Date: 2005-06-24
From: Washington D.C. Field Trip

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0

1,018.1m  "So dude, did you think that this was the coolest job ever when you got it? Like punching holes in paper and all...'Cause I'm sorta jealous of that paper-puncher, it looks like alot of fun."    While Touk was busy charming the train personel with her wit, I was squinting with one bleary eye out the window at the sunset. The last train to Harper's Ferry had left D.C. far behind and so had we, bringing only our weary, dirty feet with us and a few sundry items from our rape and pillage of all the gift shops. All day we've been playing the tourist in the incredible playground of Washington D.C. We must have spent hours and hours at the National Art Gallery, and when we finally stumbled out, Sunshine had bought a lovely drawing pad and a set of charcoals. I think we were all inspired by the beauty and concepts of these images; absolutely gorgeous stuff! Some of the stuff I'm a little sketch about being 'art.' Yeah, I know that it sounds either ignorant or arrogant but it got me all riled up. Inspired to translate life into art a bit differently. Aaaurghh!!! Maybe I'm just being inflammatory lately, flying off the handle about everything..((((er..hello cleveland.this! is an exerpt by Touk who is skimming this entry quickly before dialing it into la madre...and frankly..I second the looploops motion..- Bless her heart)))) seriously though, art is huge to me and some of this stuff I saw today has me in a boggle. Sooo... Instead of buying a traditional lah-dee-dah bling-bling at the gift shop, I bought a book entitled 'The End of Art' Okay, enough of tragedy...((((oh brother sister!..-t))))    Clearwater had gotten tired of our gypsy-antics and gone and previewed the Hirshhorn Museum. So, by the time we extracted ourselves from the NGA, he was ready to tour us through the stimulating, disturbing and ...ah...interesting venues of modern art, postmodern art, postart art and all other forms that don't fit elsewhere. He led us to a gallery and nearly wept and raged to find it empty. Where had his favorite peice of art gone? It was showcased there only an hour before. The docent said that they had taken it upstairs only twenty minutes. What was this moving piece of art? Clearwater tried to prepare us,"It's a little disturbing." he said. "Indecent?" I squeaked. "Entirely!" Well, I never did see it. Clearwater then told us about the five foot stick of butter. Again, FIVE FOOT STICK OF BUTTER!!!! Craziness! Art; tremble with awe in it's presence. AAaauurrgghhh.....   The whole wild rumpus of the Mall was delightful to watch. Beautiful people in a zillion different colors and textures and cuts of fabric. More cultural diversity in one day than I've seen on this whole trail. Sunshine, Touk and I got to stomp around a little bit to a traditional dance from Oman. Music and dust and color and architecture, old lovers and laughing little kids, popsicle dribbles all down thier chins. What an awesome day! So, back again to Harper's Ferry.   By the way, We met a really nice hiker lady from last year. "You're the gypsysisters? I'm thrilled to meet you...(blah, blah, blah)..." We had such a good talk with her over instant oatmeal and crystallight. Well, long story long... she's been reading our journals because they sound like FUN! Yeah, that's right. We actually have a fan club and are being positive influences on other peoples hikes. Sooo... although I'm a little shy of all these entries about merry-making, I do think it's one of my favorite aspects of this hard-knock life. Justification and all that jazz... We've been having a ton of fun.....   jolly well adiout and upwards...(((this is touk signing off 4 gypsy who likes to leave things hanging..))))