Christmas in DC

I am in Alexandria, Virginia this week about a block from the Washington DC Metro. Today I had the honor to be part of the news. I heard on TV that they were lighting the Capitol Christmas tree tonight so I decided to attend the event. To be truthful, I thought it was the National Christmas Tree which turns out to be at the White House and is tomorrow night. Anyway, I headed in on the Metro to be part of the news. I stopped along the way at the new Indian Museum on the Mall. On the way home I saw a Police SUV with the back window open. Inside was a fellow sitting with a machine gun. Yes, security was tight. I leave in the morning or I would go see the National Christmas tree.

It has been snowing all day in DC. Not enough snow to be deep but enough for it to be begin to "Look a lot Like Christmas". It is also cold, but I decided to brave the elements. The experience was awesome!! It was snowing, the Army band was playing White Christmas, the tree was in the foreground and the capitol was in the background. I was standing behind the cameras right behind the fence for the VIPs. The ceremony included the 2 senators from Vermont and the congressman from Vermont. The senior senator pointed out that they had also brought down the weather, but that in Vermont that much snow would be called a snow shower. The tree was a 55 foot balsam fir from Vermont decorated by the people of Vermont. There was a high school choir from Vermont singing a Christmas concert. Then there was the Speaker of the House (who I'm embarrased to say is from California) who was there to flip the switch. She made a point to explain that the lights on the tree were the LED type which were environmently friendly and that the trucks that moved the tree to DC were fueled with CO2 credits. In any event, she and a student flipped the switch and the tree lite up!! It was beautiful with the capitol in the background. And I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. How does that old line go: "Wish You Were Here"!