...and it happens every day!

I woke up at a little after 4 am this morning, promptly hit the snooze button, and said to myself "just seven more minutes." Two and a half hours later I jolted awake in a panic because I knew I'd removed any reasonable possibility of making the first scheduled meeting of the day. The panic morphed a little as I plodded downstairs and beheld the fact that a Leprechaun had sprung the trap that my daughter had set for it the evening before, and instead of leaving a pot of gold, he had eaten the carrots, chicken, and most of the chocolate used for bait, he'd slept in the barbie bed, and put little green footprints all over the kitchen floor.

Between the late awakening and the chaos of the Leprechaun, St. Patrick's Day 2016 had gotten off to an inauspicious start.

Events, as they are wont to do, unfolded in a slightly more organized fashion and I was able to see a friend of mine from college who I have not seen in person since 2004 because he went out of his way to drop by my office on his way to another event. I pushed some paper through the process at work because that's what I get paid to do, and I hit the trail in the afternoon with a little bit of relatively comfortable jogging to test out the foot.

It was also a pretty good day to capture photos of the grand ol' lass of the Anacostia as the time of her departure draws closer.

Another Skyline with USS Barry

The USS Barry has become such a centerpiece for quite a bit of my photography during walks that I'm not sure how it will sit with me when she leaves in about six weeks.

Anacostia Afternoon with USS Barry

As I've probably mentioned before, she's been here in DC for about three decades now.

USS Barry and Vietnam era Swift Boat

These two pictures are the first time that I remember taking photos of Barry from the starboard side of the ship. I'm not sure why my habit to date has been to capture only the port side. It's an odd but enduring habit that I thankful to have broken today.

USS Barry and WNYD Saluting Battery

Just after I snapped the series of pictures for this panoramic view, a very large fish jumped right at my feet (I was on the water side of the pedestrian safety chain), and the sudden splash startled me enough to just about cause me to fall into the river. Thankfully, I managed to regain a modicum of composure, although my pride was pretty well shot at this point.

After completing what felt like an overly long commute, I wound up in Annapolis at just the right moment to capture the sun setting over College Creek. This just goes to show that if you let it, the universe will conspire to make you successful in spite of your best efforts to the contrary. Thanks to long lines of traffic, I arrived in the right place at just the right time to capture the following shots.

College Creek Sunset Panorama

This panoramic mashup created by Google Photos captures the scope of the vista pretty well, but the color has shifted enough that it doesn't quite capture the feel of the scene. I'm glad it was made for perspective because the sweep of the sky and the water just can't be adequately expressed in a single framed photo from this vantage point.

College Creek Sunset #2

This image is true to the colors of what greeted me on arrival in Annapolis after sitting in traffic for a little over an hour. The wait was worth it.

College Creek Sunset #3

A friend of mine remarked that this was "Amazing." I responded, "...and it happens every day." Some solar events are more flamboyant than others, but if you're lucky enough to experience one, they are all unique and pretty special...at least they are to me.

I've been very lucky over the last six months or so, and I'm looking for that good luck of good experience and a sliver of planning and action to pay dividends again tomorrow.