Wow, so close and yet so far. Loved this, you are one rockin reporter!

Fantastic pics. I'm jealous that you got to go!!!

you are a fabulous photojournalist, joanie! i loved the signs, thanks from a sign-making fool.

What wonderful, heartening pictures, Joan! I wish I could rate this entry twice, once for the photos and another time for your attendance.

great Joan. Love the pics.

I so wish I could have been there. Thanks for bringing back the pictures. The telecast didn't show many!

No, No, don't drink the Tea!
I'm now off to look up Mark 11:12-14. I had no idea.
This was great Joan - thanks for the peek.

Great stuff. Glad you went. I loved your pictures, Joan, YOU ARE AWESOME!

Looks like a blast to me. I would have stood in front and held up a big sign that read "This Sign Blocks The View Of The People In Back."
rated.

@One piece of sad news. Cranky called to meet up with me. I lost cell phone reception AND his voicemail. It is not easy searching for a man I only recognize as a cartoon avatar.

LOVE the photos.

your great snaps made me feel like i made it there! and if i ever need it, i now know the 800 # for the portapotty guys in DC. cool custom paint job on that stoner benz, greeeeeeeen. (do you think freaky was disguised as the guy holding the "cake" sign? i do.)

thanks, joanie! bitchen afternoon!

I wish I could have tagged along with you.

Good job, Joan!! I've loved reading all the signs from yours and others' blogs. Very entertaining.

Thanks for the great commentary! Nice to see humor in the signage. (I can't believe in a God who hates figs!) I heard there'd be a shortage of porta-potties because of USMC events. Nice to see you found them, and no line!

Thanks for capturing the spectacle, Joan. Flashing your winning photo journalist smile I see. A lefty too ... ?

These are FANTASTIC!!! I am so jealous but delighted you photographed. And btw, you look GREAT!

This was so well done. No opinion. No griping. Just some great images!
R and Zumapick!

Cool photos, but about the time you were at the rally I was dumping old computers at the recycling center. I didn't know what time it was today and missed the whole show! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for taking us along, Joan.

I loved the pictures! I want more! What did you think of the whole thing? It looks like a fun day and positive energy.

I so hoped you had went and took the counted on pictures Joan. When something happens in DC I cross my fingers that you had a canera in hand.
Goof to hear this from an OSer present in real time. I don't know if any sanity was restored tho'.

Joanie,

Cranky wanted me to forward this message:

"I will be in Porta Potty Number 8 from 2 - 4 pm."
See you there.

{[R]}

These are great pictures! Thanks for reporting from the rally! R

Oh Larry, I was looking in the wrong port-a-potty!

Sorry I couldn't make it, but my gout was acting up again.
rated............!:)

Thanks, Joan!

Thanks for the report, Joan...

I sat at the District Court of Columbia Parking Lot.
Ya have to Love the Nations Youth. Park backward?
That what the sign said. I wish Sirens were Rooster!
The Politicians won't allow rooster-chickens. Sirens?
What a strange DC!
People seemed happy!
I was at H & 7th Strret!
I sold beets, arugula`
butternut squash etc.,`
We need help real bad!
Great Photos. My O my!
I still am pondering stuff!
It was a festive day... But`
Cop Sirens make DC Insane!

What a wonder you are, Joan, for all of us who live too far away. Friends of mine were there and met with what met you, I think. Thanks for this Joan.

Fun signs! Thanks, Joan!

Wish I could have been there.. thanks for pming me . I would have missed it as i do not blog on Saturdays ..rest day hahah
Rated with hugs

just reposted to FACEBOOK-I hope everyone visiting here does!!!! thanks joan-great job!

Watched it on TV. Very fun. Love the pics. Rated.

Thanks for the photos. Almost as good as being there.

But Joanie, weren't you afraid??? Those people all looked like evil godless communists! ::eek::

Are you sure Christine has the whole bloc voting for her.

So fun to see a personal perspective from the day!

Nice report and pictures. I hope sanity is a day closer to being restored.
rated

Thanks for posting Joan! Never been to DC but now I can asy almost

say. think I have lesdyxia.

What a beautiful day to be in DC! And even better to be amongst a crowd of people who feel good. I heard a Republican lady call in to the CSPAN after rally discussion, saying she really like everyone coming together and how glad she was that Glenn Beck got this all started. :)

My favorite is the sculpture!
The dummies one made me laugh.

They should hire you to be a photojournalist. You've got a great eye!

Enjoyed the pictures and commentary. Looks like you had a great time.

Great photo feature!!

I know of about ten thousand journalists who could take lessons from you - just show the story and let people make up their own minds. Everything these days is spin, spin, spin!

highly rated!!!

Wow...You got an EP on a Saturday night.
(I never saw that before)

Joanie knows people.

I wanted to be there when I first heard about this. I'm glad the turnout was so great! And your pictures capture exactly what I thought (hoped) it would be.

Awesome, thanks so much. Great photos and nice to see you in them too. Well done.

OMG God really DOES hate figs!

What a blast. Do love the signs. Kind of a breath of fresh air. Smiling faces.
Thanks, Joan for bringing this to us.

Excellent photojournalism and you look great ! Thank you, Joan. ~R

Really wish I could have been there. It was an important point to have made.

I am so jealous! Thanks for the great pictures; I'd heard the signs were supposed to be funny and snarky, and thanks to your excellent photojournalism skills, I see this was indeed the case. Thanks also for the rabbit pic - I saw that on a recent trip to DC and loved it! It's nice to see him again. R., with jealousy!

I watched the news several times and wondered if you were there! Looks sane, fun, needed! Thanks for the ringside views! You look amazing. Rated for bringing us the good stuff consistently...Loved that Stewart said there were 10 Million people there:-}

Cranky was the guy pouring your tea.

I had to work in the morning so I arrived around The Mall after the actual rally, but I am so glad I went down. There was this fantastic energy of good will and humor and fun, which really show in Joan's pics. I saw a couple of sets of drummers, and also managed to pop in a few museums.

I walked from home and back, which I had also done during Inauguration. I was thrilled that (a) I didn't get re-routed anywhere and thus it was a managable walk, and (b( the weather was insanely perfect.

A friend of mine tried taking the Metro down from his place in upper NW. He ended up hitchhiking and got a ride with some guy, and four miscellaneous people also trying to get to the rally.

You're just a little roving reporter. I wanted to go. I even missed it on television, so I appreciate this.

Looks like you had as much fun as anyone there.

Ooh, goody, I was hoping you would be there! Now I get to back and look at your post. :)

It was great seeing all your fabulous pictures. Watching on TV didn't really give as good a view of the crowd. It looked pretty big though...Did you guys see that my sanity nominee got a medal of reasonableness? Hee hee. I was pretty tickled.

I was hoping that you were going to go and chronicle the event. Excellent pictures - well done!

Love to see some Sanity coming to Washington DC, even if it's only for a day!

You are lucky to live in DC and see everything up close. Joan, you are the epitome of a citizen journalist!

I hope so too. And I hope it inspires people to go vote on Tuesday.

Great pictures, Joanie!
Since I'm reclaiming Tea Parties, I'll darn well drink the tea.
rated!

Zowie.....too friggin' cool!!!! Love love love the pix!

Thank you so much. I am grinning as I type this!

Thank you for offering this lens onto the Sanity Rally.

Great pictures!! Thanks for sharing them.

Sally, thanks, and I am so glad to see you!
Jane, ha! the mask is great!
Roger, thank you, it's a perk of living in the city!
dianaani, high praise from the woman who taught me how to make my pictures better!
Brassawe, many thanks!
Christine, thank you
scanner, I need to see the telecast to see what I missed!
trilogy, lol, I think he was trying to bring tea back to its original meaning.
Sheila, thank you so much!
BOKO, I would have taken a picture of your sign for sure.
flw, thank you!
femme, wasn't the stoner car too cool? You are too funny.
mime, me too.
Bell, I'm glad you liked it.
dirndl, I was stuck over by the port-a-potties since I wasn't a VIP!

Scarlett, I'm glad you liked it. Only my politics. I am a righty otherwise.
Nikki, I wish you were there. And thanks!
Xenonlit, thank you for the Zumapick!
ocularnervosa, glad I could provide a little of it for you here.
mypsyche, my pleasure. Love your avatar.
zanelle, I thought it was one hell of a cool day.
Mission, Aw, thanks for thinking of me. I hope maybe a little sanity is restored.
Lawrence, you were right and I'm meeting him today!
Lib, you're welcome and thank you!
manhattankid, you could have left your goat with the neighbors.
Lainey, thanks for coming by!
Dr. S, a pleasure.
Art, I am delighted to see you. When will you be at H and 7th again? Because I would love to say hello and pick up some beets, arugula and especially butternut squash. Yes, the sirens are ridiculous.
ann1liese, thank you, it really was such a cool day.
kitd, thank you for stopping by!
Linda, wish you had been there too!
marla, many thanks!
Rita, thank you!
Abrawang, thanks so much for coming by!
Amy, afraid? Hell no. Those evil godless communists are my peeps!:)
Fred, thanks and ?
lschmoopie, glad you came by! (love your name)
Romantic, thanks and me too.
Conrad, thank you for by coming!
Oryoki, Oh yes, thanks to Glenn Beck for starting it! :)
Vanessa, I love that sculpture too. Thanks, Darlin'.
CC, group shot with Larry for sure!
ladyslipper, it was a great day. I'm glad you came by.
skypixieo, aw, blushing with thanks.
Lawrence, shhh...

but did you hit the free weed wagon? that's what i wanna know.

I went with my husband and we enjoyed it...so wonderfully different from the Tea Party events I'd been to lately. My favorite was the jump rope with a Muslim station. You know you're in the company of liberals when you can smell weed wafting through the air and get a free hug from a guy holding a sign that says "free hugs".

Gorgeous photography Joanie!

I got there at around 10:45, and the masses of people walking from the Wash. Monument to the rally was amazing. Thousands of people as far as I could see walking in the same direction. I pushed my way close to the last video screen so I could see/hear. The signs were excellent, the rally was great and the people near me were a lot of fun. I enjoyed everything.

Let's hope America moves forward in time and not circular. It would be pure depravity, schizophrenia, and sadism to elect GOP personnel again. Has anyone figured out why the media likes to keep the pendulum swinging? Why would CNN, Yahoo news, AP want to help install the same old song and dance to power once again? I haven't quite figured it out yet. It is their shaping of daily events which gives a subject legs or not to stand on.

Down to the civility of the metro ride, this sounds exactly like the vibe and enthusiasm that I experienced at the anti-war rally in Washington just before we invaded Iraq. The mall was similiarly packed, with people of all walks of Life -- grandmothers for peace, veterans for peace, church groups from around the country. The mall was packed and people overflowed to side stretets as far as you could see. We really left thinking surely someone heard us. Instead, the event was barely covered by news media and when it was, it was portrayed as a small event attended by a handful of socialist radicals. This happened time and again at peace rallies. That's when I realized we were in serious trouble as a nation. I have lost any faith that our democratic system actually still exists.

Nevertheless, had I been able to, I would have attended, because just like in the case of Iraq, I would not have been able to live with myself, had I not raised my voice in protest (even if this rally had a comical undertone) regardless of the outcome. R

I love it! But...you have an anti-Deval Patrick GOP ad on your blog ...can't think you'd approve of that!

Oh, man, too bad you didn't me /w my sign :)

It's refreshing to see "signs" of good-natured fun for a change. We are so privileged to have our very own OS reporters on the scene. Great pics!

Lezlie

You WENT! You WENT! I tried but couldn't and I LOVE you for this! THANK you. The antidote to the Obama hatefest post I put up a while back. Wonderful!

- so well done, Joan! Thank you!

Thank you!

Nice to see protest signs written by people who can spell.

Wonderful pictures, Joan, and I'm glad we got to spend Sunday afternoon with you. I hope to post my account and photos tomorrow if my illness doesn't sap my energy.

You know, a second career as a photojournalist isn't out of the question...this made me feel like I had walked through the Rally my very own self. You're good, dude.

Thanks for the beautiful photojournalism! My sanity is restored just reading this.

What a wonderful job! Lucky you. Looks like a wonderful experience.

I like the one near the porto pot.
It's fun to ogle woman who exit.
That if ... their socks don't stink.
`
Farm Markets? You asked where
Google FRESHFARMMARKETS
Bernie & Ann has a great web site
`
There is a button to`
Meet The Farmers
Mu son took over.
He's a Cornell guy.
I put a hoe in hand.
He was only nine.
I gave him a hoe.
We are Blueberry Hill (organic certified, Maryland) Vegetable Farm. Tonight is a huge auction. Feast. Farmers can't afford to attend. We gave a donation of a Golden Marigold Necklace (photo too?) that will be the first think auctioned. Grow them for free? Save seeds.
Eat greens.
No burp tho.
Michael and I think that there will be few. if any, farmer there. The Farmers will think it's a dinner buffet`And All You Can Eat Table.

Farmer toss food in fights.
No trow mashed potatoes.
Mash mild white turnips.

Sanity redux. Buen idea.

@Art, I googled "Blueberry Hill Organic Farm" and see that you are in several locations here during the week. See you soon. :)

I so wanted to go. Too far away! Thanks for sharing! R

nice photos Joanie...

The pics were fun.

The "other" partyers are drinking tea flavored koolaid.

I love seeing events through your eyes, Joan . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ozNtnaxGk&feature=player_embedded

You are so lucky to have been there! Right about now we all need some fun. The signs are wonderful.

great pictures!!

Wish I could've been there. Thanks for bringing it home to us.

That rabbit sculpture is just delightful - thanks for including it.

And the pictures of you! Those were far more interesting to me than the rally. You look mahvelous, darling - and so stylin'! I covet your brown leather coat.

Woo-Hooo! I wish I could have been there. I like Feeling Good for a change! I read about a sign, said something like, Yes, I have an opinion, and I'd like to have a civil discussion about it.

Yes, Yes, Yes!

btw - great pics, as usual. Thanks for going in some of our stead!

Great pictures!

Glad someone took better pictures than I did. Truly an incredible day.

Great pix and a great day. No wonder they hate our freedom.

These are so great, Joan, I was hoping you'd be there snapping pics for us : )

I was there with you in spirit! Great photos! Tenpenh! That's an order! ;)

Love these pix. Wish I'd been there.

@Thank you everyone for taking a look at my day. O'Really, I will be making reservations there stat!
I am closing comments for now because Mary Lin and her brood left 35 comments while I slept and I hate cleaning up after them.