Scout Camp and the 4th of July

Last week I got to go up to scout camp for a couple days. It was a really nice camp. They set up the tents for us, made our food, and provided all kinds of activities. We had two boys go up, one for the whole week (Jamal) and one came up with me Thursday night (James). They're cousins, and I'm not sure they went to sleep at all that night. Too many spiders in their tent I guess.

James and Jamal and the rifle range

We played so wiffleball and spent some time in the archery range. I also saw some kind of water snake at the lake (even heard it hissing) and a fairly large wolf spider.

A wolf spider

I came back Friday night in time for the folk life festival and the 4th of July celebration.

The folk life festival this year focused on Wales, the "Americas", African American Speeches, and Hare Krishna. We spent most of our time at the Welsh booths because they were the most plentiful and Rose studied Welsh in Wales and still speaks it fairly well. At least, she could translate all the signs for me.

We met Ben for the festivities, which was heaps of fun.
The longest city name in the UK. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, which means "St. Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool of Llantysilio of the red cave." So the name of the village almost amounts to directions on how to find it!
Welsh Scrabble. Rose destroys me at English Scrabble, so here I would have no chance.

After the folk life festival we got to go to a party for America's birthday in the Capitol building. That's right, the US Capitol building. It was amazing. It was a party for the Lantos Foundation and Pride in America. They gave an award to a woman who makes handmade furniture for making quality products in America.

We got to see Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, Natascha Bedingfield, the Marine Band, the fireworks, and Jimmy Smits. It was pretty cool and we felt pretty cool being there.

On the West Terrace of the Capitol.
The fireworks!
The Washington Monument in the background (with a different kind of fireworks in the foreground).
More fireworks.

So last week was quite eventful. Things are going well otherwise too. I've been observing a trial at work and Rose just arranged to work part-time at the Corporation for National and Community Service in the fall, so everything is falling into place that way. I can't believe it, but it's already time to start looking for a job for post-graduation. One more year of law school and I'm done with law school. It goes by fast. So that's a very short update.