Blogging on the Powwow

I returned to Washington today, rested, reflective, and ready for what comes next in my fellowship. But, logistics dominated my schedule and I was adjusting to being back in my apartment, unpacking, and the like. Just as I love to get to know neighborhoods by running through them, I love to get to know Washington by walking as many places as possible. So, I was off to the grocery store, which is less than a mile from my apartment. As I approached the corner of 5th Street NE and H Street NE, I heard a cacophony of sirens coming from the east. I looked in that direction and witnessed a helmetless man, driving a four-wheeled ATV, at 40-50 mph, who was being chased by four or five police cars, sirens blaring. I blinked. I stared. I laughed. I witnessed the crazed driver where the red star is located.  Of course, driving a four-wheeler in downtown Washington is really no laughing matter. It's a safety concern and apparently the reckless use of ATVs and dirt bikes inside the city a...

Apparently someone named William Clark, or someone who uses the name William Clark and whose email address is: wclark200@yahoo.com . Last week Neil mentioned to me that he had received an unusual request from "William Clark," for oboe lessons for his 13 year old daughter, Mary. He stated that they were out of the country, but would soon be coming to the United States. Mr. Clark failed to answer any of Neil's usual questions for new students, such as how long Mary had been playing, inquires about her instrument, and whether they would be taking lessons at USM or Dartmouth - the locations of his two teaching studios. Neil usually asks if the child has, in addition to playing oboe, any other tendencies toward self-injurious behavior. Silent on all of these matters.  Then Mr. Clark wanted to pay for several weeks of lessons upfront. Neil had never encountered this before, but why would a free-lance musician say no to a parent wanting to pay for lessons in advance? Then N...

This story is actually rooted in the problems that our neighbor, Richard , is having with a squirrel infestation in his attic. Richard, a naturalist of sorts, has tried everything to keep the squirrels out of his attic -- ammonia, red pepper powder, blasting a radio in the corner where the squirrels enter his house, running a vacuum cleaner near their entrance, and on and on. His efforts have not been rewarded. In fact, I think that I saw his resident squirrel giving me "the bird" as I yelled at him while he wiggled his way into Richard's attic the other day. I knew that things must have reached a crisis point when I arrived home this week and heard the radio playing and saw red pepper smeared all over the outside of Richard's house. What a bloody mess, no? Actually just red pepper powder.  We began to wonder about our house. Fast forward to last night. It was late. Neil and I both returned from separate trips to Maine around 11:30pm and I still had not u...