THE PRELIMINARIES

The day began sunny, but cold.
We arrived at the White House about 9:00 AM.
The trees were in blossom and the air, though cool,
was very comfortable.

We had a brief wait in line as we had
to go through security.
Diane posed for this shot while waiting.
We were surrounded by journalists and photographers.

Once inside, we were directed to the West Wing.
Here we greeted the other ecumenical guests,
and had some time to talk with them.
(Photos are not permitted in the West Wing!
But I got one of Diane before this was clear! )

As we came onto the grounds of the White House,
we were followed by the Roman Catholic Bishops
and Cardinals, some of whom we had met on
various occasions.

Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth was among
the Bishops, and we spoke with him as he was
making his way to his place on the South Lawn.

On the way in we also passed a battery
of TV reporters and their set-ups.
TV journalists love to appear with the
White House in the background.
In one of the set-ups, we caught a glimpse
of Matt Lauer of NBC's Today Show.

TV lights were also set up around the South Lawn.
The last shot is of the crowd on the South Lawn,
with the Washington Monument in the background,
and the Jefferson Memorial farther away.