Happy 232nd Birthday to the United States Navy!

As many of you know, I live 1/2 block from the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC and today was the Navy's birthday.  I went out this morning and heard the speeches, the Navy Band and watched the formalities.  The world is over 70% water and God has blessed us with a strong Navy.  I guess this was my way of saying thank you.

"Eternal Father, Strong to Save": The Navy Hymn

Eternal Father, Strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bid'st the mighty Ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to thee,
for those in peril on the sea.

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
and calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee,
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Bwaaa Ha Ha!  Just when you think things can't get stranger - I start playing with color!

I have finished my first month in Washington, DC!  It has been an eye opener.  I tell people that my short time here has answered soooo many questions.  Headquarters is a very strange place.  It takes a long time to get things done and everybody has to give whatever you are working on their approval.  Now least you start snickering and saying things like, "Yep that's government for you," remember that most of you got us in the mess we are in.  It's called fairness and rules.  Everybody says that there ought to be a rule for this and a rule for that so we horrible government workers won't take advantage of the system.  Well, all those rules have to be interpreted, followed and enforced.  That takes time  ... and a lot of lawyers.  And don't get me started on the fairness issue.  One of the big jobs of government is to try to be fair to everybody.  Think about that.  There is more viewpoints of what is fair and what is not than yours or mine.  Yep, takes a lot of lawyers.

On another note, I went to the Arlington Church of Christ toady and they had a bilingual service.  There is a spanish speaking part of the Church this is probably as big as the Angelo part.  The Elders at Arlington are very supportive of the Spanish speaking part of the congregation.  It was very moving to hear songs I know so well sung seamless from spanish to english.  Half a verse spanish and half english and so forth.  I have included a little video.  Don't look at the video, listen to the singing - you might recognize the song!  (There is a big spanish speaking population in Montgomery County).

More pictures. The top two are the Navy Memorial (my front yard) and directly across the street the National Archives.  Moving on, yes I found something like Tex Mex!  The National Potrait Gallery.  I went there Saturday and spend two hours and that was not enough time.  I didn't finish the first floor much less get to the second.  An of course, the capital.

Kit