Wild Releases #1149 & #1150

That's it. That's all she wrote. My first BookCrossing convention is done. At breakfast this morning, we were encouraged to find a book about animals and release it in memoriam of Irish BCer Killimengri, who lost her life in a house fire earlier this year. I chose "Wonderdog," by Inman Majors, and set off for a farewell tour of Crystal City. It's a lovely and rather quiet place on a Sunday morning, boasting lots of green space and benches and picnic tables (many peppered with BC books from an early-morning release walk). I found my perfect spot for Wonderdog just outside the CEA building—a fire hydrant.

Before heading for home, I had some more sightseeing to do. I took the Metro to Arlington National Cemetery and was pleased to meet tobysrus, rahar109, and bronwyna in line for the official tour. It was a beautiful, sunny day—so welcome after yesterday's rain—and tourists (for the most part, well behaved and respectful) were out in full force. The most popular site seemed to be John F. Kennedy's grave, followed closely by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. My favorite part was Robert E. Lee's house—I would live there in a heartbeat. What a gorgeous piece of land overlooking Washington, D.C. It's very easy to imagine how it looked before the Civil War. I will definitely return to Arlington someday and pay proper respects to the men and women who are buried there.

I took the long way around (and through) Washington, D.C., on my way home thanks to assuming I should just follow the opposite of my directions there (note to self: get directions both there AND back next time). I sat in a bit of traffic, but I saw part of the world I haven't seen before, so it all balanced out. Once I got on familiar roads, I stopped at a scenic overlook on I-270 North and left "A Far Country," by Daniel Mason, on a brick wall with a lovely view of rural Maryland.