This Old House

Spending an afternoon in Georgetown was a great way to pass the day. The weather was perfect for walking and sight-seeing. It was gorgeous - sunny skies with a few fluffy, white clouds. We set out late for our adventure concerned we would miss touring the Old Stone House. Fortunately we arrived well before closing, ensuring time to wander the house and the gardens. 

The house is purported to be one of the oldest structures in the D.C. area. The kitchen encompassed most of the main floor. The kiddos found a few period toys which they tried - Jacob's Ladder and Cup and Ball. The upper floors were bedrooms and a dining room. Aine and I walked around a bit together. We had to separate since the home was not stroller accessible. Although setup as bedrooms the upper rooms may have also served as parlors or sitting areas for guests.

Aine wondered about the toys in the children's room. This really resonated as we have been listening to Kirsten (American Girl). The idea of such few playthings intrigues her. After walking around upstairs, I asked the rangers onsite about the abundance of wool paraphernalia. There was yarn in the kitchen, spinning wheels, carders, and basket full of wool in several rooms. I wondered about the historical accuracy of this especially after reading Sheepish which tells of families utilizing wool to cloth the family and the staggering amount early families produced both as cloth and yarn. He was unsure, but said it would be based on family size. He also mentioned never having received such a question. I was shocked that I could be the only knitter to visit and ask! 

After touring the inside of the Old Stone House, we entered the adjacent gardens. So many flowers were in bloom. Eamon, Aine and Benton set off running and hiding among the flowers and bushes. Their running and loud playing were commandeered after a bit, since other people were trying to enjoy the parklike gardens. To focus them, I handed over the camera. The following photos are taken by them. We all decided a flower garden like this would be grand and wondered if it would be like the one in The Secret Garden which we have read. (And I have finished 11 of the 12 stripe repeats on the purple shawl. Just a few more rows and then the border!)

A short walk from the Old Stone House brought us to the C&O canal. We sat and watched the water pour through the locks. Eamon explained how locks work, and Aine tried to move the giant gates. Benton gave his parents' heart palpitations by stretching our hands as far as possible to look down into the canal. Dave wanted to continue walking along the path which hugs the canal. Many runners were using the path and made sure to point out turtles and other sights to us. The kiddos tried their hand at climbing the stone wall. They made it a little bit before running out of toe and finger holds.

We left the canal area and head toward something Dave had on his list. We found "the stairs" down the street and around the corner near a service station. I had no idea what they were until Dave explained (I admit to never having seen this movie. I scare easily!). We climbed up them and marveled at et another runner who did 3 or 4 laps up them. A few photos were taken before we set off to eat dinner.

With hungry bodies, we greedily ate a dinner of kabobs and mediterranean food. Our table was on the second floor, so we could look out at the street. The lack of screen made me a bit anxious, but we did okay. The breeze was lovely. A quick trip for frozen yogurt followed and then a walk back to the metro. Eamon and Aine parkoured back to the train, while Benton "exercised" running most of the way.