Richard Iarossi, Crofton MD Real Estate, Annapolis MD Real Estate

Today is Veterans Day and many towns and cities in our country have individual memorials for the sons and daughters they sent off to war, who didn't return. Our country honors the veterans of our wars with stone memorials, three of which are on the mall in Washington, D.C.

Below are pictures I took yesterday at the WWII Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. Each of these memorials is moving and different in their own right. The number of veterans who participated in these wars is staggering. The number who gave the ultimate sacrifice equally so.

I don't have a favorite memorial, but one does evoke more emotion than the others. When you see the individual names of the soldiers who never returned, etched in stone at the Vietnam Memorial, it evokes an emotion I can't explain. It's not just a piece of granite, it's a father or mother, a son or daughter, a friend or relative, a brother or sister, who never came home. Bigger men than me walk away from that wall with tears in their eyes, even today, especially today. You can't see that granite wall, and touch the etched names without being affected.

I believe that every politician who will ever vote again to send our sons and daughter off to war, should be required to visit these memorials before they cast their vote. They need to make sure they've done everything in their power to avoid war before committing another life.

Someday there will be a memorial to the Iraq/Afghanistan War. We can only hope its the last one this country will have to build. We need to remain prepared though, in case it's not.

The Mall will be crowded on November 11th, with people honoring and remembering the living and lost.

If you haven't already done so...hug a Vet today! Even if it's just in the comment section.

Entrance to the WWII War Memorial which opened in April 2004. My father missed the opening by four months. He was never able to talk about his experiences during the war to his sons.

The WWII Memorial Plaza.

MacArthur quote at the end of WWII. Unfortunately, the peace didn't last.

Each Gold Star represents 100 American lives lost during WWII. There are 4000 stars on the wall.

WWII Memorial Plaza taken from the Pacific Pavilion looking across to the Atlantic Pavilion. The columns surrounding each pavilion represent individual States and Territories.

Korean War Memorial. Statues of soldiers on patrol.

Cold, harsh, numbers representing lives lost in the "Forgotten War."

Sandblasted faces of soldiers and supporting personnel. Highly polished granite also reflects soldiers on patrol in front of wall.

Very true and why you need to hug a vet today. Did I say HUG A VET TODAY YET? We're available for an electronic hug too in the comment section.

There are a lot of reflecting pools in Washington, D.C. The politicians should change what it is they've been reflecting on to make all our lives better in the future.

Tyson's grandfather never came home.

Near the entrance to the Vietnam War Memorial. The only color a soldier knows is red.

Over 58,000 names of soldiers who never returned from the jungles of Vietnam are etched into that long black granite wall.

Each name and life lost is individually etched into the wall.

I understand that volunteers collect everything people leave at the wall and place it in storage. Familiar looking boots to millions of American soldiers. Many people leave photos of their lost love ones with notes too personal to photograph.

She didn't want her photo taken but there was a volunteer on her hands and knees picking out leaves and dirt from the cracks at the base of the wall. It is very well maintained, as are all of the memorials.

Volunteers will copy the names of anyone from the wall by using a black crayon and getting an outline of the name. If the name is low enough on the wall you can outline it yourself.

The names actually start in the center of the Memorial and go to the right. Than on the extreme left they come back into the center to end in 1975. They are chronological in order. If you're looking for a particular name there are volunteers with books to direct you to the right panel.

The last names and the some of the last to give up their lives for their country in Vietnam.

The Vietnam War Memorial is very popular and there is hardly ever a time when there isn't a crowd of people.

A statue dedicated to the nurses who served during the Vietnam War.

I don't want to minimize the other Memorials to our Veterans in the Washington, D.C. area but I only had time to concentrate on the three situated on the Mall.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com
Outside Blog at: http://www.mdrealestateblog.com

Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist
Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist

In Virginia and Maryland, two National Parks merge in the center of the Potomac River with some breathtaking scenary.

Great Falls Park is on the Virginia side, while The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is on the Maryland side. At the center of the Potomac river you can't tell the difference but each side does have a different look and feel.

The Potomac River coming through the Great Falls area of Virgina and Maryland speeds up pretty well as it goes through Mather Gorge. Unless something was done the river would not have been navigable getting from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. Unloading ships and reloading them downriver has never been very effective.

On the Maryland side, a series of canals were constructed in order to make the river navigable all the way down to Washington, DC. The canal technology, although successful for about a quarter of a century, was overtaken by the efficiency of the railroad system.

Today, the park is a wonderful place to get away for a few hours and enjoy the fall season. After showing some properties in that area yesterday I decided to take a couple of hours to enjoy an absolutely perfect day and grab a few photos as well.

All pictures taken November 7, 2008. There are a lot of photos but they have been optimized for the web so this post should still load quickly.

Welcome to Great Falls Park - Virginia Side

Mather Gorge on the Virginia Side

Virginia side - not much vegetation left on the tree overlooking the falls.

Virginia side - trees turning and dropping leaves

Virginia side - fall colors still evident

Virginia side - brilliant blue sky

Virginia side - observation deck

View from across the gorge to the Maryland side

Virginia side - panorama of fall colors

Fall colors being sketched by an artist

Mother nature always reclaims what is hers eventually

Maryland side - entrance. Beautiful fall colors.

Maryland side - canal boat lock

Maryland side - Fall colors reflected in pool

Maryland side - Out of service canal boat

Maryland side - pretty much what it looks like...ducks asses

Maryland side - Potomac River gorge

Maryland side - Fall colors, bright sky

Maryland - Blue Heron. Should be time to go South soon.

Maryland - Tavern and visitor center

Maryland - losing leaves at different rates

Maryland - leaving the park until another day

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com
Outside Blog at: http://www.mdrealestateblog.com

Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist
Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist

Geez Rich, you're getting a bit anal retentive as you get older.

When I voted this morning I started the stopwatch on my iPhone to see how long it was going to take.

From walking in the door at my polling place, to verifying and getting a ballot, to voting, and finally leaving, the total elapsed time was 2:22. Laughable, I brought a book with me after watching TV this morning about the long lines everywhere.

Competence by the local voting officials and volunteers here in Crofton, MD is outstanding and usually underappreciated. Thank you!

I'm sure the media will be concentrating on the horror stories of people trying to vote today, because that's what they do. The Croftons of America will be ignored completely. Man votes in two minutes and twenty two seconds...no news there.

Richard Iarossi
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Crofton MD Real Estate

©RichSellsHomes.com - 2008 - All Rights Reserved

Well, just what Crofton needed...another hamburger joint. Actually, this one is really good. Fresh ground beef and french fries to die for. Limited menu consisting basically of burgers and hot dogs but they them do them both very well. Maybe a little too well.

I tried it for the first time today at lunch today and it's a keeper.

Now, the irony part of the post's title. I'm standing in line behind a guy and his significant other. He isn't exactly slim, if you know what I mean, and he's talking to her about a new diet trick he read about on the internet. My ears perked up because I can use all the diet tricks you can think of...as long as they don't require me to actually, go on a diet.

According to him, if you drink 5 glasses of ice cold water a day, it burns up to an additional 75 calories. I thought about that and it makes some sense to me. The body has to crank up the metabolism a bit to warm the ice cold water. Probably not enough to write a book about but every little bit helps.

Anyway, he gets up to the front of the line and orders a bacon cheeseburger, large fries and a soda. I'm chuckling to myself thinking, you have to drink a lot of cold water to get rid of the calories from that lunch.

As a matter of fact, from their website the total caloric intake from that lunch was over 1200 calories. He'll need to put an iceberg in the swimming pool and get a straw to make a dent there.

My turn at the window and the counter person asked what I wanted..."I'll have what he had,"...but make it a diet Coke :)

Richard Iarossi
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Your Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist

MLS BA6811040, Price reduced to $184,900. Additional information at http://www.504SouthClinton.com. This home is NOT a short sale or foreclosure. Easy settlement.

Large end unit on a wide street with parking in front or on side of unit.

Remodeled kitchen. New cabinets, countertops, floor, window.

All appliances convey.

Living room with hardwood floors.

Formal dining room.

Exposed brick in dining room and stairs to second level.

Master bedroom.

Guest bedroom with exposed brick wall.

Bonus storage room.

Rear courtyard.