What the Helen of Troy is This - PoPville

“Military ordnance team has secured the item”

Published September 16, 2020 at 3:00PM

via DC Fire and EMS

From DC Fire and EMS:

“Final update military ordnance located 4700 block Quebec St NW. Military ordnance team has secured the item and will transport it for disposal. Incident has been mitigated and evacuation zone is no longer in place.”

“Unusual incident 4700 block Quebec St NW. what appears to be unexploded military style ordnance discovered during backyard excavation. #DCsBravest in unified command with @DCPoliceDept and military ordnance team. 450 foot evacuation zone established in all directions.”

“Update: The item was discovered as part of an ongoing operation by @USACEBaltimore to search for & mitigate discarded ordnance from WW I testing in what were then isolated open fields.”

About that Crazy Sun

By Prince Of Petworth

Published September 15, 2020 at 9:10AM

Photo by Phil Yabut Tuesday morning “Surreal smoky sunrise.”

From the National Weather Service: “It is indeed smoke from the wildfires out west (thin, at about 20,000 to 25,000 feet above our heads)!”

More crazy photos from last night and this morning: (more…)

About That Light Beam Last Night

By Prince Of Petworth

Published September 9, 2020 at 9:15AM

Photo by Dr J

Got tons of queries, understandably, about this last night starting around 9pm:

“anyone else send you pics of this huge beam of light that appears to be coming from the Pentagon?”

“Spotlight pointed straight into the sky near Pentagon City Metro with a chopper in the distance. Anyone know what’s going on?”

Fox5 reported that it was a practice for:

“This Wednesday, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation will illuminate its ‘Towers of Light’ tribute next to the Pentagon in honor of the lives lost in Flight 77 there on September 11, 2001.”

More photos: (more…)

What the Helen of Troy is This?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published September 2, 2020 at 2:45PM

Geordan asks: “any idea what this is? By the WWII memorial”

“I am so, so curious about this, and the fact that it keeps happening with no witnesses.”

By Prince Of Petworth

Published August 31, 2020 at 1:45PM

“Dear PoPville,

Loud explosions in Brightwood Park?

I am bewildered by the large bangs that I’ve been hearing over the last few (many? 2020 is a blur) months, here in Brightwood Park. At first, I assumed this was part of DC’s fireworks “season” but now I am not so sure. The explosions are so loud they rattle the entire house and they happen at all hours of the day. At the times when they happen at in the middle of the night – 2:00 or 3:00 am – I have rushed to the window to see absolutely nothing – no signs of humans or traffic or sounds or anything. (more…)

Also Not Good

By Prince Of Petworth

Published August 31, 2020 at 9:35AM

Photo by Rosie Brinckerhoff

“Dear PoPville,

These are all dead fish I saw at the constitution gardens pond Sunday on the mall. I was just curious if anyone would know what possibly could have happened to all of them? (more…)

#fishing

“An intriguing mystery in need of answers”

By Prince Of Petworth

Published August 11, 2020 at 3:25PM | Updated August 12, 2020 at 2:32PM

UPDATE: “The artist is instagram user @perfectionisht and the project is his quarantine coping strategy.”

“Dear PoPville,

About 2 months ago I was walking in Cleveland Park and I found a miniature polymer clay version of “The Scream” tucked into an empty apartment promotional box. I found it delightful. Cut to ~3wks ago when I was telling this patient about my funny little find and asked “oh, you mean the one in Rock Creek?” And my brain exploded. So far I’ve physically found two but I have confirmation of 2 more around Tregaron and Klingle Valley. (more…)

#Awesome

“Recommendations/Advice About Sinkhole on Property?”

By Prince Of Petworth

Published August 11, 2020 at 12:45PM

“It’s about 3 inches in diameter.”

“Dear PoPville,

We discovered what we think is a small sinkhole on our front lawn. Anyone have any experience in dealing with this on their property? My googling says that you should call your insurance company first, and that some policies might cover the cost of an assessment of the issue. Does anyone have any recommendations on companies/engineers that assess sinkholes?”

What in the holy hell is this?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published July 29, 2020 at 3:45PM

Photo by Sebastian Roa

Thanks, I think, to Sebastian for sending:

“In other DC news, giant hornet or cicada killer spotted in Capitol Hill?”

Update: Cicada Killer.

The Heat or Just Shaking Off Last Night’s Gin?

By Prince Of Petworth

Published July 22, 2020 at 9:55AM

“Dear PoPville,

I was wondering if anyone would know if it could be high temperatures that would be causing mostly all markings of recently paved streets in DC to look like they were done by a two year old? The picture above is from 12th St. and Constitution Ave., but E St. express way is the worst to the point that it could cause an accident. Could they be temporary?”