Pride hotel packages at The Alexandrian, Hotel AKA Alexandria, Hotel Heron and Morrison House. The fun continues all month. With these fun with events:

13th

Pride at Torpedo Factory Art Center

105 North Union Street

7pm – 10pm

The renowned Torpedo Factory Art Center will be open late as part of its “2nd Friday” event series. Guests can explore the building full of artists, enjoy music and art activations celebrating Pride Month. This event is free and open to the public..

14th

“Priday” Market & Drag Show

12pm – 4pm Drag Show 5pm

We are celebrating Pride Month at Port City! We Start the day with a mini-market composed of 10+ LBGTQ vendors from 12pm-4pm, food trucks, cold beer, and yard games. Featuring works and merchandise from Alexandria local artists and vendors. More information at www.portcitybrewing.com.

Be sure to stick around and join us that evening for a Drag Show in our brewhouse starting at 5pm featuring Drag Queens courtesy of Equality NoVA. This event was a huge hit last year, so we recommend arriving early to claim your seat. Make sure to bring your singles!

A portion of beer sales will be donated to our friends at Equality NOVA, so make sure to drink a few beers for a good cause! Other than that, the whole day is FREE to attend and open to all! Happy Pride!

28th

8th Annual Alexandria Pride Fair

Market Square

301 King Street 3pm – 6pm

Stop by Market Square the last weekend in June for the perfect photo op with the Pride-themed "LOVEwork" letters, from Virginia Tourism. The Alexandria LGBTQ+ Task Force in partnership with the Alexandria Library, Department of Community and Human Services, and many community partners welcome you to the annual Alexandria Pride Fair. Visitors can get information about LGBTQ+ inclusive services in Alexandria, free and con dential health testing and vaccines, plus enjoy LGBTQ+ Family Storytime, art and poetry workshops, music, refreshments and LGBTQ+ Pride swag. Check out VisitAlexandria.com/WorldPride to see all Pride events and offerings.

Festivals and Events

7th

Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair

Waterfront Park

1 Prince Street 10am – 5pm

Volunteer Alexandria is thrilled to present once again the Old Town Arts & Crafts at Waterfront Park on the Potomac River. This FREE fair provides entertainment for children, and over 90 vendors. Various food and drink vendors will also be available for purchase.

The annual fair features local and regional artisans who showcase their pieces across various mediums including pottery, stationery, fabrics, paintings, jewelry, photography and more. Review a list of vendors by logging on to the Volunteer Alexandria website at volunteeralexandria.org/arts-and-crafts-festival.

14th

ALX Jazz Fest

Waterfront Park

1 Prince Street

3pm – 9pm

Celebrate jazz music, America’s original beloved art form, at the Alexandria Waterfront! Enjoy live performances by some of the region’s top jazz performers, along with inspiring words by renowned poets. Plus: experience hands-on art projects, lawn games, food vendors, and drinks all afternoon. Admission is free.

3:05-3:45 p.m. - The JoGo Project

4:15-4:45 p.m. - Jeanette Berry

5:15-5:45 p.m. - We Were Here Before

6:15-7:00 p.m. - Fran Vielma Quartet

7:30-8:15 p.m. - Carolyn Malachi

8:30-9:15 p.m. - Warren Wolf

Celebrate Alexandria’s Black History and Culture 19th

Juneteenth Celebration

Athenaeum

201 Prince Street

6pm – 9pm

Join us for this year’s Juneteenth celebration with poet, author, and the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association Poet in Residence, KaNikki Jakarta. The event will be held in the gallery of the historic Athenaeum located in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. Discover the history of Juneteenth through hands-on activities, art, and poetry readings.

Washington Revels Jubilee Voices Concert

City Hall/Market Square

301 King Street

1pm -3-pm

Stop by Market Square in the heart of Old Town and enjoy traditional African American storytelling and songs re ecting the journey toward freedom with the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices ensemble. Weather dependent.

For details on all of these events and a full calendar of June happenings, log on to VisitAlexAlexandria.com/events.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET

Market Square

301 King Street

Saturdays, 7 am – 12 Noon Year Round

The Old Town Market is thought to be the one of nation’s oldest continuing markets operating since 1753. It is said that George Washington sent his products from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today the plaza is a mecca for farmers and artists to sell their wares. The Market is a primary source for meats, dairy, sh, fruits, vegetables and owers for all those who visit.

DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET

Corner of Mt. Vernon and Oxford Avenues

Saturdays, 8 am to Noon Year Round

This market is strictly a producer grown market. Lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, sh and salmon, fresh mushrooms, baked goods, hard cider. Farmers are within a 150 mile radius of Alexandria. A non-pro t is featured each weekend.

OLD TOWN NORTH FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

Montgomery Park 901 North Royal Street

Thursdays, 3 pm – 7 pm Year Round

Alexandria’s favorite dog friendly market! The Old Town North Thursday Market is a growers only market with a focus on produce from small family farms and local artisans. Products sold at the market include fresh fruits and veggies from Virginia’s Northern Neck, Micro Greens from an urban farm, Empanadas, Fresh baked pastries with a European air and much more.

FOUR MILE RUN FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

4109 Mount Vernon Avenue

Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm Year Round

This market offers fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels and strives to re ect the diversity of Alexandria’s community. Local artisans display their arts and crafts as well.

7th Temporary Public Art Installation on Display Through November Break Water By Nekisha Durrett

Break Water is the seventh annual temporary public art installation at Waterfront Park, was completed in late March and is on display through November as part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town series.

The sculpture draws inspiration from Alexandria’s waterfront being a place where natural forces and human activity intersect, often with profound consequences.

Break Water’s centerpiece, crafted from blackened wood, evokes the sidewheel of the steamboat River Queen, a vessel that symbolized Black ownership and opportunity until its mysterious destruction by re in 1911, shortly after its purchase by Lewis Jefferson, a Black entrepreneur. Encircled by black sandbags, the piece honors the resilience and strength of Black communities, referencing both protection and endurance during crises.

Beneath the sculpture, a ground mural of tangled taut ropes–called “Life Lines”–appears to tether the artwork to the park’s architectural elements, anchoring it against a symbolic undercurrent. Viewers are invited to walk the life lines that represent events, people, places, rituals, and traditions that have contributed to Alexandria’s unique identity. The painted lines symbolize the collective struggle to preserve these legacies, ensuring they are not swept away. Together the sculpture and the mural create a powerful tribute to the creativity and enduring spirit of Alexandria’s Black community.

A Father Figure

There are a myriad of females in my family. Starting with my Mom; she has three sisters. Out of my ten cousins, there are only two boys, and I am one of two daughters. I love being from a female-full family. The girl power factor is unbeatable. There was always an opportunity for late night girl talks on the phone, not to mention the never-ending understanding associated with female companionship, and, of course, the ability to cathartically cry for absolutely no reason. I am one very lucky girl, and during this time of year, I am forced to think…my poor father!

I frequently wondered if the fathers of all these females: my Dad, my uncles, and my grandfather, ever truly wished for sons. Even if they never outright said it, isn’t it is common knowledge that a father wants a son? Playing ball, burping, and getting dirty are all elements of that father-son relationship that my dad never experienced. Does he regret it? Is a prerequisite to feeling like a successful father the ability to share a love of bugs?

I think not! Sure, daughters are diﬀerent, more challenging, even. Playing ball was not my thing, but my dad made it a point to ﬁgure out what my thing was. One of my favorite memories is our visit to the Museum of Natural History. I loved rocks, and Dad spent a small fortune on a pre-organized rock collection from the gift shop that I still have. Then there was the time when Mom had a morning meeting and Dad helped me get ready for school. He was not prepared for the drama that was my hair, but he gave it his all. Five barrettes and a can of hairspray later, I walked to the bus stop with a bumpy helmet head of ponytails.

Growing up, I didn’t go to dad with typical female needs….When is it time for me to wear a bra? Can I wear lipstick? My boyfriend dumped me. I dumped my boyfriend, etc…thank goodness I have Mom for the ins and outs of being a girl! Although, I may have spared Dad from some of the minutiae, I was always able to turn to him for the big stuﬀ. He taught me to be strong and independent. He showed me how to stand up for myself and give everything I do my all. He showed me the value of working hard and the necessity of playing hard. Our time is not spent playing catch or talking stats; instead, we have deep conversations about applying for a promotion or buying a house.

The male point of view is an interesting and essential one. For example, I remember the time I complained about PMS; Dad shared that he didn’t want to hear me complain, because between myself, my sister, and my mom, he experienced PMS three times a month. That put it in perspective for me. My Dad is clever, too. Although I don’t like to admit it, there was a time when I was not perfect. For example, I got in trouble and lost phone privileges – this was in the day of landlines. The element of gab is required when you are a teenager, and I was sure I stumped my parents when I told them that the phone in my room was a gift from my grandparents and they couldn’t take it! Ha! Well, Dad countered with the point that the phone jack in my room is his, and he could take it. Needless to say, I didn’t chat on the phone for the next two weeks.

him as their role model for the male species, in general. He may have wished we could have bonded over bugs, but instead, we bonded over life. A father, if he does it right, is a ﬁgure for sons and daughters, alike. My Dad did it right, and I am proud to say to him – Happy Father’s Day!

Bottom line up front (a true Dad-ism,) my Dad is the reason that I am who I am today. He may not have had sons to raise, but he has two daughters who look to

Publishers Note: Caroline agreed to let us reprint this piece she wrote for our June 2009 issue. We ran her piece about Mother’s in the May issue. Since she penned this column, she and her husband Jeremy have given her father two more females to watch out for along with a brother in between. Enjoy the read and remember to treat you father as if every day were Father’s Day!!

Flag Day 2025!

While we just celebrated Memorial Day last month and there were lots of flags displayed around the DMV and placed on our Veteran’s graves, we can’t forget to celebrate Old Glory itself on the 14th. Check your local community organizations to find events planned for the 14th in your area. You can also find more information about Flag Day from The National Flag Day Foundation's website NationalFlagDay.com. We thought it would be a good idea to give our readers a bit of a history lesson on the origins of “Flag Day” and some tips on how to CORRECTLY display the Stars and Stripes. – Lani Gering, Old Town Crier

“That the ﬂ ag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue ﬁeld, representing the new constellation.”

This was the resolution adopted by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The resolution was made following the report of a special committee which had been assigned to suggest the flag’s design. A flag of this design was fi rst carried into battle on September 11, 1777, in the Battle of the Brandywine. The American flag was fi rst saluted by foreign naval vessels on February 14, 1778, when The Ranger, bearing the Stars and Stripes and under the command of Captain Paul Jones, arrived in a French port. The flag fi rst flew over a foreign territory in early 1778 at Nassau, Bahama Islands, where Americans captured a British fort. Observance of the adoption of the flag was not soon in coming, however.

Although there are many claims to the fi rst official observance of Flag Day, all but one took place more than an entire century after the flag’s adoption in 1777.

The ﬁ rst claim was from a Hartford, Conn., celebration during the ﬁ rst summer of 1861. In the late 1800s, schools all over the United States held Flag Day programs to contribute to the Americanization of immigrant children, and the observance caught on with individual communities.

The most recognized claim, however, comes from New York. On June 14, 1889, Professor George Bolch, principal of a free kindergarten for the poor of New York City, had his school hold patriotic ceremonies to observe the anniversary of the Flag Day resolution. This initiative attracted attention from the State Department of Education, which arranged to have the day observed in all public schools thereafter. Soon the state legislature passed a law making it the responsibility of the state Superintendent of Public Schools to ensure that schools hold observances for Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day and Flag Day. In 1897, the governor of New York ordered the displaying of the flag over all public buildings in the state, an observance considered by some to be the fi rst official recognition of the anniversary of the adoption of the flag outside of schools.

Another claim comes from Philadelphia. In 1893, the Society of Colonial Dames succeeded in getting a resolution passed to have the ﬂag displayed on all of the city’s public buildings. Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a direct descendant of Benjamin Franklin and the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, that same year tried to get the city to call June 14 Flag Day. Resolutions by women were not granted much notice, however, and it was not until May 7, 1937, that Pennsylvania became the ﬁ rst state to establish the June 14 Flag Day as a legal holiday. Flag Day is a nationwide observance today, but Pennsylvania is the only state that recognizes it as a legal holiday.

Bernard J. Cigrand, a school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, reportedly spent years trying to get Congress to declare June 14th as a national holiday. Although his attempts failed, the day was widely observed.

“Father of Flag Day” honors have been given to William T. Kerr, who was credited with founding the American Flag Day Association in 1888 while still a schoolboy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Both President Wilson, in 1916, and President Coolidge, in 1927, issued proclamations asking for June 14 to be observed as the National Flag Day. But it wasn’t until August 3, 1949, that Congress approved the national observance, and President Harry Truman signed it into law.

Source - United States Department of Veterans Aﬀairs. www.va.gov

Do's and Don'ts for Displaying Old Glory

• The ﬂag should not be on display outdoors during bad weather.

• The ﬂag should not be used for advertising purposes, or embroidered on cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or boxes.

• The ﬂag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery.

• It should never be displayed upside down unless trying to convey a sign of distress or great danger.

• The ﬂag should never touch anything beneath it; this includes water, merchandise and even the ﬂoor.

• When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.

Other Do's and Don'ts:

• Clean and damage-free flags should always be used. Dirty, ripped, wrinkled or frayed flags should not be used. Also, when flags are damaged, they should be destroyed in a dignified manner.

• The U.S. flag should flow freely in the wind or in a lobby with a passing breeze as people walk past. Stretching a flag is a lot like walking around with your arms held out straight. It is not to be held captive by metal arm spreaders as if to say, "Look at me!"

• Staﬀs and ﬁ nials should always be upright and not leaning.

• Clamping a U.S. flag to a vehicle's antenna is acceptable, or the flagstaff clamped to the right fender, as long as the flag displays in the proper direction.

• Service ﬂags are displayed in order of service precedence, not the host service where they are displayed. The order of precedence is Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

• When displaying the U.S. flag with other flags, the U.S. flag comes fi rst and is centered in the middle of a flag display. In addition, the U.S. flag must be placed higher than the other flags, unless other national flags are present. In that case the U.S. flag would be the same height.

• Buntings are a good way to display the national colors and decorate for Independence Day without discrediting the U.S. ﬂag.

Compiled by Susan H. Lawson for the Department of Defense in 2019. Lawson was assigned to Panama City Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Florida.

From Wright Flyer to Blue Origin –Keeping It Up in the Air

What is it about the change of seasons, from spring to summer that keeps me looking upward to the sky?

It is the change in the sky’s blue hues, the deeper blue color. Maybe that’s why—on April 14, 2025—Jeﬀ Bezos’ Blue Origin sent an all-female seven person crew into space to observe Earth’s atmosphere. NASA studies the mixed gaseous mass in order to better understand Earth’s chemistry, air quality, weather patterns, and climate change.

Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the ﬁ rst woman to travel in space—on June 16, 1963. Tereshkova made 48 earth orbits in 70 hours. America’s ﬁ rst female astronaut—Sally K. Ride—departed on June 18, 1983, aboard NASA’s Challenger space shuttle. All are remembered for their springtime adventures.

In 1901 American scientist, astronomer, and mathematician Simon Newcomb [1835-1909] “predicted that man would never ﬂy.” Said Newcomb in 1903:

“The desire to ﬂy like a bird is inborn in our race, and we can no more expect to abandon the idea than the ancient mathematician could have been expected to give up the problem of squaring the circle. The example of the bird does not prove that man [or woman] can ﬂy.”

Also in 1903: the Wright brothers, Orville [1871-1948] and Wilbur [1867-1912] made four successful test flights in a gasoline-powered heavierthan-air machine over Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their flights marked the beginning of aerial navigation. To dream: to imagine; think of as a possibility; to invent. The principles of atmospheric flight [the physics and chemistry of Earth’s lower and middle atmospheres] are a lesson not only in physics, but also technology and history. When I think of the physics of history I think of my niece B., textbooks in hand.

Until the airplane, hot air balloons provided the only means of human ﬂight. Joseph Michel and Jacques Montgolﬁer invented the hot air balloon in 1783. The Archimedes’ principle is the secret to the balloon’s lift-carrying power.

Said General George Washington in 1784: “I have only newspaper Accts of the Air Balloons, to which I do not know what credence to give; as the tales related of them are marvelous, & lead us to expect that our friends at Paris, in a little time, will come ﬂying thro’ the air…to get to America.”

“The Wright brothers’ interest in planes began in childhood when their father brought home a toy with a propeller wound up by rubber bands and wings of bamboo and tissue paper,” The Washington Post explained. “It fascinated the boys, who were of mechanical and inventive minds, and they experimented in building others.”

The mechanically inclined brothers opened Ohio’s Wright Cycle Exchange in 1892. They tested their ﬁ rst full-size glider in September 1900.

The 1903 Wright Flyer 1 was constructed in the rear of the shop; then shipped, in sections, to North Carolina for trial. Wilbur Wright felt flight would fail until such time as man could sustain wings; install a motor and properly control the bird in flight. He was the fi rst inventor to equate control inputs—pitch, roll and yaw—with motion.

Wing warping was Wilbur’s solution to airplane control. Twisting the wing surface, he decided, changed the wing’s position relative to oncoming wind. Such changes in position enabled directional changes. Wright tested his theory by twisting an empty bicycle tube box with the ends removed.

The Wright brothers perfected their flying machine in 1905, but did not begin public demonstrations until a patent was issued in 1908. The U.S. Army agreed to purchase the Wrights’ flying machine for $25,000 provided it could carry two men and enough fuel to complete a 40 miles per hour, 125-mile flight. Military test flights began in June 1909 at Arlington’s—then the County of Alexandria’s Fort Myer.

“Orville Wright late yesterday encircled the Fort Myer drill grounds in his aeroplane in three successful ﬂights,” the July 2, 1909, Alexandria Gazette observed. “In his last attempt

he remained aloft for a few seconds more than nine minutes.” Twenty-six days later Wright established a new ﬂight-duration record of one hour, one minute and 40 seconds.

The nation’s fi rst speed trial, also its fi rst cross country flight, occurred on July 30, 1909. Orville Wright successfully flew his machine tenmiles from Fort Myer to Alexandria’s Shooter’s Hill. The average flight speed was 42-miles per hour, more than the Army’s contractual minimum of 40-miles per hour.

“The truth of the saying, ‘All things come to those who wait,’ was made apparent to Alexandrians at sunset yesterday when [Wright’s] biplane made an aerial run from the parade grounds at Fort Myer as far as the Southern and Washington Railway tracks south of the reservoir of the Alexandria Water Company,” the July 31, 1909 Alexandria Gazette conﬁ rmed. “The engine worked perfectly. The greatest height reached was probably 400 feet above the gully at Four Mile Run.”

Orville and Wilbur Wright showed courage and daring when introducing their heavier-than-air machine. The brothers not only gave us ﬂight, they gave us hope. The kind of hope found only in dreams.

The Wright brothers remained involved with ﬂight until Wilbur’s untimely death in 1912, at age 45. Their many achievements were commemorated in 1932 with the placement of a 60-feet granite statue on North Carolina’s Kill Devil Hill.

“On December 17, 1948, the Smithsonian Institution unveiled the 1903 Wright Flyer 1 at the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building,” The Washington Post confi rmed. “The placard displayed with the plane read: ‘The world's fi rst power-driven, heavier-thanair machine in which man made free-controlled and sustained flight, invented and built by Wilbur and Orville Wright.” It is noted as “the brightest gem in the Smithsonian’s collection of aircraft.”

Astronaut Alan Shepard, the ﬁ rst American to attempt a suborbital ﬂight into space, successfully piloted NASA’s Freedom 7 spacecraft on May 5, 1961. “Think of our world

as it looks from the rocket that is heading to Mars,” President Lyndon B. Johnson said four years later. “It is like a child’s globe, hanging in space, the continents stuck to its side like colored maps.”

NASA astronauts ﬁ rst boarded the International Space Station [ISS] in 1998. “The ISS is the only object whose components were manufactured by diﬀerent countries and assembled in space,” former NASA-ISS astronaut Scott Kelly wrote.

“Looking down at the planet from 200 miles in space, I feel as though I know the Earth in an intimate way most people don’t—the coastlines, terrains, mountains, and rivers,” Kelly continued. “Some parts of the world, especially in Asia, are so blanketed by air pollution that they appear sick, in need of treatment or at least a chance to heal…[The] fragility seems to demand our protection.”

On May 1, 2025, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers emerged from the ISS “to perform the 5th all-female spacewalk.”

Unlike the Earth’s blue sky, the sky surrounding the ISS is black. Why is the ISS sky black?

Diﬀerent from Earth’s Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, there is almost no atmosphere to scatter light in space. That said spacewalking astronauts, female and or male can still see Earth’s distant blue sky. They should see a blue-ish rim around the Earth's horizon during sunrise and sunset.

About the Author: Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed. She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board. Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism provided the means. The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com

Dream On by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

In 2011, two years after the breakup of his band Oasis, Noel Gallagher released his ﬁ rst self-titled album under the band name Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. The album features many stellar tunes by the Britpop legend, but “Dream On” is at the top of the pile for me. Its high-class guitar production and musical arrangement mix with Noel’s smooth, attitude-soaked vocals, creating a feeling that you really can’t ﬁ nd anywhere else. Although the song didn’t reach the level of cultural impact that his work with Oasis achieved, the songwriting abilities of the eldest Gallagher brother shine as brightly as ever in “Dream On.”

Things get started with Noel counting oﬀ, along with the pick scrapes of his acoustic guitar. As things get rolling, a combination of electric guitar and piano rings out haunting chords, knitted together with quarter-note acoustic strumming. Additionally, the guitars and piano are supported by a rich quarter-note bass line and kick drum, setting the stage for Gallagher to display his melodic abilities. As Noel delivers the verse, he paints a poetic picture—hanging from a ladder, running out of battery, and about to fall. His vocal delivery oﬀers cool, smooth emotion with a subtle touch of humor, once again displaying his mastery of music, melody, and lyric weaving.

Transitioning out of the verse, we hear a soaring vocal performance lift the song’s energy as the chorus blooms. Here, the intensity of the drums increases, and the guitars are given some extra edge while the rhythm remains steady. Along with the instrumentation, Gallagher displays the anthemic qualities of his voice while singing the words, “Dream on / Was that songbird singing? / Shout it out for me / Shout it out for me.” Serene yet powerful background vocals emphasize the song’s haunting side, complementing its cool and anthemic qualities. All these elements come together to create the songwriting magic that many of us know and love Noel Gallagher for.

After laying a foundation of verses and choruses, Gallagher moves on to the bridge section, featuring a lyricless “La la la” vocal melody sung in falsetto. The melody is supported by a horn section and the subtle use of a vintage Mellotron, which simulates the sound of a flute. These elements blend together to add class and sophistication to the music, reflecting the mature level of creativity that Noel operates from. As the bridge ends, the song moves into a fi nal chorus and outro, with Noel repeating the lyrics “Shout it out for me” alongside a bigband-style horn section that makes you want to do the twist while they bring the house down.

Currently, Noel and his brother Liam are gearing up for a reunion tour with Oasis after roughly 15 years apart. The tour kicks off on July 4th in the UK and will be filling arenas and football stadiums around the world. If you’d like to listen to “Dream On” or any of Noel’s catalog of work you can fi nd it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. If you’d like to learn more about Noel Gallagher, you can fi nd information on Wikipedia, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X.

About the Author: Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.

AFTER HOURS

Birchmere

703.549.7500

3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com

The Blackwall Hitch

571-982-3577

5 Cameron St. theblackwallhitch.com

Chadwicks

203 S. Strand St.

703.836.4442

Evening Star Cafe

703.549.5051

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.

The Fish Market

703.836.5676

105 King St. shmarketoldtown.com

La Portas

703.683.6313

1600 Duke St.

The Light Horse

703.549.0533

715 King St. lighthorserestaurant.com

Murphys Irish Pub

703.548.1717

713 King St. murphyspub.com

O’Connell’s

703.739.1124 112 King St.

Rock It Grill

703.739.2274 1319 King St.

Shooter McGees

703.751.9266

5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com

Southside 815

703.836.6222

815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos

703.739.9268

2300 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Taverna Cretekou

703.548.8688

818 King St.

TJ Stones

703.548.1004

608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com

The Study

703-838-8000

116 South Alfred Two Nineteen

703.549.1141

219 King St.

Alexandria Bier Garden

710 King St. 703-888-1951

Augie's Mussel House

703.721.3970

1106 King St. eataugies.com

Mason Social

703.548.8800

728 N. Henry St.

The Sandhamn Murders

As summer arrives, we could all use a physical and mental break. So why not sit on a covered porch or under a beach umbrella and take a trip to Sweden? Try out The Sandhamn Murders, this series of ten murder mysteries set on Sandhamn, a beautiful island near Stockholm where tourists vacation during the short summer months. Viveca Sten has written a clutch of books that make for perfect beach, lake, or pool reading, especially for travelers looking to escape to someplace with sun and cool summer breezes. Her novels have been televised as a popular Swedish crime series as well.

The Sandhamn Murders features two primary protagonists: Nora Linde, a lawyer, and Thomas

Andreasson, a police detective with the Nacka police division in Stockholm. Having known each other since they were children, they love each other as if they were siblings.

Nora owns a home on Sandhamn that she has visited for mini-breaks and vacations since she was a child. At the beginning of the series, she arrives there with her two young sons and a handsome doctor husband. Thomas, who has lost his wife when his child died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also has

a small summer home on a nearby island, Harö.

Nora and Thomas face diverse crime schemes and murders that take place not only in Sandhamn, but also in the archipelago of small islands with summer cabins that exist east of Stockholm. They exchange information to help each other solve homicides. Instead of being a safe haven for hordes of tourists looking for a weekend getaway from the city, along with celebrating the popular Swedish holiday of Midsommar (Midsummer), murders taint the festivities and the cherished atmosphere on the islands. Amid their own uncertain family circumstances, they trust each other, which gives them a stable base from which to approach the slayings.

In the ﬁ rst few books, Nora has problems with her husband when she wants to explore a much better job in Malmö, a Swedish city close to Copenhagen. He ﬂatly refuses without listening to her, throwing a wrench into their marriage. Despite her growing resentment, she tries to parent her children as best she can. Her trips to Sandhamn provide her with escape and comfort until dead bodies start showing up in odd places.

Thomas is a loner. Frustrated by oﬃce politics, he also feels unwarranted guilt about

the death of his daughter from SIDS. Because of their mutual grief, he divorced his wife, whom he misses greatly. Despite an aﬀair with a younger woman at the oﬃce, he keeps his mind focused on work, and in particular the murders that start popping up all over the Swedish archipelago.

From a shooting on a yacht during a regatta to an investigation on a nearby island about a death during elite soldier training, lawyer Nora uses her professional resources, along with her informal network of locals, to ﬁ nd answers. Thomas relies on his police pack of colleagues to research details of the crimes. During the books they encounter former Yugoslav criminals working in Sweden, domestic abuse

victims, and child abduction, along with business tycoons who will do anything to prop up their secretly failing ventures.

Over the years, their lives grow and change as they ﬁ nd strong connections with new people in their lives. The constant is beautiful Sandhamn, and the islands around it, which give Nora and Thomas another steady base from which to solve cases. Even when their lives cross minimally in the novels, they work together and support one another. They also visit their island homes

for respite and sleuthing even during the winter when tourists are scarce. Murders do not wait for summer in the archipelago.

Both Nora and Thomas experience plenty of dramatic moments during chilling encounters when tangling with neighbors, summer visitors, and criminals on the mainland. Their vulnerabilities are also always on show.

Although these books are thrillers, the characters do develop along the way. This series is set ﬁ rmly in the tradition of Scandinavian noir, in that they experience brutality and face murderers during very dark moments.

Yet the sunny descriptions of the beautiful islands during the summer lighten the atmosphere and take you on a

Scandinavian vacation.

I zoomed through them all because I enjoyed the setting in particular. They are an enjoyable quick read for the summer. In this series, Sandhamn and the surrounding islands are as much a character in the books as Nora or Thomas. The lovely Swedish archipelago oﬀ Stockholm, where residents go during the summers and the winters, may be one of your next vacation spots after reading these books.

One of the writers who

popularized the Scandinavian noir genre, Stieg Larsson, set a small part of his novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, on Sandhamn years before Viveca Sten started publishing her batch of novels. His character Mikhail Blomqvist retreats to a summer cottage in Sandhamn to feverishly draft his book about ﬁ nancial misconduct in Sweden.

After I ﬁ nished The Sandham Murders, my mind kept going back to the comparative intricacy of Larson’s Millennium Trilogy. (Before he died, Stieg Larsson only wrote The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. I do not count sequels written by other authors.) I loved that trilogy for its depth

and complex depiction of Swedish society, along with its singular heroine, Lisbeth Salander. The Sandhamn Murders are perfect beach books since they are a much quicker and surface-level read.

Sten’s output also proves thematically lighter and less grisly than the works of Norwegian noir writer Jo Nesbø. One might even term it Noir Lite. If you are interested in a series of propulsive, sun-dappled crime novels, you could do worse than browsing The Sandhamn Murders

ONSTAGE:

June, as Oscar Hammerstein put it, is busting out all over. As the temperatures climb, why not spend a cool summer night at one of these great DMV theaters (Wolf Trap included):

FALSETTOS

Keegan Theatre

Now thru June 15

The Tony Award ®winning musical about family, relationships, bar mitzvahs and baseball, among other life lessons. When Marvin leaves his wife Trina and son Jason to be with his lover Whizzer, tempers ﬂare, problems escalate and everyone learns to grow up fast. Tickets at www.keegantheatre.com

WE ARE GATHERED

Arena Stage

Now thru June 15

Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight)t oﬀers a contemporary twist on one of Shakespearean’s wedding plays Do Free and W. They make it to the altar? As they approach a milestone anniversary, each wonder’s if he’s met Mr. Right or had a long one-night stand with a lovely Mr. Maybe. Tickets at www.arenastage.org

TWELFTH NIGHT

Folger Theatre

Now thru June 22

When Viola washes up on shore after losing her twin brother in a shipwreck, falls in love with the debonair Count Orsino and is herself (himself?) pursued by the rich and beautiful Olivia, it’s fun with mistaken identiﬁes Shakespearestyle. Folger Theatre presents a playful interpretation of this beloved Shakespeare comedy. Tickets at www.folgers.edu

KING JAMES

Round House Theatre

Now thru June 22

Two fans of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers bond over their shared love of basketball—especially phenom LeBron James. Over the course of many years, their relationship ebbs and ﬂows with the ups and downs of their beloved team. Do they answer the eternal question GOAT or not? Tickets at www. roundhousetheatre.org

PARADISE BLUE

Studio Theatre

Now thru June 22

Award-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau (Skeleton Crew, Ain’t Too Proud later this month at the National) transports us back to 1949 Detroit

and the Paradise, a jazz club that’s seen better days. Blue, the club’s trumpetplaying owner, is ready to leave the Motor City, his house band and his best girl have dreams of their own. Studio transforms its theater into a jazz club for this immersive performance. Music and cocktails before the show. Tickets at www. studiotheatre.org

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH

Signature Theatre

Now thru June 22

With killer heels and a fabulous wig, Hedwig tours the country, trailing the exlover who stole her songs and made it big. Hear her sorrow-ﬁlled tale in a hard rock story about growing up behind the Iron Curtain, living thru a botched sex change operation and coming to America. Tickets at www.sigtheatre.org

FRANKENSTEIN

Shakespeare Theatre Company

Now thru June 29

Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece is reimagined as a chilling exploration of what it means to create new life. Redeﬁning the legend we know and the name we fear, this new adaptation asks us to reconsider the monstrous act at the heart of the tale. Tickets at www.shakespearetheatre.org

ANDY WARHOLD IN IRAN

Mosaic Theatre

Now thru June 29

True story—the Shah of Iran’s wife commissioned the pop artist to create portraits of the royal family. When a student takes Warhol hostage to publicize his group’s demands, a life and death struggle over revolution, responsibility and the arts ensue. Who knew? Tickets at www.mosaictheater.org

OLD TOWN June

THE UNTITLE UNAUTHORIZED HUNTER THOMPSON MUSICAL

Signature Theatre

June 3-July 13

Tony Award ® winning director Christopher Ashley shepherded this new rock musical from his home base, the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, where the musicalization of the gonzo journalist’s life and times enjoyed a successful engagement. The story careens from the 1940s to 2005, as Thompson attempts to take down a corrupt president while in the throes of his own drug-fueled tornado that leaves a trail of destruction. Tickets at www.sigtheatre.org

PRIDE PLAYS

Woolly Mammoth Theatre

June 3-6

In honor of this year’s Pride celebrations—and DC’s 50th anniversary thereof-- here’s an exciting festival of plays devoted to LGBTQA themes, including Tony ® Award winner The Normal Heart, the searing drama about public and private indiﬀerence to the AIDS plague and one man's lonely ﬁght to awaken the world to the crisis. Six plays in total, and they’re all FREE! Sign up at www.woolly-mammoth.et

BERLIN DIARIES

Theatre J

June 4-22

How do you ﬁ nd home when a family history is scattered like the torn pages of a journal released to the wind? Two actors become whole generations of characters trying to stitch together memories lost in time. Tickets at www. edcjcc.org/theater-j.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

Alexandria Little Theatre

June 7-28

Welcome to opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), this bit of dramatic literature more than lives up to its title. Tickets at www.thelittletheatre.com

LES MISERABLES

Kennedy Center

June 11- July 14

Back where it all again (at least in the States). Jean Valjean outruns singleminded Inspector Javier and saves the beauteous Cosette and virtuous Marius in this ravishing musical, based on some of Victor Hugo’s immortal novel. It’s not “the world’s most popular musical” for nothing. Tickets at www.kennedy-center.org

A WRINKLE IN TIME

Arena Stage

June 12- July 20

Meg Murry's father was experimenting with time travel and the ﬁfth dimension when he mysteriously disappeared. Now, Meg, her friend Calvin, and her younger brother Charles Wallace must rescue him and outwit the forces of evil arrayed against them. Based on Madeleine L'Engle's Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel, it’s a story that just might inspire you to believe that love, friendship, and courage can conquer all. Tickets at www. arenastage.org

AIN’T TOO PROUD

National Theatre

June 17-22

The tumultuous tale of the Temptations, Motown’s breakout artists and the talented and determined performers who were responsible for a generation of teens slow dancing to “My Girl” (thank you, David Ruﬃn). From a Detroit street corner to international stardom, the ups and downs of their story tells a cautionary tale about fame and friendship. Tickets at www. broadwayatthenational.com

WIPEOUT

Studio Theatre

June 18 – July 27

Claudia is giving herself an early birthday present: surf lessons. Floating in the Paciﬁc isn’t entirely her speed, but she’s hoping it will get both of her best friends to show up. Waves are caught and scores are settled in this new play about endings and beginnings. Tickets at www.studiotheatre.org

BROADWAY IN THE PARK

Filene Center at Wolf Trap

June 28th

Signature Theatre’s annual homage to musical theater alfresco stars the DMV’s best (expect cast members from Sig’s recent hit In the Heights) along with Broadway stars Lindsay Mendez, so great in Merrily We Roll Along, and Tony Award ® winner Jessie Mueller, who brought Carol King to life in Beautiful. Tickets at www.wolftrap.org

About the Author: Mark Edleman is a playwright who loves writing about theater. He is a lifetime member of the Broadway League and a Tony® voter. Catch his monthly podcast at www.onstagedmv.org

Photo credits: Falsettos by Cameron Whitman. Paradise Blue by Margot Shulman. Hedwig… by Daniel Rader. Ain’t Too Proud by Joan Marcus. Les Miserables by Matthew Murphy

Calling All Artists in the DMV!

For many years now, oﬀ and on, I have been a member of the advisory panel that recommends to the City of Washington which art to acquire for its city collection via its ART BANK program.

I am always shocked how few submissions we get each year! And the artists who "know about it" keep it up every year to the point that by now, there are artists with almost twenty works of art in the collection of the District of Columbia!

Interested?

Each year, The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) acquires ﬁ ne art from metropolitan artists to grow its Art Bank Collection. Artwork in the collection is managed by the Public Art Department of CAH and loaned to District government agencies for display in public areas and the oﬃces of government buildings. Now in its 39th year, the Art Bank Collection includes nearly 3,000 artworks in various media.

For the purpose of this grant, metropolitan artist is deﬁ ned as a legal resident of Washington, DC, or a legal resident of within a 50-mile radius of the Washington, DC boundaries, for at least one (1) year prior to the application deadline.

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities usually requests applications from qualified artists and District nonprofit art galleries or organizations for its Fiscal Year Art Bank Program early on the year. Award amounts vary but eligible individual applicants may be awarded up to $15,000 and nonprofit art galleries or organizational applicants may be awarded up to $25,000. How do you get on the list? Contact the Commission and ask them to put you on their email list; do so by sending Kerry Kaleba (Grants Program Associate) an email to kerry.kaleba@dc.gov and tell her that Lenny sent you.

Snowfall by Torres

Bonﬁ eld's by Joseph English

How do you apply? It’s all done online at the CAH website (https://dcarts.dc.gov) and it’s all free! Do not leave it to the last minute, as they require a lot of stuﬀ besides images; the applications are usually due by mid-May each year.

Some inside trader stuﬀ that CAH won’t tell you, but that I do from my multi-decade experience as a panelist:

• They are too embarrassed to admit it, but I have never, ever seen any nudes accepted. Not one itty bitty… ahhh. This is (of course) their prerogative, but in a city surrounded by nude statues everywhere that we look, it’s a little odd that we’re more prudish now than in the 1800s when most of those mostly nude women statues (except for the mostly naked 46 Roman Legionnaires in Union Station) went up.

• They will accept work that requires electricity – such as Tim Tate’s magniﬁcent work in the ART BAK collection – but they are usually in storage because of the potential liability of a work requiring electricity in a public space (at least that how it was explained to me).

• Anything that can be remotely oﬀensive to anyone… ahhh…

You can see all the works in ART BANK, as well as all other work in the collection of the city at https://dcarts.emuseum.com –by the way, there are no Campellos in the collection… cough… cough…

In ART BANK you can ﬁ nd work by all the DC area blue chip artists: Gene Davis, Tim Tate, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Michael B. Platt, Sam Gilliam, Lois Mailou Jones, Willem de Looper, Percy Martin, Lou Stovall, Jacob Kainen, and others.

There are tons of Gilliams, but the king of the collection seems to be the immensely talented Joseph Craig English, who has several dozens of works in the collection.

Some of my faves are a gorgeous Xerox, chine colle' on pulp, and paint by the late Michael B. Platt titled “Olga”, also “Bonﬁeld’s, A Farewell” by Joseph Craig English, and “Snowfall” by Alessandra Torres.

About the Author: F. Lennox Campello's art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area has been a premier source for the art community for over 20 years. Since 2003, his blog has been the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet with over SIX million visitors.

Devil with the Blue Dress

“She’s

a real humdinger and I like it like that.”

There is lots of new inventory in the shop and you can order online. Choose your style, your size and color, including the tie dye blue (but no brushstroke). From Christopher Calvin. Jane Seymour Hat by Walleroo. Jewelry by Sarah Cavender Metalworks. Handmade in Oxford, Alabama.

Monday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm

1124 King Street l Alexandria, Virginia 22314

703-548-1461 l www.imagineartwear.com csimagine@aol.com

with a handcrafted gift…

Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello Price and additional images upon request.

“A woman in love with abstraction” - 2021

“ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON, DC”

16x20 watercolor on paper with embedded electronic images that rotate every 5 seconds.

– Washington City Paper

Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello

Price and additional images upon request. Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC, Washington, DC www.alidaanderson.com / info@alidaanderson.com

Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid). Watercolor, charcoal and Conte. 2019, 12x36 inches.

Olga - by Michael Platt

Photo by Bev Dietz

FROM THE BAY

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center –Where Art & Nature Meet!

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center (ASGAC) invites adults to unwind, create, and connect this summer!

Located ASGAC is excited to announce a dynamic lineup of upcoming adult-focused events and workshops designed to inspire creativity, connection, and a little carefree fun. From casual evening socials to hands-on creative workshops, there’s something for every grown-up looking to relax and recharge in a beautiful, artistic setting.

Annmarie After Hours: Exhibit Opening Celebration

Friday, June 13 | 5:00–7:00 pm

$5 per adult | FREE for AMG Members | Adults Only

Join us in celebration of a new exhibit in the Main Gallery: Submerged: Sea Life and Aquatic Art. Meet the artists, grab a glass of wine, enjoy beautiful art and lively music and conversation!

Food and Drink: DF 26 Mexican Food, Annmarie Cash Bar.

Food Truck Friday

Friday, June 13 | 5:00–7:00 pm

Extended garden hours with food trucks on site. Perfect for a date night. Experience the glow of the sculpture garden as the sun sets, grab a bite to eat, make a picnic of it, or stroll our wooded paths. Also, fairy houses are still on display throughout the garden - see how many you can ﬁ nd!

Adult Workshops & Learning Opportunities

Hester’s Houseplant Prop & Swap

Saturday, June 7 | 10:00 am–12:30 pm

Bring your own houseplants or garden plants (or

propagatable parts) to share for the plant swap. Participants are also encouraged to bring a decorative pot for the pot swap, and seeds for a seed swap! Learn how simple it is to propagate various houseplants - It's a potluck of plants!

Planned Giving Seminar with Wells Fargo Wednesday, June 18 | 6:30–8:30 pm

Calling Adults Only!

Join us for an informational planned giving seminar presented by Ken Barkman & Debra Rankin of Wells Fargo. This is a free ﬁ nancial seminar hosted by Ann's Circle, the non-proﬁt organization that supports Annmarie Garden. Includes a presentation and Q&A session. Light refreshments will be served.

Now on View

Imaginary Worlds: Invented Spaces & Places

This exhibition invites viewers to explore visionary landscapes, fantastic cityscapes, and surreal dreamscapes crafted by contemporary artists. Blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination, the exhibition showcases artwork that transports audiences to new and unexpected realms. Each piece serves as a portal into an artist’s unique, invented world, inspiring wonder and curiosity.

Follow @annmariearts on social media for updates, garden beauty, and artistic inspiration.

Annmarie Garden is a 501(c)3 non-proﬁt. Only 15% of their operating budget is provided by county

funding. The remaining 85% is raised through our many programs, events, and activities, including revenues from daily admissions - and generous donors.

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center 13470 Dowell Rd.

Solomons, Maryland

410-326-4640

annmariegarden.org

Publishers Note: Annmarie Gardens is one of Calvert County, Maryland’s true treasures. The property is located in scenic Solomons, Maryland, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. It is a pretty straight shot down Route 4 with two left turns (coming from the north) – one onto Dowell Road and the other into the entrance. Allow yourself an hour of drive time since there are several lights along the route. Exploring Solomons Island while you are in the vicinity is a good idea. We recommend that you take a tour of the Calvert Marine Museum just down the road from the Gardens and continue into town for some great places to eat.

Photo by Lani Gering

Fresh From the Farm

If every household in Virginia spent just ten dollars a week on locally grown agricultural products, it would bring $1.65 billion to the local economy in a year. Why not start this week by purchasing fresh produce from a farmer’s market or any of a number of nearby farms? Besides eating delicious, healthy foods, you can feel good about helping create jobs in Virginia, encouraging our local economy to grow, and keep family farms working and sustainable.

Virginia Buy Fresh, Buy Local utilizes a network of organizations and agencies to support the education and development of consumers, farmers, and food buyers. The Virginia Grown program is a marketing tool promoting fresh, local products to consumers and has a proven track record for increasing visibility, developing additional media attention and enhancing marketing opportunities for Virginia Grown products.

Virginia is for food lovers. Buying local foods helps create jobs, supports existing ones, and it’s good for you. Local goods don’t sit in storage, nor do they have to be trucked, flown or transported great distances, so they’re far more flavorful and retain more of their beneficial nutrients. Most people don’t include enough fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets, a major contributing cause to the national epidemic of obesity and diabetes as well as a host of other diseases. What better way for both children and adults to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables than buying garden-fresh, flavorful local and organic produce?

The Washington D.C. area has plenty of suburban sprawl, but it also has more local and family farms within close proximity than many major metro areas, including a good number within a half hour drive from the Beltway. Buying locally helps support endangered family and small farms and has the added beneﬁt of preserving scenic open spaces. In turn, preservation of farmland helps keep taxes lower since agricultural land uses very little in county services.

Look for the “Virginia Grown” logo wherever you shop. The Virginia Grown program’s logo and labels help you identify locally grown products in the marketplace. There’s also a user-friendly website to help you identify products and produce, including what’s in season and when on their website, www. vagrown.vdacs.virginia.gov. There, you can also learn more about farm stands, pick-your-own, farm to table, and community supported agriculture farms, buyers’ clubs and cooperatives.

A Group Eﬀort

Community supported farming isn’t a new concept, but it’s a relatively recent arrival to this area. CSA farms oﬀer opportunities to join with other consumers and make a ﬁ nancial commitment to a farm in exchange for regular, weekly produce baskets during the season. “CSA farming actually started in Japan about 40 years ago,” explained Jay

Everett, who’s run two in New England and one in Fauquier County here in the Commonwealth. He said ideally all the CSA members develop a budget before the growing season, agree on what to grow and split costs and labor between members. For some, explained Everett, the emotional connection to the food grown is important. “People like to come out with their kids and be involved in the planting and the picking; they want to get their hands in the dirt,” he said. “And for about $20 a week, they get a basket of produce; whatever’s in season, plus eggs and meat from pastured chickens. Once you taste the diﬀerence you get hooked.”

But not all CSAs require labor. “I’m pretty much a one-man show,” said Matt Eustace, referring to the planting, tending and harvesting he does for the CSA at Willowlyn Farm in Catlett. He starts from seed in his greenhouses, but admits he gets busy during the growing season, now until fall, and hires seasonal labor. “Probably between 50 and 75 percent of my sales are from CSAs, but I also sell direct at farm stands and when I have surplus, which is most of the time.” He welcomes non-CSA members to his farm during the growing season too, as well as people interested in joining a CSA, and sells much of his excess produce at the Lee Highway Nursery nearby as well as at the Southern Fauquier Farmers Market. And his best sellers? “Tomatoes, all kinds, sweet corn, cucumbers, lettuces and greens, radishes and beets, carrots, melons and squash. I don’t do okra, but I do grow some eggplant.” Willowlyin is located in Catlett, just south of Manassas.

Shop Smart at Farmers Markets & Retailers in the Blue Ridge

Some suggest arriving early for the best selection; while bargain hunters might score good deals by waiting until just before closing; although arriving late you risk missing the good stuﬀ. Bring cash for the farmers markets, not all vendors take checks or credit cards although most of the retailers will. Don’t forget a cooler with ice, especially if you aren’t going straight home. Bring your own sturdy bags to cut down on waste and use of plastic bags. Get to know the growers—ask questions about their food, storage tips and favorite recipes.

A word about organ ic—most small farmers use organic practices and you won’t fi nd any synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge or genetically modified organisms used. Meat and eggs are free of antibiotics and growth hormones. To be certified organic involves a rigorous inspection process; while most farmers use organic practices, not all are certified organic—ask the farmer for details. Eustace says most of the nutrients are lost during processing and packing, so buying local is the single best thing you can do to improve the quality of what you eat. “Commercially grown lettuce is given six chlorine washes,” he explains. “Unless it’s treated, it starts to decompose as soon as it’s picked.”

Where to Shop

Willowlyn Farms Produce LLC 9781 Willowlyn Lane, Catlett 540-436-7954

Willowlynfarm.com

Seasonal produce including fruit, vegetables, berries and sour cherries. Willowlyn sells by appointment and also at the Lee Highway Nursery. The Farm at Sunnyside, Washington 540-675-9946

Thefarmatsunnyside.com

Seasonal vegetables, apples, pears, cherries, peaches, blackberries, sells through CSA, supplies restaurants and sells at DuPont Circle & Crystal City farmers markets

Moving Meadows Farm Lloyds Lane, Culpeper 540-825-9113

movingmeadowsfarm.com

Bread, rolls, cookies and sweets from ﬂour milled onsite daily, natural meats including beef & poultry.

Whisper Hills Farm 7215 Robinson River Road, Rapidan 480-540-9047

whisperhillfarm.com

Whisper Hills sells seasonal plants, produce, herbs and cut lowers.

Virginia Green Grocer CSA 9317 Green Meadow Road, Warrenton 571-359-7915

virginiagreengrocer.com

Sells seasonal certiﬁed organic produce and natural beef, eggs and herbs through CSA and to restaurants and retailers.

Archwood Green Barns

Rts. 245 & I-66, The Plains 540-253-5289

archwoodgreenbarns@juno.com

Farmers market open Sundays 10 am-3 pm May thru mid-November.

Culpeper Downtown Farmers Market East Davis Street parking lot, Culpeper 540-825-4416

culpeperdowntown.com

Open through Nov. 12th on Saturdays 7:30 am-12 pm.

Natural Markeplace

5 Diagonal Street, Warrenton TheNaturalMarketplace.com

Specialty market selling natural and organic foods, herbs, cosmetics, etc.

Red Truck Farm Store & Bakery 22 Waterloo Street, Warrenton 540-364-7339

redtruckbakery.com

Local items and bakery using local ingredients.

A Slice of Peace and Calm In the City: U.S. National Arboretum

We decided to stick close to home for this month’s Road Trip. At the suggestion of one of our readers, we ventured into the “City” to the U.S. National Arboretum and spent an afternoon. Our original plan was to visit it midweek to avoid the potential of weekend crowds but Mother Nature thwarted that plan with a whole day of rain. We ended up being there on the Saturday before the Memorial Day weekend and parking at the Visitors Center meant making a few “loops” around the lot but on the third spin we garnered a space as close to up front as you could get without parking in a handicap space.

I kind of hate to admit that the last time I was at the Arboretum was in 1985 when I was here for a 2-year assignment with the USDA. However, I didn’t feel so bad when my partner, who has lived in this area for 72 years admitted that he had NEVER been there. We are both losers…it really is a nice place that is less than a ½ hour drive from Old Town Alexandria; we will go back. I toured the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

and the National Herb Garden that are adjacent to the Visitors Center while Bob enjoyed sitting around the aquatic plants exhibit outside and watching the hundreds of Koi ﬁsh swim around. We then took a drive around the acreage. It really is a special place. There were several families and groups picnicking and a good number of folks walking and jogging the grounds.

There aren’t any food venues but snacks and drinks are available in vending machines. There appeared to be ample bathroom facilities and water fountains throughout the grounds. There are also several benches that are nestled among the trees and foliage that looked like a good place to bring a book to read and enjoy nature.

I compiled much of the following information about the Arboretum from content provided by them and the Friends of National Arboretum (FONA) – more about them below. My additional comments are in italics.

The U.S. National Arboretum spans 451 acres in Northeast Washington, D.C. and is administered

by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Arboretum was established by the National Arboretum Act, signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge on March 4, 1927. In 1953, the National Arboretum was incorporated into USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. It serves as a horticultural research facility and a public green space. The Arboretum manages living collections of woody plants and research ﬁelds for breeding plants. It also has a seed bank and one of the world’s most comprehensive preserved plant specimen libraries. The National Arboretum beneﬁts each of us, our community, and the nation through horticultural research and plant conservation.

These 451 acres of rolling forested terrain, including Mt. Hamilton—oﬀers commanding views of the Capitol from one of the city’s highest points—expansive meadows, and the restored Spring House Run riparian habitat. Nine miles of winding roadways and many more paths connect the gardens and natural areas across the grounds.

Be sure to take a good look at the layout of the grounds on the wall in the Visitors Center and pick up a map to take with you so you don’t get lost.

The Arboretum hosts the world’s ﬁ rst museum dedicated to the art of bonsai, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, established in 1976. They are very proud to be home to a 400-year-old Yamaki Pine known as the “Peace Tree”. I think that is pretty amazing.

The public display gardens at the National Arboretum grew organically from their early research interests into speciﬁc plant groups and collaborations with garden clubs and plant societies into comprehensive collections focused on plant groups important to American landscapes and on important, botanically rich temperate ﬂora. Examples of the latter include the Asian Collections, highlighting plants from China, Korea, and Japan, and Fern Valley, the collection of eastern North American native plants in a scenic woodland settling.

The Azalea collections demonstrate the breadth and depth of diversity amongst azaleas and their relatives and showcase the Arboretum’s contributions to the development of modern, hybrid evergreen azaleas. The Dogwood, Gotelli Conifer, Holly and Magnolia, and Boxwood collections draw attention to these important nursery crops, which are augmented with complementary plantings for year-round appeal. Many of the azalea’s were still pretty much in bloom on our visit but will most likely be gone this month but the Magnolias were starting to bloom and they smelled amazing.

The National Herb Garden is a highly curated display of herbs from around the world in theme gardens and a cottage-style design ﬁlled with companion plantings, including heritage roses. The iconic National Capitol Columns create a picturesque landmark in the heart of the Arboretum. I was a little disappointed in this garden but it was early for some herbs so I

imagine when I go back this summer it will be bursting. There are some impressive rosemary “bushes” though!

The Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) helps the Arboretum fulﬁll its research and education mission and funds critical operations. FONA is expanding its role with events, programs, communications, fundraising, and more.

As the primary nonproﬁt private partner of the National Arboretum, FONA raises awareness of the National Arboretum as a major center for horticultural research that beneﬁts the U.S. nursery and landscape industry; spotlights the value of plants for our well-being and connects people to nature; they were instrumental in bringing the Capitol Columns to the Arboretum in the early ’90s. The organization funded the Flowering Tree Walk surrounding the meadow so all people can enjoy its beauty regardless of ability and their volunteers planted over 30,000 native plants along the Springhouse Run creek to improve the Anacostia River’s water quality. The Capitol Columns are pretty impressive. It looked like they were working on the landscaping in front of them while we were there so by the time you check them out, I bet the grass has been restored.

The Washington Youth Garden is the Arboretum’s largest community outreach program. Revenue from the venue rental program funds the Arboretum Director’s Fund which pays for things like consultants, supplies, and maintenance projects. Our plant sales and seasonal festivals support our mission and connect visitors to the Arboretum. Check out their website at fona. org or pull up their Face Book and/or Instagram pages for upcoming scheduled activities. I am looking forward to the next plant sale and taking a picnic and attending one of the concerts this summer. Alcohol isn’t allowed on the grounds –just like it isn’t allowed on the beach. IFYKYK. Weddings at the Arboretum are managed by the Friends of the National Arboretum in conjunction with the MTG Hospitality. All wedding

ceremonies and vow exchanges of any size require prior approval, fee payment and coordination through these entities. Pop up weddings are not permitted at any time. Any unauthorized ceremonies observed on the grounds will be stopped by security and parties will be subject to removal. As a federal facility administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, events and commercial activities, including weddings and photography, are subject to authorities, rules and fees. If you are interested in having your wedding at the US National Arboretum, please contact Natalie Thomas at natalie@mtghospitality.com There was a wedding in the making not far from the Visitors Center but we left before we could see the entire set up. It was looking pretty amazing in any case.

The grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum are open every day of the year except Christmas Day. FONA is launching a full summer of free extended evening hours at the Arboretum from June 1st to August 30th excluding June 7th, 14th and 21st due to private event rentals. The Arboretum will stay open all summer long from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., instead of closing at 5:00 PM. Visit www.FONA. org for additional details about summer evening hours and speciﬁc details - like which gate to enter during evening hours - are subject to change at the Arboretum's discretion. Their website – FONA. org - is the best place to ﬁ nd the most current information.

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except for federal holidays. Admission to the grounds and museum is free and no tickets are needed.

The Arboretum is located at 3501 New York Avenue Northeast in the District with entrances on R Street NE and New York Avenue NE. For helpful hints on coming into the grounds from all directions in the DMV, detailed directions are provided on their website. We used Google Maps instead of looking at those directions so ended up going in one way and out another.

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION

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One of the best beaches in the Bahamas comes with a worldfamous Blue Hole!

It doesn’t look real at ﬁ rst. You step out from the pines and palms onto a curve of soft, white sand, and there it is—this perfect, impossible circle in the sea. A portal. The blue gets darker the longer you stare.

Dean’s Blue Hole isn’t just a geological wonder. It’s something deeper.

I got there during the day, just after noon. The air was still, heavy with salt and possibility. The only sounds were the rhythm of the waves, a few rustling birds in the bush, and my own breath, slow and steady as I walked toward the edge. The sand drops oﬀ fast here. One moment you’re in waistdeep turquoise, the next you’re ﬂoating above 663 feet of pure blue abyss. This is actually the third-deepest blue hole in the world, and the deepest in this hemisphere, as I found out. It’s wonder of the region.

I let myself drift. It’s quiet out there. Not the kind of quiet you get in a hotel room, or even in the bush. This is elemental. The kind of silence that resets your mind. You experience the pull of the deep below, but also a strange stillness, a calm. I felt it.

There’s no lifeguard here. No jet skis. Just you and the ocean and the sense that you’ve stepped into another world. There are usually no other people. I didn’t see anyone when I visited here.

A very special corner of The Bahamas

Free divers come here to chase records. I was chasing something else—maybe perspective. Maybe nothing at all. And while the Blue Hole — deservedly — gets most of the attention, the beach itself is, well, stunning: perfect white sand, a spectrum of blues in the water, a ring of cliﬀs in the background.

If the Blue Hole weren’t here, it would still be one of the best beaches in The Bahamas.

If you ever ﬁ nd yourself on Long Island, make the trip down to the southern portion of the island. Go to Dean’s Blue Hole. Wade out past the shallow shelf and look down.You’ll see blue. You’ll feel something you didn’t expect. And you won’t forget it.

Getting to the Beach

How do you get to Long Island? There’s just one international flight, with nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and the island’s Stella Maris airport (in the northern part of Long Island) on Makers Air, which I’ve traveled on many times across the Out Islands of The Bahamas. (It flies out of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, meaning you get a great private check-in experience). You also can fly Bahamasair to the island’s central Deadman’s Cay airport, but you’ll have to get to Nassau fi rst.

As for where to stay, the signature hotel on the island is in the north — the Cape Santa Maria hotel, which has a mix of bungalows and villas on its own world-class beach. But it is not close to Dean’s Blue Hole. If you want to stay closer to this wonder of the Caribbean, you’ll need to ﬁ nd a room at the residential-style Harbor Breeze Villas on nearby Locharbar Beach (it’s about 15 minutes away from the Blue Hole), where I stayed and had a very good time. Just note that it’s really a do-it-yourself resort, meaning you need to stock your room and cook your meals. Down here, the Blue Hole is pretty much all there is. (Rooms from $152 per night).

Publishers Note: We are happy to partner with Alexander Britell, Founder and Editor in Chief of the Miami, Florida based Caribbean Journal and his staﬀ contributing to the OTC and our Caribbean Connection Section. Check out the popular online magazine/website at caribjournal.com for valuable information on all fabulous travel options and things of interest in the Caribbean.

Martinique. Cuba. Guyana. Guadeloupe. Barbados. Puerto Rico. When you think of legendary Caribbean rum-making markets, these are some of the ﬁ rst names that come to mind.

But hidden away in the southeastern Caribbean is another one that should be on your radar: Grenada.

The lush, fertile island has long been a haven for great rums under several brands, from the revered white rum at the centuries-old River Antoine to the expert aging and bottling at the historic Westerhall site (where one of our favorite rums of the last decade, the XXO, is made).

The #37 Blend is a 12-year-aged expression (one that actually began life back in 2010 as an eight-year rum; now it’s aged to a dozen. So, what’s it like?

The aroma has notes of almond, vanilla and nutmeg (the last one shouldn’t be a surprise).

But the signature rum brand in Grenada is unquestionably Clarke’s Court, a distillery set in the southern third of the island and one with nearly a century of history.

There’s a range of expressions, from the wonderfully named Old Grog (it stands for Georgius Rex Old Grenada) to the Pure White. The ﬂagship rum is named for the birth of the brand: 37, a nod to its founding in St George’s in 1937 (a distillery with a terriﬁc gift shop just on the outskirts of town).

On any trip to Grenada, picking up a bottle of this stuﬀ is a must.

The ﬂavors are marked by bitter orange, nutmeg, cinnamon, cane stalk, mango and brown sugar.

There’s a nice, delicate ﬁ nish, with a slightly warm glow.

In a place called the Spice Isle, where the ﬂowery aromas of fresh spices are palpable in the air on every corner of the island, the #37 is a welcome, loyal expression of Grenada.

There’s something deeper you learn about a spirit when you order it in its natural spirit. Here, the #37 makes perfect sense, feels true to the island.

This is a lovely rum, one that pairs particularly well with a sunset on Grand Anse Beach.

If you’re among those who travel the islands of the West Indies in search of rums rare and renowned, this should be on your list.

The

Right on the beach in the nicest part of Naples, next to a park. You cannot get any closer or find a better view at any price than this 2BR 2BA condo. Naples was rated the No. 1 US city to live in by U.S. News and is always on the list of the top 10 best beaches in the U.S. Extremely well built, low density post WWII building that has withstood the past two Cat 4 and 5 hurricanes with no structural damage. Step out to beach or walk to town center, fabulous golfing biking and boating nearby. You cannot buy a better view anywhere on the Gulf for five times the price. For downsizing or a winter getaway don't let this one slip away. Listed for $975,000 with Naples Vibe Realty at 239-300-7006 naplesviberealty.com or call the owner Julie at 540-364-9480 for more information.

DINING GUIDE

AMERICAN

1799 PRIME STEAK & SEAFOOD

110 S. Pitt Street

571-404-6001

ADA'S ON THE RIVER

3 Pioneer Mill Way 703-638-1400

AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970

BLACKWALL HITCH

5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090

BOB & EDITHS DINER 1743 King Street

703-664-0043 bobandedithsdiner.com

CHADWICKS

203 Strand St. 703-836-4442

CHART HOUSE

One Cameron St. 703-684-5080

CITY KITCHEN

330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com

EDDIE'S LITTLE SHOP & DELI 1406 King Street 571-312-8615

EVENING STAR CAFÉ

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051

EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street

703-299-0894

FRANKIE'S KITCHEN & COCKTAIL BAR 823 S. Washington St. 703-512-2118

GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969

HOPS 'N SHINE 3410 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-566-1509

HUMMINGBIRD

220 South Union Street 703-566-1355

JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372

JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

JULA'S ON THE POTOMAC 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644

JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue

703-436-0025 junctionbakery.com

KILN - HOTEL HERON 699 Prince St. 703-662-1900

KINGS RANSOM 728 King Street 571-319-0794

LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313

THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533

LOST DOG CAFE

808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511

MACMILLAN'S SPIRIT HOUSE

500 Montgomery St. 703-665-6690

MAJESTIC CAFÉ

911 King St. 703-837-9117

MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com

MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com

MYSTIC BAR & GRILL

220 N. Lee St. 703-565-9808 mysticbbqandgrill.com

NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032

OAK STEAKHOUSE 901 N. St. Asaph St. 703-840-3395

OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 DanielOconnells.com

PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699

THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851

RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com

RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com

ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274

ROYAL RESTAURANT 730 N. St. Asaph St. 703-548-1616

RT'S RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com

SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

SLATERS MARKET 1552 Potomac Greens Dr. 703-548-3807

SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649

SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550

SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423

SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222

SWEET FIRE DONNA'S

510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960

THE COOPER MILL 10 Duke St. 703-566-1278

THE STUDY 116 South Alfred Street 703-838-8000

T.J. STONES

GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com

TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909

UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE

121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com

VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com

ASIAN

ASIAN BISTRO

809 King St. 703-836-1515

INDOCHEN

1625 King Street (571) 404-6050

KISSO ASIAN BISTRO

300 King Street 703-888-1513

MALAYA

1019 King St. 703-519-3710

MAI THAI

9 King St. 703-548-0600

NASIME

1209 King St. 703-548-1848

SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878

CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800

SISTERS THAI 503 Montgomery St. 571-777-8154

RAILBIRD KITCHEN 804 North Henry St. 703-577-9023

CONTINENTAL

CEDAR KNOLL

GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665

OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361

ALEXANDRIA BIER GARDEN 710 King Street 703-888-1951 villagebrauhaus.com

FRENCH

BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776

bastillerestaurant.com

BEN' YAYS 1028 King Street 703-495-3888

BRABO 1600 King St. 703-894-3440

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

JOSEPHINE 109 South St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776

TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

ITALIAN

ALDO'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 2850 Eisenhower Avenue (behind the building) 703-888-2243

ANDY’S PIZZA 107 N Fayette St 571-319-0497

BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313

FRANK PEPE NAPOLETANA PIZZERIA 3231 Duke Street Alexandria Commons 703-719-2035

HANDOVER BY THE SLICE 728 King Street 571-319-0794

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com

LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086

MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300

EPICURE ON KING 703 King Street 703-838-9090

PIECE OUT 2419 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-398-1287

RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873

THOMPSON'S ITALIAN 1026 King Street alexandria@thompsonitalian.com

MEDITERRANEAN

BARCA PIER & WINE BAR 2 Pioneer Mill Way 703-638-1100

ELAINE'S 208 Queen Street 571-970-0517

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194

DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006

VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720

VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747

SEAFOOD

HANKS OYSTER BAR 818 N St. Asaph 703-739-HANK

FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 ﬁshmarketoldva.com

THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834

WHISKEY & OYSTER 301 John Carlyle 703-567-1533

INDIAN

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338

KISMET MODERN INDIAN 111 North Pitt Street 703-567-4507

NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615

MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN

CASA TEQUILA (next to Crate & Barrel) 1701 Duke 703-518-5312

CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438

DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144

LOS CUATES RESTAURANT 1116 King Street 703-548-2918

LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290

LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167

TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226)

TEQUILA & TACO

540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203

URBANO 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148

Head to Mystic Bar & Grill for Father’s Day Eats!

With Father's Day celebrated this month on the 15th, we decided to highlight one of the Old Town eateries that the kids could take Dad to for this annual celebration. Unlike Mother’s Day, we decided on a no white table cloth and ﬁ ne China venue that serves good sized portions of high-quality BBQ and seafood with lots of culinary options in between. With that in mind, we chose one of our favorite new Old Town restaurants, Mystic Bar & Grill. Located at 220 North Lee Street, just a block and a half of King Street, Mystic celebrated its ﬁ rst anniversary this spring. Some of you “seasoned” diners that were here in the late 1970’s might remember the French-inspired Cafe Biarritz, with its baby grand piano in the back room, that occupied this space. Later the location was home to the popular Ecco Cafe, then Overwood’s and most recently Myron Mixon’s BBQ.

Mystic is named in memory of the owner’s wife and mother and her love of music. It is a play on the Van Morrison lyrics - “We were born before the wind, also younger that the sun. Ere the bonnie boat was won as we sailed into the Mystic.” You will hear this era of music as well as other familiar tunes as you dine.

The physical layout of the restaurant is pretty straight forward. There are three distinct dining areas all located on diﬀerent sides of the bar area. The medium sized bar anchors the main room with several tables and high tops scattered about. New this spring is an outdoor seating area that adds another dimension. The décor is very contemporary and open and rock and roll images adorn the walls.

This casual restaurant has it all starting with some of the best BBQ and southern sides in the area in addition to fabulous seafood and several Creole dishes rounded out by many old favorites. This is a restaurant you can visit four nights a week and have four diﬀerent dining experiences.

This was not our fi rst visit to Mystic. We went right after they opened last spring and I discovered their crabcake sandwich. It is an excellent sandwich or main course without the bun. The crab meat is all backfin lump and plenty of it. It is not fried like many crabcakes are, it is just pure lump meat mixed with just enough special ingredients to hold it together, piled high and broiled and placed on a soft bun with lettuce, tomato and a Florida mustard sauce (we are sure you could substitute cocktail or tartar but give this sauce a whirl fi rst) on the side. I usually forego the French fries, which are very good, and opt for the coleslaw, it always pairs well with crabmeat. Compared to other crab cake sandwiches in the area, the $28 price tag is a bargain.

They offer ten items as starters. We have previously ordered the "Mystic" Fried Oysters. They were great - lightly battered with secret “mystic” stuff and fried to a very light, tasty crust. The tomato-onion salad & horseradish sauce nicely compliments the oysters. The other bivalve offering is the Chargrilled Oysters – six oysters grilled with lemon-garlic butter, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. One of our dining neighbors ordered them and they looked way tasty. Defi nitely trying them next time.

While we didn’t order the ribs on our most recent visit in order to experience something diﬀerent, they are a “go-to” for us. The Mystic Baby Back ribs are on the

BBQ Plates menu – you have your choice of said ribs or a ½ pound of Texas Brisket, Creole Pulled Chicken, Carolina Pulled Pork (both available on the sandwich menu as well) or a combo of any two. The ribs are meaty and perfectly seasoned and smoked and lathered in a hearty dark barbeque sauce that, by the way, is fantastic. While the ribs are a meal in itself, you have a choice of two sides (fries, coleslaw, mac and cheese, collard greens, Creole white beans w/Tasso ham and cornbread w/ honey butter) to accompany them.

On our recent trip to Mystic, I enjoyed the Shrimp & Crawfish Etouffee. The Etouffee was slow simmered with fresh vegetables, fi rm shrimp and tasty crawfish. The rice was fi rm and cooked just right. The meal was excellent. I am not too keen on a lot of spice but this Etouffee was perfect... just enough and very flavorful. The other half ordered the ShortSmoked BBQ Salmon. This dish consists of a good-sized piece of salmon coated with BBQ sauce, smoked and grilled (to perfection according to her) and topped with mango salsa, avocado and tortilla strips. Served over a bed of rice, this dish is defi nitely one worth trying.

In order to save some space for photos, we won’t pontiﬁcate on the details of everything that we have had over the course of this last year (we drink/dine at least once a month here). In addition to what we have covered here, we highly recommend the Smoked Chicken Wings, Mystic Cobb Salad, She Crab Soup, Gumbo Ya-Ya, Buttermilk Fried Chicken (both sandwich and entrée) and every one of the sides! If you are in dessert mode, you can’t go wrong with the Pecan Pie and Key Lime Pie.

Mystic has a full bar oﬀering craft beers and cocktails and a pretty impressive wine selection for a Bar & Grill type establishment. We always sit at the bar when we dine unless it is an event the merits a white table cloth. We like to converse with other patrons and the bartender, of course. Many of you may know Kat who is behind the bar a few nights a week. She was the anchor bartender at R.T.’s for several years and is a character as well as a fantastic bartender. She hasn’t been on duty the last few times we’ve been in so we have had the pleasure of getting to know Sam and he is a treasure. His attention to service and genuine interest in his customers is impressive. He is a great ambassador for the restaurant. Be sure to introduce yourself to whomever is behind the bar and tell them the Old Town Crier sent you. Happy Hour runs Tuesday through Friday from 3-7pm with food and drink specials including the likes of Nacho Tuesday, Wednesday Wings & Beer and Thursday Surf & Sip.

No matter what Dad's cravings are, they have it at Mystic Bar & Grill. They even have a Kids menu consisting of Chicken Tenders & Fries, Kids Mac & Cheese and a Kids Burger with Fries. The Davis family has found a trifecta of dining choices, seating and a nice bar. Toss in a friendly staﬀ and what more could you ask for?

Porcine Perfection for Pop

With Fathers’ Day just around the corner, many families are wondering what they can do for dad to make his special day a memorable one. No, you can’t just give him a card and be done with it. And cutting the lawn for him isn’t good enough either. Doing a household chore for dad isn’t exactly a gesture of unconditional love. As a devoted family who appreciates dad, you’re obligated to come up with something he won’t soon forget. What better way is there to say “Pops we love you.” than to feed that special guy an unforgettable meal? Here are easy BBQ pork and black bean salsa and corn recipes for Fathers’ Day. This is also a good way to kick oﬀ the BBQ season.

The Pork Roast

First you need to select the correct cut of pork. You could use pork loin, but this is not the best choice. The loin cut is devoid of collagen and only has a scant amount of surface fat. (One of the cruelest rules of nature I know is that animal fat equals ﬂavor.) I would select pork shoulder or butt for this particular cooking method, dry radiant heat. A 5 to 7 pound roast should do nicely. It’s better to cook a roast that is more than necessary because approximately onethird will be lost to shrinkage and there is that pesky bone. Preheat the coals as you would for any other BBQ procedure. If you have a gas grill, heat the chamber to 300ºF.

The Dry Rub

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Combine all dry ingredients and hand-rub mixture over pork roast. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate refrigerated for 2 to 4 hours. If there is any dry rub remaining, rub it on before cooking. Place a drip pan under the grill or, if this isn’t possible, place roast in baking pan, with ½ cup of water, on the grill itself. A low constant cooking temperature is critical. The temperature must remain around 300ºF during the entire cooking process. Replenish coals as needed to maintain heat level. The roast should remain uncovered at all times. Slow-roasting allows the interior fat and collagen to literally melt giving the roast that unctuous texture and ﬂavor that makes these particular cuts of pork ideal for roasting. Cook until the interior temperature reaches at least 145ºF. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer (a tip-sensitive, instant-read

digital thermometer is best). Cooking time will vary, but should be between 2 to 3 hours. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. The roast will exude natural juice as the muscle ﬁbers relax. Save the juice for later use. The rest time is also important for food-safety reasons. According to the USDA, after meat is removed from a heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which helps to destroy harmful bacteria such as Salmonella or E. coli.

The Salsa

• 3 ears of fresh corn (drained canned corn is okay)

• 2 cans of black beans, strained to remove liquid (to get rid of preservatives and sodium)

• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

• 1 can diced tomatoes, including juice

• ½ cup yellow onion, diced

• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• ½ teaspoon chili powder

• ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (optional)

• ½ teaspoon salt

With a paring knife, cut kernels off each corn cob. To do this, hold the cob vertically and shear off the kernels by slicing downward toward the cutting board. You might want to do this on a dinner plate as the kernels tend to fly everywhere. The plate will contain them. Cover raw kernels with water and simmer until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Strain cooked kernels and place them in a large mixing bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients with cooked kernels and mix thoroughly. Adjust for seasoning. Salsa does not have to be served warm. Corn tortilla chips would go well with this dish.

The Eating

Slice pork and display on a platter for service. The slices of the crispy exterior are wonderful. Dad gets ﬁ rst dibs on these. Sorry! Warm four tortillas over the grill or gas burner and keep warm with a cloth towel. Serve with sliced onion and avocado, chopped cilantro and tomato, shredded iceberg lettuce and sour cream. Dad can dress his taco the way he likes or he can even have it au naturale, without condiments. If dad chooses to go with just meat, he can drizzle some of the delicious warm pork juice on his taco. Sure, it’s messy, but who cares with eats this good? Dad can do whatever he desires, this is the only day of the year the man gets things his way. Dads rule!

Alexandria’s Birthday

GRAPEVINE

New Kids on the Block Peak Shenandoah Wine Region

Peak Shenandoah is Virginia’s newest wine region. Named after Shenandoah National Park, it brings together six wineries located within 30 minutes of the park’s northern entrance at Front Royal. Region members include Arterra Wines, Capstone Vineyards, Chester Gap Cellars, Fox Meadow Winery, Rappahannock Cellars, and Star in the Valley Winery

These venues are heavily inﬂuenced by the mountainous terrain around them. But according to Star in the Valley owner Shane Waller, they are bound by more than geography.

“Our wineries straddle both county lines and American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), yet we are still connected by a common character. When I look at these other wineries, I see reﬂections of us. Folks that tend to the vines themselves, make the wine themselves, and have small, family-run-tasting rooms they’re selling wine from.

We’re all in the mountains and are just around the corner from fantastic outdoor recreation spots. That’s why I like to say it’s a wine region, because it’s an area where the wineries have similar characteristics.

We named it Peak Shenandoah as a homage to the park, as there are a lot of people that come here for hiking. We want to let these visitors know there are other fantastic places to visit as well. Or if you’re here for wine, come have a great day, stay overnight, and you can have a great hike the next day.”

Six Wineries Bound by a Common Thread

Peak Shenandoah isn’t a federally designated wine growing area like the nearby Shenandoah Valley AVA or Middleburg AVA. At the same time, it’s more than a wine trail, where participants sometimes share little in common beyond being neighbors.

“What sets our area apart from Loudoun or Charlottesville is elevation is the common thread for our participating wineries,” said Amanda Darvill of Fox Meadow. “Fox Meadow is at 1,800 feet. Capstone is at 1,500’. Star in the Valley is 1,300’. The other wineries are somewhere around 1,000’.

This elevation is important because cool air preserves acidity. Being near Chester Gap also means we have a constant breeze coming through, which helps alleviate disease pressure.”

Peak Shenandoah had its kick-oﬀ event on May 18th at Fox Meadow. The event showcased how their wines share similarities as well as unique personalities.

While these wineries share many of the same grape varieties found elsewhere in Virginia, they don’t limit themselves to Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, or Petit Verdot. Every participant has options that are seldom found elsewhere in the state.

Arterra Winery: Owner Jason Murray uses native yeast and minimal intervention winemaking to bring out the natural varietal characteristics of his grapes,

a style he calls ‘clean wine’. Jason also recently announced he is pursuing an organic certiﬁcation for his estate vineyard, which includes Petit Sirah and Tannat.

Arterra’s tasting room doubles as the studio for Hawkmoth Arts, showcasing his wife Sandy’s nature-themed multi-media artwork.

Capstone Vineyards: When describing the weathered, well-drained soils that make up his vineyard, owner Theo Smith explained, “With dirt like this, making wine is easy. All I have to do is not screw it up.”

Capstone grows traditional Bordeaux red varieties, as well as several grapes less common to Virginia such as Chenin Blanc and Muscat Ottonell. That said, Theo’s 2024 Sauvignon Blanc was a standout at the Peak Shenandoah kick-oﬀ event.

Chester Gap Cellars: With a tasting room set at 1,300 feet at the top of a steep slope, great views are guaranteed here. Visitors can also stay overnight at their on-site AirBnb.

Chester Gap is one of the handful of Roussanne growers in Virginia, although visitors should also try their stainless steel 2021 Viognier for its combination of minerally, crispness, and notes of salinity.

Fox Meadow Winery: Owners Amanda and Whiticar Darvill have a very personal connection with Virginia wine; their ﬁ rst date was at the 2011 Virginia wine festival. Their tasting room is one of the highest elevation sites in the state (and boasts one of the best views). This elevation also aﬀords them the opportunity to grow Pinot Noir, the vineyard’s newest addition.

Rappahannock Cellars: Rappahannock is known for its diversity of options. These include a variety of reds and whites, an in-house distillery, and its sparkling wine program. Rappahannock’s sparkling’s include everything from its “Fizzy” rosé for daily sipping to its traditional method “Prestige”. While the variety may seem intimidating, tasting manager Kelly White explained, “Most customers don’t seem to worry about how the sparkling is made, as long as it’s good.”

Star in the Valley Winery: Star is the only Peak Shenandoah winery actually located in the Shenandoah Valley. In addition to its vinifera, they produce several wines made with hybrid grapes (make sure to try their Chardonel).

Star in the Valley’s lack of light pollution and higher elevation also makes it a great place for stargazing. Shane is partnering with the Shenandoah Astronomical Society for special ‘full moon’ events on 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, and 9/6, with live DJs to accompany these evenings.

Visitors to Peak Shenandoah need not conﬁ ne themselves to wine, as the region

is adjacent to Shenandoah National Park, George Washington National Forest, and Sky Meadows State Park. The Appalachian Trail’s Trumbo Hollow trailhead is just around the corner from Capstone and Fox Meadow, while the Tuscarora Trail is minutes from Star in the Valley.

About the Author: Matthew Fitzsimmons is a blogger who has visited nearly every winery in Virginia – most of them twice. Track his progress at https://winetrailsandwanderlust.com/

OPEN THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY 11-5

PLEASE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS FOR GROUPS OF SIX OR MORE

15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg, VA 20176

703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com info@fabbioliwines.com

Thoughts of the Day

Many years ago, when we lived in California, I would read the Herb Caen column in the San Francisco Chronicle. His column was usually paragraphs of diﬀerent subjects, snippets of Bay Area life that the readers learned from, appreciated and sometimes found themselves in. I really appreciated Herb Caen and his approach, so sometimes I will copy his style rather than taking a deep dive into one subject.

The other day I was scrolling through Facebook and found a comment on a local page stating that Virginia wineries are a “joke” and not worth taking their European family members to visit. Instead of engaging on that platform, I thought this forum might be more civil.

The culture of our local wineries may not be draped in centuries of old traditions but a lot of our grapes and growing techniques are the same style and techniques currently utilized in many European wineries. Virginia wines are continuing to gain recognition and evolve and I have had European wine professors and students look to us and other local businesses for methods to improve their businesses and marketing. This “joke” comment made me realize that we still have work to do in educating our community about our agriculture-based wine industry. Having our loyal customers spreading the word and sharing their favorite local wines helps a lot.

In April, there was a hard spring freeze that hurt a number of our local farmers. The grape growers were hit in certain areas, but the tree fruit growers really took a hard hit to their 2025 crop. We lost all of the pears on our trees and many of our neighbors to the west are in

the same boat. We will ﬁ nd fruit to make our ciders and fruit wines, but one of our signature products is the pear port in a special bottle with a pear grown inside. I put the word out to my local orchard guys and Taylor at Macintosh Orchards was able to help us out as they did not lose all of their pears.

We brought our bottles over to their farm last week and to begin the process of growing pears inside the bottles. Then we tied the bottles to the tree until we harvest in August. Thank you, Taylor and Macintosh Orchards, in Berryville for helping us out this year. We should have this vintage of Pear in the port bottle available in September. (Mackintoshfruitfarm.com)

Along with running Fabbioli Cellars with my wife, I help other wineries by consulting, training, winemaking and whatever else they may need in order to succeed. One of my clients purchased a functioning 30-acre vineyard a couple years back. The owners, the Bane family, started selling their wines last month and are continuing to sell even though they don’t have a tasting room yet. Wine festivals, farmers markets, wine shops and restaurants are all part of their marketing plan until they open up their estate for the public to enjoy. Keep an eye open for WildKind. They are in Northern Loudoun County just south of Harpers Ferry, WV. (WildKindestate.com)

Another client recently purchased an established winery, Twin Oaks Tavern Winery in Bluemont. The new owner, Michelle Spear, is an interior designer and so much more. She has been leading the charge to make

this unique property her own, and learn about our dynamic wine industry. There will be more information at the winery and on the website as historic research on the

buildings and land continues. Views, character, quality and taste. This place is literally on top of the mountain. (Twinoakswinery.com)

My priority is the quality wines and experience here at Fabbioli Cellars. But sharing my knowledge with the next generation of owners, leaders and industry workers will make our community more sustainable and quality focused. And that’s no “joke”! Please continue to patronize and bring home local wines to keep this community thriving.

About the Author: Farmer, winemaker, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Doug Fabbioli has been accelerating the growth and quality of Virginia’s wine industry since 1997. With his wife Colleen, Doug is the owner/operator of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA. He is the founder and director of The New Ag School, which focuses on teaching the next generation of farmers and agriculture-related leaders. No wonder they call Doug Fabbioli the Godfather of DC's Wine Country.

A Trip to the Mountains: Bear Chase Brewing Company

Tasting beers from the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Last month I wrote about the joy of visiting the Eastern Shore. I mentioned how great it is to live in this area with a plethora of fun places for day trips. So, it was only ﬁtting for this month’s article that I travel west to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. After all, that is our motto, “From the Bay to the Blue Ridge.”

This trip fell into our lap. My wife and I were invited to a weekend party at Bear Chase Brewery It was my buddy Evan’s birthday. His wife, Trish, had planned a weekend celebration there. Leigh and I made the cut and landed on the guest list. And man, am I glad we did.

Bear Chase is located in Bluemont, VA, just west of Leesburg. It took us about an hour to get there. You’re so far west that you can throw a rock into West Virginia. You’re not on the top of the mountain, but you’re close. To say that the view is spectacular would be an understatement. This place is truly God’s country. On a good day, you can see Tyson Corner. Although, I don’t know why you’d want to. (Sorry, that’s an Old Towner joke.)

Trish had rented the Manor House for all of us. It’s

a big, gorgeous house right next to the brewery. It’s spacious and elegant with huge rooms and a great deck that oﬀers the same great view as the brewery. Leigh and I were both blown away by its beauty as we entered. Evan immediately greeted us.

“Do you want a beer?” He knows me well.

“Of course I do.”

Once we stowed our gear in the room. I headed downstairs with Evan to the rec room. This was not only a great party room with an indoor pool, but it was equipped with a built-in tap with two handles. Evan had bought two kegs from Bear Chase for the weekend. Could this place get any better?

“You’ve got to try the Kolsch.” Again, he knows me well.

He handed me a beer. I wafted the beer, and then a taste. I paused, then took another taste. I had to look around. Am I in Germany? This beer tastes like I’m in Germany. Bear Chases’s Kolsch has won gold medals, and I can taste why. This beer hits every note. It’s light-bodied, crisp, and slightly dry, with subtle fruit and herb notes. It’s perfect.

I was reminded of a scene in the musical Annie when she ﬁ rst arrives at Daddy Warbucks’ mansion. Once she realizes that she is there as a guest, not a worker, she sings a fun song titled “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here!” I was standing in what was essentially a mansion drinking an amazing beer. I didn’t break into a song and dance. I’m not going to do that to my friends. But don’t think for a moment that I wasn’t tempted.

The next day was spent next door at the brewery. The tasting room is gigantic with tons of tables and several big screen televisions. I’m guessing it holds over 500 people. A wonderful acoustic guitar duo was playing. Huge windows open toward the unbelievable mountain view. Below us sprawls a fantastic green hill side covered with Adirondack chairs. There are several other beer stations on the middle and bottom of the hill side. One cannot help but stare and take in the beauty of the landscape. I had set up a beer tasting. I met with Hunter, one of Bear Chase’s bartenders. Hunter is one of those fun brewery bartenders that you always seem to ﬁ nd. He’s been there six years, is very knowledgeable of

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

beers, and obviously he loves his job. He starts me oﬀ with their Kolsch. I told him that I had already tasted it but was happy to try it again.

As Hunter and I progress through the beer list, I am amazed. I didn’t taste a single dud. I don’t care how much I like a brewery; there’s always a dud. A beer that you taste and say, “Eh, it’s OK.” But not here. Even the styles I don’t tend to favor, Sours and Hazy IPAs, were brewed to perfection. A few of the beers that I felt really stood out were:

• Vienna Lager: Light and not overly malty. It was crisp and clean with a medium body.

• Honey Badger Amber Ale: I love the name. They added the honey after brewing, yet it wasn’t overly sweet. It had the typical hoppy character and hint of malt.

• Mexicali Blues Dark Mexican Lager: Smooth with coﬀee, caramel, and chocolate notes with a clean ﬁ nish.

• Evenin’ Sunset Hazy IPA: The hops are present. But accompanied by citrus and fruit ﬂavors with a hint of honey sweetness.

It’s a shame that I can’t review all of them. As I stated, there’s not a bad beer in the bunch. I got to meet Bear Chase’s Head Brewer, Ken Wilson. We toured the brewery as we chatted. He spoke of his love for crisp beers. This love was evident in the beers I tasted. I’m a crisp beer lover myself. I shook his hand, thanked him, and congratulated him on a job well done.

Michter’s US 1 Small Batch Bourbon

Michter’s always puts out good whiskey. I was dining with my wife in Old Town at Oak Steakhouse, one of our favorite places. I was perusing their bourbon list when the bartender recommended Michter’s US 1 Small Batch. I’m really glad that he did. This bourbon is very inviting on the nose with vanilla, strawberry shortcake, and brown sugar. The palate is delightful with caramel corn, vanilla, oak, and a bit of tobacco. It ﬁ nishes light, dry, and a bit earthy with lingering tobacco and brown sugar. The bourbon was made to complement the fantastic steak I had just consumed.

CAO Flathead 660 Cigar

This smoke starts off a little sweet, but you mainly get coffee, cocoa, and leather up front. As you get into it, the flavors become earthy, with coffee and leather tastes emerging. The sweetness tapers off toward the end as espresso, dark coffee, and leather notes take over. To say that this cigar is delightful would be an understatement. CAO does a great job with the Flathead series. But I have to admit that this one is my favorite of their cigars. Cheers!!

This cigar, and many other ﬁne cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% oﬀ the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.

Do yourself a favor and plan a fun weekend or afternoon at Bear Chase Brewery. The food is good, plus they also oﬀer wine and slushie drinks. The afternoon and evening acoustic entertainment greatly adds to what is already a fabulous atmosphere. It’s way more than just a brewery. It’s a beautiful place to relax and enjoy the company of good friends. We will deﬁ nitely return soon. The Kolsch itself is worth the drive.

Aabout the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator.

Email: tlong@belmarinnovations.com . Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that ﬂ y doing in my soup? http:// whatﬂ yinmysoup.com

How Pets Communicate With Us

From Aesop's Fables to Doctor Doolittle, people have dreamed of speaking with animals as they speak to each other, asking our animal friends their thoughts on life. While such an exchange remains a prospect for the distant future hinted at by new technology, we have learned a great deal about how our companion animals communicate with us without shared words.

Us Talking to Them: “Who's a good boy? Who’s a good boy?” When humans speak to their pets, they usually use a modiﬁed version of the speech patterns they use for infants. An article in describes the approach as “speech directed towards pets and kids usually consists of shorter utterances, more repetitions, elevated pitch, and hyper-articulated sounds” and found dogs more responsive than cats. Dogs often reacted to any human speech, but cats only to their owner. Throughout the communication puzzle, dogs and cats come from very diﬀerent places and retain the features they brought to the relationship. Social, packhunting canines appear more interested and suitable for communication than solitary, lone-hunting felines.

“As much as we bark, meow, or pspspsps at animals, they probably miss most

of what we’re trying to tell them,” according to a pet communication overview. To understand our pets, we need to pay attention to what they’re trying to tell us.

Them Talking to Us (and Each Other): “People have to realize that dogs and cats don’t necessarily have a speciﬁc language that’s geared towards people. They use their own inherent language just like I would use English or a French person would use French. A lot of their communication is body signals or body language,” says DVM Leslie Sinn. However, cats seem to have adapted the meow vocalizations made to kittens in order to speak with us; adult cats rarely meow at each other according to the ASPCA. The meow may also come from former kittens identifying their humans as caregivers and repurposing the former behavior.

Rubbing against familiar humans and delivering “head bonks” can serve several purposes, including to “mark you as their human with a pheromone, to bond with you, or to signal that they want attention …. Both dogs and cats use odor markers to delineate their territory and to identify who has been traveling through their space,” according to research. This behavior brings

communication with us back to the world of smell that they rely upon far more than we do.

Although people rely on visual clues to communicate, both we and our companion animals also use body language for expression. An article this year presented a rundown of the moods our pets signal with their tails, ears, and overall postures. While noting that a cringing animal typically makes itself small to say “I'm not a threat” while the opposite usually indicates aggression, even what can seem clear requires context -- just like our communication among ourselves. Sometimes fear and excitement look similar.

When communicating with our pets, we also obviously lack the rotating ears and tails that carry so much information for them. But communication isn’t a oneway street, and our pets are making an effort to understand us. Both dogs and cats pay attention to our faces. Cats respond to “slow blinking” as a sign of human affection and will sometimes reciprocate, although “we still don't know [why],” according to an animal columnist at Psychology Today. On the canine side, one study found “that dogs differentiate between happy and angry human faces, and that

dogs ﬁ nd angry faces to be aversive,” suggesting a solid understanding of our facial signals.

The adaptability of pet communication also shows when dogs and cats share a home. They learn to adjust their “native language” to the other creature. Sources note that “well-socialized dogs are often willing to adapt by greeting cats with nose-to-nose sniﬃng (and) head rubbing” and correctly transfer meanings even when their original language says the opposite, such as tail wagging (happy in dogs, agitated in cats).

What’s New: But what if our pets could actually ask for water when thirsty or complain when they feel sick?

Spurred by Tik Tok videos, soundboards are gaining popularity. Vice reported on the growing attraction of using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices -- designed to help non-verbal humans communicate -- for use by pets. The AACs are sound buttons with a word relevant to their pet such as “walk” or “food” which the pet is trained to touch when applicable. Notably, the owner’s familiar voice records the word. The Vice piece reports that one dog owner and speech pathologist claims his pet knows 45

words and can string 5 of them together in a sentence. Yet with a dubious history of animal communication from Clever Hans to Koko the Gorilla, researchers urge caution on AAC use by pets. Skeptics ask if pets are meaningfully employing the buttons or simply learning another trick.

A pet AAC product reviewing site notes that each pet “is unique and may respond differently to these buttons. The field is still new, and both training methods and understanding of how well animals grasp this form of communication are evolving. While talking buttons offer a novel way to bond with and understand your cat, it’s important to remember that they are just one of many ways to communicate with your feline friend.”

The human relationship with dogs and cats dates back millennia. Regardless of the eﬃcacy of AAC, new Artiﬁcial Intelligence tools, or whatever tomorrow brings, that relationship has held strong. The chief communication method was and remains being mindful of what your companion animal is trying to convey and responding with care and love.

About the Author: Ken Byrer is a writer living in Alexandria.

A Q�i�� Me�sa�� r�� A:

We’ve seen an increase in the number of animals abandoned both at the AWLA and throughout the community. Marshmallow the guinea pig was even carelessly tossed in or donation bin. We certainly understand that life happens and caring for a pet can become difficult or even impossible. But, please, let us help you fi nd a better – more humane – solution for rehoming your animals. Abandonment, besides being illegal, in inhumane and dangerous. Abandoned animals can suffer from starvation and dehydration to being struck by cars or attacked by wildlife. If you are fi nding it tough to provide food, supplies, or vaccines to your animal, let us know. We can defi nitely help. I you just can’t keep the animal, let us help you with rehoming and discuss your options. There is no judgement here. We serve the city of Alexandria, VA but some of our pet retention programs, like our low-cost vaccines and pet pantry, can extend beyond our jurisdiction.

E-mail us and info@AlexandriaAnimals.org, ﬁ nd us online at AlexandriaAnimals.org or call 703-838-4774.

PETS OF THE MONTH

Animal Welfare League of Alexandria

4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304

703-838-4774

www.alexandriaanimals.org

Animal Welfare League of Arlington 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 703-931-9241 www.awla.org

Fairfax County Animal Shelter 4500 West Ox Road Fairfax, VA 22030 703-830-1100

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter

King Street Cats 25 S. Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-231-7199

www.kingstreetcats.org

Operation Paws for Homes, Inc. (Dog rescue for VA, MD, DC, and south central PA) P.O. Box 90813 Alexandria, VA 22309 703-344-7320 ophrescue.org

Friends of Rabbits www.friendsofrabbits.org

Rikki’s Refuge Animal Sanctuary (1300 animals and 22 species on 450 acres) P.O. Box 1357 Orange, VA 22960 540-854-0870 By appointment: tours@rikkisrefuge.org events@rikkisrefuge.org www.rikkisrefuge.org

Wilbur

Steve

Lewis

alexandriaanimals.org

Mon-Tu-Th-Fri, 12-7 pm

This immensely happy guy is Wilbur. Wilbur is a 3-year-old, 80-pound gentle giant who is beloved for his easy-going nature and friendly demeanor. Wilbur loves to play with other toys and dogs, so if you have another feisty dog in the home, Wilbur may make a great companion. He knows the cues for sit and paw and will enthusiastically shake anyone's hand. Wilbur also has great leash manners, and is house trained too.

Steve is a chill 7-year old pup. Weighing in at 90 pounds, he is a big guy looking for a new home where he can play, cuddle, and spend time with his people. Steve is housetrained, walks well on the leash and plays well with others. Steve is well loved by the AWLA team and we are hoping he nds his forever home very soon. Steve is currently spending time in a foster home but you can call to schedule a time to meet with him.

Lewis is fun in dog form! This beautiful brindle boy is 3-years-old and 78 pounds. He loves to play fetch and do some zoomies in the backyard. He has gotten along well with other playful, energetic dogs. Lewis is housetrained, has great house manners (he knows what is a toy and - more importantly - what isn't), and is also crate trained. Lewis' adoption fee is waived thanks to Royal Restaurant!

Some bite their nails when they get too long; others wash their hair with bar soap; and a few only shave for work or that all-important visit with your parents. Men, whether they like to admit it or not, follow a “beauty” regimen just like women, but too often are seriously lost. Everyone wants to look their best, but the men in our lives sometimes have trouble admitting they enjoy looking good, and need the right stuﬀ to do so. This is where you step in. Maybe he would never indulge in quality toiletries and is more of the hiking and grilling type. Maybe your man already has an established routine with high-end products. Either way, it’s always nice to give that special guy in your life something he’ll love, but wouldn’t necessarily buy for himself. There’s something in it for us, too: a few great grooming gifts could tame his unruly brows or soften his scratchy stubble, and the gift of a few carefully chosen products is a lot subtler than a gym membership. Perfect for Father’s Day, a college grad, or as a thoughtful birthday gift, these grooming gift ideas are the perfect way to say, “I love you … but not your post-workout musk.”

Unlike ﬁshing gear, golf clubs, or another kooky tie, hair and skin products are the breath of fresh air

The Annual “For the Men in your Life” Column

he’s been waiting for (but maybe didn’t know it). They won’t end up in a cobwebbed corner of the garage, and he’ll actually enjoy a little selfindulgent grooming, not to mention all the compliments he’ll receive! The key to getting something he’ll actually use is to consider what kind of guy he is.

If he travels a lot, he probably relies on a collection of those sad little hotel shampoos. Consider, instead, products with travel-size versions. If you think he might be self-conscious about— gasp!—his appearance, choose products that look and smell a bit more masculine. If he’s outdoorsy, choose an option with SPF. If he’s entering his distinguished older man phase, opt for anti-aging or anti-wrinkle formulas. Whatever you choose, you can sleep soundly knowing his skin is better cared for, and you won’t have to face the awkward moment of walking in on him in the bathroom, hunched over the sink, covertly using your concealer.

We all know by now that men have particular needs, but in the grooming department, there is none more speciﬁc than shaving. Even if you can’t get him to use tools more reﬁ ned than Barbasol and a disposable razor, help him get a smoother shave with

these simple tips:

• Make sure he washes his face before shaving to remove oil and dirt. This ensures a closer, smoother shave. Better yet, get him to use some kind of scrub. Many men don’t use exfoliators, so he’ll likely notice the diﬀerence immediately.

• Shave with hot water on moist (not wet) skin. This helps to soften his whiskers. Make sure he knows to change razor blades frequently to reduce irritation.

• If he has ultra-sensitive skin, suggest shaving in the shower. The steam and moisture will soften his beard and lubricate skin to reduce irritation. Buy him a fogless mirror to hang around the showerhead so he can actually see what he’s doing and avoid nicks.

• Shaving creams today are eﬃcient—he won’t need much to work up a rich lather. He doesn’t need a full-on Santa Claus beard of cream, just a thin layer.

Rachel seriously needed to intervene with that over-gelled head of hair Ross rocked for years. If your guy is a victim of hair product overdose, help him out! Some guys are nononsense when it comes to their hair, either routinely buzzing it all oﬀ or arguing that bed head looks “rock

star cool.” Show him the light! Don’t fuss with expensive shampoos; men’s hair is typically on the short side, so why spend on something that isn’t particularly beneﬁcial and washes right down the drain? Even a $7 barber’s cut looks great with a dab of high-end product. He’ll look more polished and be able to switch up his look in minutes.

Unfortunately, men don’t embrace fragrance quite the same way women do. The sad reality is that men often look no further than locker room aerosols. Since fragrance is so subjective, fi nding the right one will take a little time investment from both you and your man. But fear not— there are options to suit every taste. Finally, get him something classier than a Ziploc bag to house his new grooming arsenal. Dopp kits have a certain sophistication you just can’t get from a knotted plastic grocery bag or a scummy college shower caddy. Splurge and buy him a refi ned, sumptuous leather case—it makes for a thoughtful, personal gift. Whether you two have shared a bathroom for years, or he dumps his stuff on your bathroom countertop when he spends the night, a Dopp kit will keep his products and tools organized. If you’re feeling generous, pack it with some great grooming goodies too.

Build Strength and Stability While Increasing Flexibility

Incorporating yoga positions into your workout can greatly improve your core strength, stability and flexibility. For those of you who have never taken a yoga class, I recommend giving it a try. A yoga class will challenge you in a way that is incomparable to a strength-training workout. Yoga increases flexibility through various positions that act on the joints. It gently stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments that we usually don’t focus on in a workout. For someone with limited flexibility, yoga will help to improve the range of motion that the joints can handle. Performing yoga moves will also increase blood circulation and help the body move vital fluids throughout. By gently stretching muscles and joints as well as massaging the body’s organs, yoga ensures that blood is reaching all parts of your body. This increase in circulation improves your body’s ability to flush out toxins. With so many benefits of yoga there is no reason not to give some of them a try. Here are some moves to do on your own, or add to your existing workout that will help improve strength, stability and flexibility.

Downward Dog:

♦ Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips

♦ Walk hands a few inches forward and spread ﬁ ngers wide, pressing palms into mat.

♦ Curl toes under and slowly press hips toward ceiling, bringing your body into an inverted V, pressing shoulders away from ears. Feet should be hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.

♦ Hold for three full breaths

♦ Make this move more challenging- once you are in the V position bring one leg straight up toward the ceiling keeping your hips level. Hold each leg for three breaths.

The Crow

♦ Starting from the downward dog position walk feet forward until knees touch your arms.

♦ Bend your elbows, lift heels off floor, and rest knees against the outside of your upper arms. Keep toes on floor, abs engaged and legs pressed against arms. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths

♦ Make this move more challenging- starting from beginner position, squeeze your inner thighs to lift heels oﬀ ﬂoor.

* With ﬁ ngers spread wide, slowly move body forward until your weight is balanced over your hands.

* Draw abs inward (as if pulling belly button to spine) to lift your hips up higher, keeping your face forward. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

The Lunge

♦ Start in downward dog position. Step your right leg forward to the inside of your right hand.

♦ Drop your left knee to the ﬂoor and lift your chest up. Keeping your right knee in line with your ankle and your back straight, place hands on your knee. Hold for 10 breaths.

♦ Return to downward dog; switch legs and repeat

♦ Make this move more challenging-From beginner pose, press into the ball of your back foot and lift into a standing lunge.

* Straighten back leg, place heel down on ﬂoor, and turn foot out a few inches. Lift arms toward ceiling (Warrior I). Spread your ﬁ ngers, turn palms in, and open up chest. Hold for 10 breaths.

* Switch legs; repeat

As we have said many times before, adding new things to a workout will make it more fun and help to prevent an injury due to overuse. Increasing ﬂexibility will help improve posture by releasing some of the tension caused by stress. If Yoga is not exactly your style, try taking a look at Body Flow which incorporates concepts from Yoga and Pilates to create a class that helps to improve ﬂexibility, posture and core strength. Give some of these moves or a new class and try. You may just start incorporating a yoga or Body Flow class into your regular workout!

Get Those Triceps Beach Ready!

June marks the official start of summer. You’ve had five months to whip yourself into shape for swimsuit season. This month’s exercise is popular among bodybuilders and is a great way to add defi nition to your arms before you hit the beach. The overhead dumbbell triceps extension is a lift in which only a single dumbbell is used, but both arms are doing the work. Therefore, it’s appropriate to use a heavier weight.

Figure 1 is both the start and ﬁ nish position. Hold the dumbbell with arms straight above and slightly behind the head. Make a triangle with your hands ﬂat so that the dumbbell rests on

the inner palms between each index fi nger and thumb. Lower the weight under control until the elbows reach ninety degrees or the dumbbell disappears behind your head (figure 2). Without pausing at the bottom, extend the elbows to push the weight up toward the ceiling. It’s important that you don’t let your elbows flare out to the side to help isolate the triceps. This exercise can be performed seated or standing. Include the overhead DB triceps extension in a “push” routine for the upper body such as the bench, dips, or shoulder press. The triceps brachii muscle can fatigue and “give

out” more often than any other muscle, so it’s a good idea to have a spotter for any exercise in which the weight is lifted over the head and face. Try at least two sets of twelve to ﬁfteen reps with a minute rest in between.

About the Author: Unverzagt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certiﬁed Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

From Fire Blight to Mildew & Beyond

Don't be afraid to trim those ﬂowering shrubs and trees that need it. Failure to prune is probably the biggest gardening mistake a person can make. I spent 20 years landscaping homes and businesses, and I watched people make the investment in my services, then they failed to prune when the plants needed it, and before you know it their landscape looks terrible. If you make a mistake pruning, don't worry about it. It's like a bad haircut…it will grow out. Of course, use common sense and read the previous articles that I've written on pruning.

Along with summer time comes high humidity. High humidity can cause a lot of problems with the plants in your garden and around your house. One of the simple things you can do is don't water just before dark. Make sure your plants are nice and dry when you tuck them in for the night and you can cut down of the chance fungus being a problem.

One of the more common fungi that I get asked about a lot is powdery mildew. This appears as a white ﬁlm on the leaves of ornamental plants. Dogwoods and Purple Sandcherry are often the victim of powdery mildew. Powdery mildew isn't extremely harmful to the plants, it's just that the foliage is damaged, and little growing takes place once

it sets in. Your local garden center will have a general fungicide you can spray if you'd like to try and control it. Usually once the plant defoliates in the fall the plant is back to normal.

If you have perennial rye grass in your lawn, you must be careful not to leave your grass wet at night. There is a fungus known as pythium blight that appears in very humid conditions. This fungus attacks and kills perennial rye grasses. Here in the north most of our lawns are a blend of fescues, perennial ryes, and Kentucky Blue Grass. If you have problems with pythium blight you will lose the perennial rye grass in large areas of your lawn, and even though the other grasses will still be there and ﬁll in, your lawn will have areas that are much darker green than the rest of the lawn because you will then have concentrations of Kentucky Blue Grass.

You can see this fungus in the early morning. It looks like white cotton candy laying on top of your lawn. It usually appears along walks and driveways where the soil is the wet if you have been watering. To prevent pythium blight water as early in the day as possible.

Another nasty little blight that likes summer time is ﬁre blight Fire blight attacks ornamentals, especially apple trees, crabapple

trees, cotoneasters, and pyracantha. You know you have ﬁ re blight when a branch on one of your plants dies and turns almost red. The leaves usually hang on but turn reddish brown. The damage usually starts out near the end of the branch and works its way toward the main stem of the plant. There is little you can do except prune out the aﬀected branch, cutting it as far back as possible.

Fire blight is very contagious to plants so you should burn the branches you prune out. You should also dip or wash your pruning shears in rubbing alcohol after each cut to keep from spreading this deadly fungus.

Unfortunately, I've got one more summer time culprit to warn you about. It's a handy little fungus that grows in mulch. Actually, there are all kinds of fungi that tend to grow in mulches, and most of them are really disgusting looking. But this little gem is unique in the fact that as it grows it tends to swell. Then somehow it manages to explode, and it will spatter your house with tiny brown specs. The experts have appropriately named this one “Shotgun Fungus”. Isn't that a cute name?

These tiny little brown specs will ﬂy as high as eight feet into the air, and once they stick to your house

or windows, they stick like glue. I know that right now there are people hollering across the house at their spouse, “Hey, remember those brown specs all over the house? I know what they are. It's from the mulch!” Tell me I'm wrong, but I know I'm not.

A lot of people are victims of this nasty little fungus, but they don't know it. All they know is that there are tiny brown specs on the house that look like paint. So far, they have blamed everything from spiders to aliens.

There's not a lot you can do to prevent this fungus. I have found that if you keep the mulch loose so air can circulate it is less likely to grow fungi. Don't just keep adding layer after layer to the mulch around your house. You should skip at least every other year and just loosen the mulch you already have down. If you loosen it and then rake it ﬂat it will look like you've just mulched. Mulch is great, just don't let it get packed down hard. Loosen it up at least once a year.

About the Author: Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most interesting website, http://www.freeplants. com and sign up for his excellent gardening newsletter, and grab a FREE copy of his E-book, "Easy Plant Propagation".

GO FISH STEVE CHACONAS

The Annual “Oh No, Not Another Tie!” Column

Dude don’t get dad another tie! He might wear it… only when you’re in town or when you mention it. He really dreads having to tie one on for you! It’s Father’s Day, put a bit of thought into gifts for the guy who was always thinking of you! Show dad he’s legendary.

Fish Monkey fishing gloves provide more than UPF 50+ sun protection. Errant hooks or fish spines and teeth are thwarted by Fish Monkey Gloves. Tough fi ngers, supple enough for casting and knot tying dexterity, and padded palms provide comfort and reduce hand fatigue with grip enhancing surfaces for any weather. Fish Monkey, the leader in quick dry breathable professional fishing gloves, offers several styles for any angler. The Half Finger Guide Glove provides complete coverage for sun protection. The shorter Stubby Guide Glove protects hands while fishing. fishmonkeygloves.com

Expect toughness and functional clothing when your motto is “Always Be Ready”. 5.11 Tactical uniquely makes top-quality tactical gear. Law enforcement, ﬁ re, and emergency services departments demand more get more from 5.11. Expect nothing less from the 5.11 Meridian Pant, whether working in the woods or yard, or going out. Lightweight construction is complimented with knee articulation, nylon herringbone webbing for the center, and back belt loop make for exceptional utility and mobility. A comfort stretch waistband maintains the Meridian Pant ﬁt. Zippered side vents allow cooling when needed. Plenty of pockets with hook & loop fasteners. Front pockets have knife reinforcement. 511tactical.com

A lightweight waterproof jacket tough enough for commercial fishermen, but stylish and practical? That’s Grundens Trident Jacket, loaded with features, perfect for dads seeking breathable comfort whether fishing, traveling or for an evening walk. For over a century, Grundéns has been the leader in well-constructed commercial and sport fishing clothing. The Trident Jacket is easily packable for travel or for Mother Nature’s spats. Internal hood adjustments are hidden. Dual zippered pockets allow for ventilation or access to hand warmers. Hook and loop cuff closures keep water out and hold in warmth. Nothing gets through Grundéns double storm flap zipper closure. grundens.com Over 20 years ago a couple of skiers thought there could be better mountain gear. Today FLYLOW

creates lightweight and breathable clothing that fits, has style, and won’t fall apart after a season. FLYLOW’s Nash Sun Hoody is a spring to fall lightweight, breathable, full-coverage shirt. It dries quickly, has a loose, comfortable fit and a generous sized hood with drawstrings. Sun protection with 50+ UPF-treated fabric keeps dad cool and odor free with an antimicrobial treatment. The front kangaroo pocket offers access to keys or phone. Perfect for outdoors activities and stylish for social gatherings or travel. flylowgear.com

Life’s a grind, dad’s coffee doesn’t have to be. Leave it to YETI to create pour over perfection for dads who don’t want their brews to come from a plastic cup. The YETI insulated stainless steel Pour Over allows dad to use his favorite ground coffee to create perfect cups, one at a time. Using a standard paper filter, filling with ground coffee, adding boiling water, the Pour Over allows coffee to fill most any mug whether serving in the kitchen, campground, or on the road. yeti.com

To make dad a happy camper, gift him Gerber’s latest EDC, everyday carry, Stakeout Spark multi tool. Founded in 1939 and based in Portland, Oregon, Gerber has proven their metal with

innovative knives and problem solving tools meeting unique needs of speciﬁc activities. The Stakeout Spark has 10 tools and a ferro rod to spark a ﬁ re or light a stove! Gerber’s functional combo needle nose and standard pliers have a cutter, very sharp knife and saw blade, and a tent stake puller making this a must have for camping and outdoors activities. Easily attached with a clip or carabiner, Gerber’s

Stakeout does a lot without having to bring a lot. gerbergear.com

For a half century, family owned and operated AFTCO has outfitted any angler to pursue any fish in any water. Active anglers and professional guides appreciate Deckhand Fishing Shorts. AFTCO’s meticulous attention to detail combines functionality with durability and reliability. A usable pliers pocket, thigh, and back Velcro pockets with drains, provide space for essential fishing tools and other items. Teflon EcoElite™ coating repels stains on the nylon/spandex material that gives dad room to move with comfort. But it’s the unnoticed elastic waistband that picks up belt slack to provide forgiving stretch to avoid binding or pressure points. aftco.com

From humble beginnings in Texas in 1938, Academy has grown to over 300 full-line US sporting goods and outdoor recreation retail stores carrying both leading national and private label brands. Partnering with Jacob Wheeler, one of the top professional bass anglers, comfort meets functionality with the Magellan Outdoors Men's Pro Angler Tech Pants. These lightweight fishing pants, with 7 pockets, are made of a water-repellent blend of nylon and spandex for a stretchy fit that helps dads stay dry. The UPF 50 sun protection shields skin from UV rays, and the integrated fishing line cutter button makes these pants an essential part of dad’s fishing gear. academy.com

Bassing in JUNE

Water is the perfect bass ﬁshing temperature. Whether winding small crankbaits or bladed jigs, low stretch Gamma Edge ﬂuorocarbon snaps baits from grass to trigger strikes. Grass and wood are target areas.

Remember, if you give it, dad will use it, wear it, or eat it… make a good choice so he won’t think of you when he’s in line returning it

About the Author: Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass ﬁ shing guide & freelance writer. Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. YouTube channel NationalBassGuide.

Time to think about topwaters. Walking baits are perfect for sluggish post spawn bass and can be tied to 30 pound Gamma Torque braid. Poppers work too, but hollow frogs worked over thick grass on 50 pound Torque braid produce big ﬁsh.

As for other cover, pitching creature baits, tubes or jigs is also eﬀective. Work outer edges at lower tides. Poppers

Potomac River

Walking on Sunshine

Ohhhhhh, yeah. I feel alive, I feel the love, I feel the love that's really real. Sunshine—I am feelin’ the love and it is real. What is it about you that makes us feel so alive and happy?! I know that there are people out there who love Seattle and rain and cold weather, but DANG. It is glorious when the sun arrives.

Although I’ve been spending more and more time in North Carolina these past few years, I’m still a Virginia girl through and through. One of the things I love most about the state I’ve called home for decades isn’t actually the summer months, but rather the change of seasons. I can’t imagine living somewhere that requires I wear a coat in June or shorts at the Thanksgiving table. No, thank you. The change of seasons gives us something to look forward to— changing wardrobes, changing temps, changing routines. Moving from indoors to outdoors. It’s exciting—and I get just as excited for fall (hello, my beautiful boots!), winter (is there anything better than the ﬁ rst snowfall?), and spring (hike, anyone?), as I do for summer (one margarita, two margarita…).

But summer, you are pretty special.

When the season changes, the energy shifts. It’s not even oﬃcially summer yet, and I’m giddy like a school kid ready to toss my books and bolt out of algebra class. Freedom rings and the air smells of freshly cut grass and mulch. Flowers are popping up out of the ground, and I can hear the bells of the ice cream truck. My heart is all-a-quiver.

My mind is already plotting and planning all

the things I want to do and see this summer. Lie on the beach. Read a zillion trashy novels. Eat a truck load of ice cream. Go see the Nats in action. Listen to some live music. Eat a crispy, burnt hot dog. Light oﬀ some ﬁ reworks. Ride my bike early in the morning. Sit outside and share a bottle of wine with XXL. Play some pickleball. Meet up with my besties at a cool outdoor venue. Take Dozer for a hike. Nap in my hammock. Trek out to some wineries. Catch a few festivals.

There are a million things going on in the world that are stressful, but summer reminds us of what’s important—putting our toes in the grass (or sand) and spending time with loved ones. Enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Baseball. Hot dogs. Cherry pie. And ice cream. Did I mention ice cream?

Summer also reminds us to move our bodies after the long, lazy winter. I’m super motivated to move mine right now because there’s more to move and I’m tired of lugging around the extra baggage. Besides, I need to make room for all that ice cream I plan on eating as well as a few hamburgers, dogs, and some potato salad. Guess I better start pedaling ASAP.

The one thing I am going to miss this summer, however, is celebrating Father’s Day with my dad. I can’t believe it’s been almost ﬁve years since he passed. John Welch loved spending time outdoors, sitting on the porch. He even moved a little black and white TV out there one summer so he could watch baseball. The neighbors laughed at him, but he was onto

something. He loved cooking out on the grill and never missed an opportunity to indulge in some ice cream. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Summer provides plenty of opportunities to celebrate not only the dads in our lives, but the grads too—I’m fortunate to know two this year. My friend Stephanie’s daughter, Addie, is walking across the auditorium at the University of Tennessee as I write, and my friend Dawn’s daughter, Kiera, is graduating from high school and will be oﬀ to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall. I’m thrilled for them and all the other grads and their accomplishments. It’s been a minute since I threw a hat in the air, but I remember that excitement like it was yesterday. First of all, it is a major milestone, and second, it’s a window to a new chapter. One door closing, another one opening. A change in the seasons of your life. A new energy. A new beginning.

And that’s what summer is…a new beginning. A new chapter. A new energy. Celebrate it. Relish it. Because soon enough, we’ll be closing the door on it, ready to welcome in the next chapter—which will likely require boots and a rake. Until then, I’m walking on sunshine and don’t it feel good?! Heck yeah!

About the Author: Lori is a local writer, painter and pet lover who loves to share her experiences and expertise with our readers. She has been penning a column for the OTC for over 25 years. Please follow Lori online on Medium for more missives like this.

June In the Harbor

Musical Sounds of Summer at National Harbor

From jazz concerts to military bands, dueling pianos and more, National Harbor celebrates summer with music for everyone.

National Harbor has long been known as Washington’s premier waterfront destination. With its many boutique retail shops, renowned restaurants, water activities and unique entertainment, including a robust summertime music lineup, it provides the perfect location for summer fun.

National Harbor’s Summer Sounds features live music every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Plaza Stage (150 National Plaza). National Harbor’s own Bobby McKey’s Dueling Pianos performs the ﬁ rst Friday of every month, the following weeks feature local entertainers through September.

The ﬁ rst day of summer is right around the corner and things are heating up in the Harbor. The Movies on the Potomac are back with Family Nights on Sundays and Date Nights on Thursdays through September, the Capital Wheel and Carousel are in full swing with special oﬀerings and live entertainment is scheduled throughout the season. Thanks to our friends at Bendure Communications, more details follow:

Salute the Sunset military concerts take place on the same stage every Saturday at 7 p.m. through September. Performances include the U.S. Navy Band Commodores, U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” U.S. Army Rappers, U.S Air Force Concert Band, U.S. Air Force Band Max Impact, U.S. Air Force Band Airmen of Note Septet, D.C. Army National Guard 257th Army Band, U.S. Air Force Strings, U.S. Air Force Band Singing Sergeants, U.S. Air Force Band Air Force Strings, U.S. Air Force Concert Band, U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, U.S. Navy Band Country Current, and U.S. Navy Band Latin Ensemble. The U.S. Air Force Band concludes the series on Friday, September 19 with an Air Force Birthday Concert.

One of the region’s premiere jazz events, the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival returns to National Harbor for its 15th year from July 18-20. The festival kicks oﬀ in Spirit Park (115 Waterfront Street) from noon to 4 p.m. Performers include Phaze II and saxmen BK Jackson, Phillip “Doc” Martin and a special tribute to the Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown, featuring the Chuck Brown Band. Tickets start at $71.09 (including $6.09 fee) and are on sale until July 17 here. In addition to great music, convenient parking and food and merchandise vendors, there will be on-site beer and wine lounge and private VIP tent seating. View the entire schedule at lakearborjazz.com

Flight Deck introduces the Rhythm of the River Summer Music Series every Saturday from June 7 - August 9 from 6-8 pm. Enjoy DJ Borja teaching Latin Line Dancing, live music, great drinks and a fun time! For a list of scheduled entertainers log on to thecapitalwheel.com/events.

Once again, MGM National Harbor has a packed schedule of live entertainment in their 3,000-seat state-of-the art theater. Highlights include Zac Brown Band on June 6, Kansas and 38 Special on June 7 and Rob Thomas on August 10. Check out the full calendar of events at mgmnationalharbor. mgmresorts.com

“We are delighted to welcome so many talented musicians to National Harbor this summer. I love to see the diverse talent being showcased” said Deborah Topcik, senior director of marketing at National Harbor. “It’s a fantastic way to enjoy great music as well as all the shopping and dining that National Harbor has to oﬀer.”

Fourth Annual Juneteenth Celebration

“Rooted in Resilience, Growing in Unity”

National Harbor will hold its fourth Annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration on Thursday, June 19th from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, inviting the community to come together for a cultural celebration. The event, “Rooted in Resilience, Growing in Unity,” honors Juneteenth’s legacy commemorating the ending of slavery when the emancipation proclamation was ﬁ nally enforced in Texas on June 19, 1865.

The event at National Harbor will kick oﬀ at 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. with a Black-owned marketplace in the Capital Canopy (151 National Plaza). More than 30 vendors will showcase Black-owned businesses and provide a range from clothing to accessories to home goods.

Live entertainment will take place from 2 to 6:30 p.m. and will include music, performances and interactive experiences on the Plaza Stage (150 National Plaza). National Harbor’s Juneteenth Celebration starts at 11 a.m. on June 19 with a Black-Owned Marketplace, food vendors and a variety of businesses, also features the Top5 Band at 5:30 p.m. on the Plaza Stage. Founded in 2015 by Prince George’s County’s own Anthony “Antfarmusic” Robinson, Top5 brings one of the most explosive and unforgettable sounds in music.

Movies on the Potomac will feature Black Panther starting at 7 p.m. on the big waterfront screen (150 National Plaza.)

"We are excited to host our fourth annual Juneteenth celebration,” said Lauren Fells who is the marketing content manager and is coordinating the event at National Harbor. “This is a great event to showcase diversity and unity in our community. It’s a day ﬁlled highlighting black owned businesses, arts, music, culture, and food.” National Harbor has a number of African American owned businesses, many of these are women owned and several are veteran owned. “There is something for all ages to experience.” Fells added.

For more information on the above events and all things National Harbor, visit www.NationalHarbor.com