The Audacity Of Hats - More photos from Inauguration Week

I had hoped to have this up last weekend, but -  surprise, surprise - culling through, editing, color correcting and cropping 2,000+ images took a little longer than expected.

Below are a few images from the three days I was in DC for the Inauguration. To see ALL the photos, click on the following links:

Sunday, January 18 

The "We Are One" concert and California Democratic Party Ball

Monday, January 19 

Jane Harman Inaugural Brunch and final preparations for the BIG DAY

Tuesday, January 20

Inauguration Day

(My apologies in advance for the watermarks. Shortly after I posted the first set of photos, some chuckleheads put the images up on their websites without attribution, so I'm hoping to head that bad behavior off at the pass this time around.)

Capitol grounds as Obama is sworn in

Watching the "We Are One" Concert from the base of the Washington Monument

Judiciary Square Metro Stop

Barbara Boxer and Yours Truly at the California Democratic Party Ball

Spectator taking photos of the Capitol grounds two days before Inauguration Day

The now-infamous Purple Gate

Security on the Mall during the "We Are One" concert

The Audacity of Hats - Fur was very popular, PETA be damned

Poster hung from the Yoko Ono "Wish Tree" at the Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden

Cheery thought for the day

Representative John Lewis (D-Ga) at the Jane Harman (D-Ca) brunch

Spectator watches the Inauguration. Don't ask me how she got that dog past security.

Spectators hope their families will see these signs on TV

A few random thoughts...

• African-American women in DC of "a certain age" have more style in their little fingers than I'll ever have.
  

• When it's 15-degrees, you can get an ice cream headache just breathing.
  

• Capitol Hill Police were useless when I left DC 21 years ago, and you know, they haven't improved since.
  

• I've never seen the locals be so nice to tourists. Ever.
  

• Obama-wear, and Obama hats in particular, are audacious!
  

• DC has one of the best transit systems in the world. I pine for it here.
  

• There's no real good way to describe the moment when you turn around and realize you're staring at a sea of two million people. 
  

• I wonder what was going through George Bush's head when he heard those two million people boo him as he arrived, then sing, "Na, na, na, na! Hey, hey, hey! Goodbye!" when he left.
  

• I was cold, squished, sleep-deprived, and my feet were killing me.......It was the worst three days I've ever loved.