Union Station (Washington D.C.)

Flags are at half mast outside Union Station. At first I thought they were still for Antonin Scalia, who died several weeks ago, but a friend reminded me that Nancy Reagan had just died. It was appropriate then that hanging out in front of Union Station were clusters of homeless people and an elderly woman with swollen legs hanging over the curb into the street in front of the station, bawling loudly since the Reagan administration will forever be associated with cuts to social services, which ensured that more people living on the edge of society had harder, more miserable lives.

The Undocumented, The Unemployed, The Sick, The Homeless, and The Despised, Upper West Side, Manhattan

A religious parade marched up Amsterdam Avenue this afternoon. The overarching theme (other than Hispanic/religion) wasn't clear from the signs and floats, so I looked online and found this description of the event:

13th Encuentro Hispano – Culture and Faith of the Hispanic Community of America • Amsterdam Avenue, 90th to 110th Street. All are invited, all races, creeds, languages, and colors, and especially the undocumented, the unemployed, the sick, the homeless, and the despised.

Earlier in the day, I took the photo below shortly after waking and finding that, after many days of rain, the sun was lighting the tree outside our window.

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Three pleasing features (among many) of our friends Leslie & Michael's home:

their Betsy Ross flag, Suji the pug, and their antique lamp commemorating the Brooklyn Bridge.

I'm curious to know if anyone calls.