Sights not normally seen

I was headed out yesterday, a cold clear day after New Years to spend some quality time with my 13-year-old niece and my 10-year-old nephew who are in town visiting for the holidays from Connecticut.

A fine day was planned: a trip out to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum near Dulles, a late lunch at Pizzeria Paradiso in G-town and, if I had not yet been driven insane, a quick stop at Thomas Sweet on Wisconsin. I'm happy to say all went according to plan and a good day was had by all. Especially since there was fudge involved.

The funniest part of the day, though, had to have been as I was heading out to pick up my niece and nephew. There I was, waiting at a stoplight when lo and behold, the individuals in the image below sauntered across my field of view. 

I was so stunned by this bucolic familial scene I almost forgot I had a camera in my pocket. Thankfully, I recovered in the nick of time to record the image for posterity. 

Now, momma, papa and the camouflaged apple of their eye wouldn't have normally caught my attention if, say, I still lived in one of my previous homes in Texas, Indianapolis or North Carolina. But, you see, this picture is different, I snapped in Old Town. 

Yeah, Old Town Alexandria.  

Normally, considering my own fashion sense and the fact I wore camouflage utilities to work every day for six years, I wouldn't want to be the guy living in a condo constructed of a transparent amorphous solid chucking igneous formations around.

But this, this: Just. Made. Me. Laugh. 

The ladies' camouflage jackets. Mom's cammie backpack. And dad, dad all decked out, literally from head-to-toe in hat, jacket and pants just in case the need for stealth arises somewhere along Duke Street. Oh, and the matching earmuffs not decorated in a woodland pattern? They only make it that much better.