Driving From Virginia To Washington D.C. On Tuesday April 17th, 2014 And Seeing The Discovery Space Shuttle Above ... What A Delight, What A Great Moment!

I LOVED IT : driving along Route 50 ( Arlington Boulevard ) this morning trying
to get to work on time and being in traffic and looking up and focusing on what
I thought was the space shuttle Discovery flying above me. It was.

I FRANTICALLY LOOKED FOR my camera and snapped a couple of pictures quickly
before it was swallowed up by all the soft baby green-leafed trees and I
counted my lucky stars for having been able to take the pictures. I would have
loved to have taken some more. I was hoping that I could get to the Teddy
Roosevelt bridge in time and that was not to be as everyone else was already
there and prepared to witness this glorious sight and to take their many
pictures, too. Then I realized that my memory card was not in my camera and my
heart sank!

I THOUGHT BACK TO WHAT I HAD SEEN so briefly and so off-guard and I branded
those quick split seconds into my brain and thought that that would simply have
to do. At least I saw all of this though briefly " live " and I was treasuring
this moment. Little did I know that as I got closer to the Teddy Roosevelt
bridge that the Discovery would be passing back our way and that we would all
see it all over again!

PEOPLE WERE PARKED ON THE SIDES of the road and standing on fences and on
perches with cameras poised and ready to take the perfect picture. I got some
once again with my Panasonic Lumix camera    ...   Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn  4/15/2014


PEOPLE WERE PARKED ON THE SIDES of the road and standing on fences and on
perches with cameras poised and ready to take the perfect picture. I got some
once again with my Panasonic Lumix camera that was loaded with the battery and
ready to go. I liked the couple I got as the Discovery space shuttle flew over
the Washington Monument. That was simply luck on my part : being in the right
place at the right time. I, like many others I am sure was fifteen minutes late
to work.

I DID LOVE THE EXPERIENCE, however and thought to myself that many people would
be out looking up and out for the Discovery. I thought of my good friend Steven
perhaps up on the Kennedy Warren roof looking for and following the Discovery's
path as it wound it's way to the Smithsonian Udvar Center in Virginia.

I BEGAN TO WONDER what wine would be like to drink in space? Was anybody
allowed to drink any wine on the flights? Did John Glen enjoy ever a sip or two
or red or white wine? Does John Glen like wine? So many questions passed
rapidly through my thoughts as I moved slowly along the Teddy Roosevelt bridge
and past the Lincoln memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Kennedy Center and
then later along the blossoming Rock Creek Parkway.

I HOPE YOU DO NOT MIND INDULGING ME in these thought processes and these
seemingly random snatches of ideas and feelings. It was fun to watch all the
people on the bridges I passed under as I drove down the Rock Creek Parkway.

My Current Quick Portrait Sketches Of Winemakers / Owners , Friends, Customers & Others I Did So Far In 2014 : Enjoy & Comment, Too : @ Bobby Kacher & Kelly's Home One Wonderful Sunday Afternoon ...

I do these portrait sketches quickly and never ask anyone to pose for me. What I see and draw is what there is, no embellishments, no changes, just the raw visual that I hope excites and ignites emotion and reaction - any - from you : all are welcome. Cheers and enjoy, Anthony ( TONY ) Quinn  ... here in northern Virginia now on my day-off as it rains gently and thoroughly and the lawn outside is mushy and sticky and cold-to-the-touch as I know having just come in from more raking of damp and dirty-dusty leaves and bagging two large black bags with red plastic shiny tie-chords!   TONY

I do my sketches quickly and I give them after taking the pictures as my simple ' thanks ' for having shared a moment, brief as it may be, I usually enjoy them greatly, and am always thankful for the most part to have had them.

These quick portrait sketches I did all at one grand wine-tasting meal at the home of Bobby Kacher and Kelly and, as you can see from the many photos that there were many people here on this glorious Sunday afternoon at their home. I am thankful that Ronnie Miller our local Robert Kacher wine-selections rep thought to call an invite me. Thanks Ronnie, I always appreciate being included.

I had no idea quite what to suspect and my expectations were topped many times over at this incredible three-four hour launch of four really fine French owners and winemakers that were travelling around the country to show their current and ' new ' releases both. I enjoyed many this afternoon, and will order them accordingly from Roberta Ohoi and Ronnie Miller.

It's always nice to be surprised, and I was, so thoroughly pleased and surprised - both! Thanks Bobby and Kelly. What a wonderful, special treat this was.