Author Archives: JJD
Storms-a-cummin!
Hurricane Sandy is on her way — apparently she has a play-date with a nor’easter in our backyard. Virginia and Maryland have both declared states of emergency; DC’s in a state of blind panic. The radio stations are all reporting about “the upcoming power outages,” having long ago realized that with utilities like Pepco in the region, there’s no need to include […]
Conference of the Birds
Tonight I met up with my friend Melanie and saw the Folger Theatre’s production of The Conference of the Birds. The play is based on a 12th century Persian poem. The overarching narrative follows a group of birds in their search for their king, but there are numerous stories nested within. Stories of other kings, […]
Elijah Fish
Remember these guys? Rainbow, Goldie and Ralph (so named by my nieces and nephew in Boise) have been my faithful companions these six months. Being the talented goldfish they are, they have performed their piscine duties of being pretty and not dying with remarkable diligence — even when I abandoned them to the negligent care of […]
Fall colors on Old Rag mountain
Old Rag is a mountain in the Shenandoah National Park that is famous for its unobstructed 360-degree vistas. At this time of year, with the colors peaking and the weather literally perfect, crowds of hikers flock from cities, villages and farmland alike to soak up the natural beauty of autumnal Virginia. Amy, Julie and I set out early on […]
Wedding blankets
While we’re in the wedding mood, I thought I’d post some photos of the handira — a.k.a. traditional wedding blankets — that I bought while I was in Morocco this past July. My understanding is that a bride would make this sort of blanket to include as part of her wedding trousseau, thereby demonstrating both her skill in weaving […]
Boise Wedding – Mr. and Mrs.
Happy day! The couple was radiant, the ceremony intimate and sweet, and the warmth of family embrace more than enough to keep chilly autumn winds at bay. Welcome to the newest member of the Davis clan! Moi and Mark (with Lady in the background) Moi and Erin Twin Falls Temple First […]
Boise Wedding – Shoshone Falls
As you might have guessed from its name, the town of Twin Falls sits on a bluff above the Snake River very near a number of falls. Some of my relatives said they wanted to stop by Shoshone Falls on the way back to Boise, so I decided to join them. Unfortunately due to the dry […]
Boise Wedding – Guns before girls
Suppose you’ve got a few hours to kill before meeting up with your bride and the photographer for wedding photos. What do you do? If you said “shoot guns!” then you’d fit right in with my family (probably better than I do). When Ammon and I pulled up at Jordan’s parents’ house in Twin Falls […]
Boise Wedding – Tuxes, snails and jovial French chefs
Thursday was the day for last-minute wedding preparations. I needed to pick up my tux, find a box and wrapping paper for my wedding gifts, wrap said gifts, and run some errands for various other family members who were otherwise occupied. Fortunately for me, Jaron volunteered to come along as my special helper. Which means […]
Boise Wedding – In which I overcome trials and get an awesome car
Barely back from wedding festivities in Germany, I left DC again on Wednesday for another set of nuptials. This time with my younger brother, Mark, as the groom, and the setting Boise, Idaho. The trip out went as planned – I flew from DC to Chicago, then on to Boise, where I rented a car, […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 