Had a very gloomy wet day. At first I thought that all it was good for was firing up the gas oven and making chocolate chip cookies. I figure that once the warmer days arrive I may not appreciate warming up the motorhome in such a manner. After at least getting the batter made we did head out for Great Falls. Until today I thought the Potomac was just a small river that flowed around D.C. Actually it can boast as having one of the larger falls on the east coast. It plunges a total of seventy-seven feet in a series of picturesque falls and thundering rapids. And we were fortunate to be there after a heavy rainfall. It still was not as dramatic as it could be because of lack of rainfall in the past winter months, but its beauty was still impressive to me. Actually it reminded me of Johnson Shut-Ins from back home in Mo., but the Shut-Ins don't cover quite as much river. We walked on a trail alongside the river, not only viewing the falls, but also looking at remnants of the stone canal constructed in 1784 to make the river navigable for trade. George Washington presided over the effort after organizing the Patowmack company. Five canals were built, and also the required locks- quite a challenge for the engineers of that time. I will post one picture here of the Great Falls, as well as one of Mather Gorge where the river slows and flows through a narrow opening. Pardon the grayness of the day.
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