* PEET'S COMING VERY SOON: I took this photo yesterday evening, intending to post it today and say "it looks like Peet's Coffee is getting close," but a Twitter follower has now scooped that with a picture of this sign on the door today, which announces the grand opening as Monday, Aug. 13, at 5 am, with a "family and friends" event on Saturday, Aug. 11 from 11 am to 2 pm. For those who haven't been waiting for the opening of the neighborhood's 250th coffee shop, Peet's is located just north of the New Jersey and M entrance to the Navy Yard-Ballpark subway station, in the ground floor of Insignia on M.

* BIKE PATH COMING SORT OF SOON: Work continues to bring Virginia Avenue back to life as the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project wraps up, and the photo at right shows the progress of the new bike path that will run *alongside the pedestrian path.* I would assume that the deep crushed gravel is not the final surface, but it's going to be a very nice alternative to getting between 2nd Street SE and Virginia Avenue Park/points east. I don't have a date for when the paths will be completed, but the entire project is supposed to be finishing in October.

* ALSO COMING SORT OF SOON: Also of note is the arrival of the signage for Barre 3 on 1st Street, though the interior does not look like we have reached Any Minute Now territory. And a peek behind the Bluestone Lane window coverings at 99 M would seem to indicate that the arrival of the neighborhood's 251st coffee shop is not imminent.

* BOOZE COMING AT SOME POINT: As tidbitted last week, there is a hearing sign posted in the ground floor of 1015 Half Street next to Bonchon for a liquor license for a new Retail Class A store that would sell beer, wine, and spirits. (The one that seemed to be coming to New Jersey and L has disappeared, FWIW.)

* CAPITAL ONE CLOSING SOON: Was mentioned by a commenter recently, but here's official notification that the Capital One branch in the ground floor of 1111 New Jersey is closing in September.

And a few other items that don't fit into the pattern:

* Truckeroo returns on Friday, Aug. 10.

* Nationals Park is having its first-ever Farmers Market on Sunday, Aug. 12, from 10 am to 2 pm.

Other than that, it's August. It's hot.

* THE HARLOW: A public meeting last week to update residents on Capper/Carrollsburg's redevelopment status passed along the news that the building at 2nd and L across from Canal Park will be known as "The Harlow," which does roll off the tongue a bit more easily than the current "Square 769N Apartments." The building is expected to open in spring 2019, and will have 179 apartments, of which 36 will be affordable units. It will also have about 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail. The update also said that DCHA is still planning to move forward with Square 767 next, as a condo building and separate rental building. That plan still needs to start its way into the Zoning Fun Factory.

* SHOOTING ON 5TH: There was a shooting in front of the Capper Community Center at 5th and L in the wee hours of July 21. MPD described it this way: "At approximately 0320 hours unknown number of suspect(s) approached the victims that were in front of 1005 5th Street SE in dark colored vehicle. The suspect(s) opened fire on the victims wounding both of them. One victim was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital, the other victim was shot in the leg and transported to the hospital. The suspect(s) and suspect vehicle fled in an unknown direction. It is unsure how many individuals were in front of 1005 5th Street SE. Two weapons were recovered in front of the recreation center, also multiple shell casings found on the scene and there are rifles casings among the shell casings." Capitol Hill Corner summarized the subsequent MPD 1D community meeting.

* BRIDGE NEWS: If you're interested in the new Douglass Bridge, check out "Progress," the spiffy quarterly update. And you'll also see the spiffy Douglass Bridge logo.

* TUNNEL NEWS: If you're interested in the Virginia Avenue Tunnel (or, at this point, the Virginia Avenue Streetscape Restoration), the latest "Coffee with Chuck" slides give estimated timelines for when the remaining portions of the street should reopen to traffic. I'm most interested in seeing that the 2nd and H intersection should reopen in mid-August, which will make access to The Grocery Store That Shall Not Be Named much easier.

And last week's VAT newsletter added that H Street's completion will also "feature a train viewing area at the south tunnel portal where a historical marker of the original tunnel will be in place," which I inadvertently captured in the photo at right, which I took earlier this month to document the new lettering on the tunnel entrance. There will be the new dog park on the north side of H as well.

I think that's enough for now, except maybe to mention that the coming Bluestone Lane coffee shop has its signage up to the right of the 99 M lobby entrance. They apparently have a goal of opening by the end of August, but (all together now), We Shall See.

* HATOBA: The neighborhood will finally get a ramen outlet in early 2019, when Hatoba opens in the old 100 Montaditos space in the Boilermaker Shops at the Yards. (You may have caught their pop-up with "Japanese hot dogs.") Washingtonian has more about this fourth venture from the team behind Daikaya, Bantam King, and Haikan. (And apparently "hatoba" means "dock.")

* EL BEBE: There's finally an official replacement for Open Road as Circa's sibling in the ground floor of the 99 M office building at 1st and M, and that's "El Bebe," which is billing itself as "tacos and tequila." Eater DC has more, including that both Bebe and Circa are shooting for a "late 2019 2018" opening. {fixed my own typo}

* WALTERS: The sports bar in the ground floor of 1221 Van isn't coming until next year, but they tweeted out this rendering of the planned interior.

* ALL-PURPOSE: Their rooftop is now open.

* DEEP DIVES: The Post had a long piece this weekend on the neighborhood 10 years after the ballpark's arrival (with some photos that will look familiar), and Washington Monthly has a long and interesting look at Business Improvement Districts, with a focus on the Capitol Riverfront BID.

* CAPPER MEETING: The DC Housing Authority is having a public meeting to give an update on the status of the Capper/Carrollsburg redevelopment on Wednesday, July 25, at 7 pm at the Capper Community Center, 1000 5th St., SE. I imagine this will discuss the remaining three blocks of the redevelopment footprint, which are planned as mixed-income residential buildings, including one condo building, if that is still on the boards. (UPDATE: The 25th is the correct date, but the flyer called it Tuesday instead of Wednesday. Waiting for an updated flyer.)

* BRIDGE SURVEY: Interested in the new Douglass Bridge? DDOT wants to hear from you in this survey.

* ME ME ME: I always feel weird about including these links, but if you want the quick version of how this crazy project came to be, read Urban Turf's look at the "Unofficial Historian of the Ballpark District."

And, to boot, there's Saturday's debut of Audi Field (outside of the JDLand coverage zone). This means that residents in both Near Southeast and Southwest are going to have tens of thousands of newcomers traipsing around to the various events.

In other words, even if you have no interest in baseball, or soccer, or futbol, if you live in these areas, you are going to feel some impacts.

The DC government has launched the spiffy sportscapital.dc.gov web site with scads of information on all of the events, and included among the pages is this equally spiffy Community Information flyer, with the schedule of events starting tomorrow, July 12, through the big shindig on Tuesday, July 17. The flyer also has information on road closures, bus stop impacts, taxi/rideshare pickup zones, and more.

As for official MLB-related activities within the JDLand coverage zone:

* The free "PLAY BALL Park" launches at Spooky Park (Yards Parcel A) at 1st and M Streets SE on Friday, July 13, running every day from mid-morning through late evening (times vary) until Tuesday, July 17. To quote MLB, "PLAY BALL Park is a 56,000 square feet interactive area that MLB and its programming partners will provide fun, engaging, and educational activities for youth baseball and softball players and their families - all in the backdrop of the Midsummer Classic."

* On Saturday, July 14, bright and early at 8 am, the Color Run MLB All-Star 5K will start off by Nats Park and then run the Riverwalk circuit through the Yards Park, alongside THE Navy Yard, across the 11th Street local bridge, down into Anacostia Park, over to Poplar Point, and then back across the Douglass Bridge, finishing at 1st and M SE. Entries are still being accepted.

* Nats Park itself finally gets into the action on "All-Star Sunday," July 15, with the All-Star Futures Game and the Legends & Celebrity Softball Game. Gates open at the ballpark at 2 pm.

* Monday, July 16 brings not only the Home Run Derby at 8 pm, but the All-Star Workout Day. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, it's on ESPN at 8 pm. Or you can stand on N Street and see if a ball comes your way.

* Tuesday, July 17 is the day of all days, starting with the "All-Star Red Carpet Show" at the ballpark, and then the game itself at 7:30 pm.

But these aren't the only events. Here's some non-MLB-sanctioned events:

* Thursday's Summer Outdoor Movie is "A League of Their Own," at 9 pm at the Yards Park.

* Friday has two concerts, both starting at 7 pm: White Ford Bronco at the Bullpen at and the 19th Street Band at the Yards Park.

* The Yards is hosting the All-Star Summer Riverfest on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm. Sayeth the web site: "The Yards Park will be transformed into a sandlot with games, activities, and entertainment."

* The inaugural DC United game at Audi Field is Saturday at 8 pm.

* Sunday brings another outdoor movie, this time "The Sandlot," at the Yards Park at 9 pm.

* And, throughout the entire time, there will be a dozen "larger-than-life baseball inflatables" installed at both Yards Park and Canal Park.

I will defer listing all of the food and drink specials, other than to mention that Mission and Walters Bar will both be operating on N Street. I would imagine most every restaurant and bar will be doing something special. And will be packed.

If you want to know about events at the Wharf, or the Fan Fest at the Convention Center, or other details outside the coverage zone, here's the Post's big roundup.

I am sure I will be tidbitting and retweeting throughout the next few days to try to keep up with items that are of particular interest to nearby residents, but will not be flooding the zone with full coverage. I'm guessing it won't be hard to find the latest!

This weekend I brought the JDLand camera to a ballgame for the first time in a while, and spent much of the time wandering from vantage point to vantage point to take pictures. It's really hard for me to believe that it's been nearly 11 years since I first was shepherded up to the upper concourse and out onto various viewing platforms, with someone holding the back of my jacket while I shot because the railings weren't in place yet.

The obvious skyline view, of the buildings now going up along Half Street and N Street, is the subject of much discussion these days (Lookit tthe cranes! Why did they allow them to block the dome? What about the parking garages?), but I also have great fondness for the viewing platform on the southeast side. So here's a quick sampling (click to enlarge):

If you want to see many more photos from these vantage points, dig deep down into the site for my Overhead Photos gallery, and choose either Ballpark, Southeast Viewing Platform, or Northwest Viewing Platform.

And, as a preview, they will be operating a pop-up bar in the new space for the fast-approaching All-Star hullabaloo, July 13-17.

They will join Mission as the corner spaces in this residential building just north of Nats Park--and Mission will be "opening" for All-Star festivities as well, with a shortened preview menu in advance of its expected full opening later in July.

The focus of ballpark-related retail has always been Half Street, but N Street is going to be hopping as well, with these two places and when West Half and 1250 Half are completed in 2019/2020. (I'll note that the first tenant announced for West Half is The Commons, which will apparently front N Street.)

And, not only will it have lunch and dinner menus with "a sort of contemporary, upscale diner feel," but it is apparently intending to have a bakery and breakfast operation, Mah-Ze-Dahr at The Commons, from the owners of the New York bakery.

The article says that The Commons is aiming for a late 2019 or early 2020 opening.

This is the first retail offering announced for West Half, which will have over 65,000 square feet of retail on two floors.

It runs from 6 am to 9 pm on summer weekdays, and 7 am to 9 pm on summer weekends, with hours extended to midnight on days of Nationals home games starting at 6 pm or later.

(As for special routes and service on DC United game days, this is going around Twitter, but I don't see it on the Circulator web site. It would apparently detour down 1st Street SE to Potomac Avenue, then back up Half Street SW.)

As always, rides are $1, with various age-based, transfer-based, and payment type-based discounts.

Meanwhile, on Monday DDOT is "beginning roadway improvements along M Street SE from First Street to 7th Street SE." This will be milling and paving, and will be done between 8 pm and 5 am "to mitigate impact on traffic in this busy corridor." Like on shiny new bus routes!

And now I think it's probably time to head back into tidbit mode, unless big news breaks. Watch the bottom of this post for updates, but here's two tidbits to start that you might not have seen:

* An interesting article on the new Douglass Bridge's design and planned construction from an engineering standpoint.

* With all of those photos I took last week, it was time to update the Sliders, and I also took the opportunity to add a bunch of new angles to the Slider lineup. I can't embed them here, but here are screenshots that you can click on to see the sliding in action. Or you can scroll down through all 35 sliders that I updated/added, as well as browse the full archive.

Plus, they are probably the two most watched projects in the neighborhood at the moment.

These are two views of JBG Smith's West Half 420-unit residential development, which, if I can count floors correctly, is still not yet topped out, but which, as seen in the second photo, is already hanging glass on the lower floors, presumably to protect the spaces from the roving gangs of All-Star hooligans that will descend next month. I think both photos do a good job of showing the very unique structure of this building, as it appears from the north to be funneling down into the ballpark. It also looks like the corner of the building facing the ballpark is prepped to have some signage hung. Digital? Temporary? Permanent? We Shall See! This building is expected to have about 65,000 square feet of retail on its first two floors.

And, across the way, we have:

The east side of the street will be home to 1250 Half Street, a residential project that is both a nearly topped-out skeleton (on the north end of the site) and a still-not-yet-out-of-the-ground hole to peer into (on the south end of the site). It is actually all one building, it's just that the foundation was built on the north end back when Monument Realty had plans to develop the rest of the block as it was building the 55 M office building, before, well, you know, Things Happened. So this allowed Jair Lynch Development Partners to plow ahead with above-ground work there while prepping the rest of the former Monument Valley hole to go vertical. This building will have as many as 440 rental units and over 60,000 square feet of retail (including anchor tenant Punch Bowl Social) when it's finished, though I should note that it is going to be completed in two phases, with construction of the phase two "boutique residential building" facing N Street coming later.

And here's what both will look like to people exiting the ballpark when they are finished.

Which is a little different from:

With that, I am done running down all of the latest construction statuses (statusi?). If you are worn out, don't blame me, blame the SEVENTEEN separate construction projects underway (19 if you include the Virginia Avenue Tunnel and the new South Capitol Street bridge).

May I present to you the residetial projects of: Square 696, 1000 1st Street, and the Maren. Check the project pages for details.

And, speaking of Square 696, there still are no publicly available renderings for this 800-unit two-phase residential project by Tishman Speyer. So, you know what that means....

* At left, we have what is now known as "Novel South Capitol," previously known as 2 I Street, aka The Building That Took Away McDonald's and Broke JD's Heart. And, as a tidbit for loyal readers who actually read what I write in this posts, I see an approved building permit for phase two of this project, at 4 I Street. (There's a reference in the permit to a name "Velocity"--I assume someone will point out the error of that at some point.) This first phase is a 380-unit apartment building.

* At right, we have the still-as-yet-unnamed mixed-income apartment building at 2nd and L, just a few steps from Canal Park. It is slated to 179ish units, of which 36 will be for public housing residents. This building is part of the huge Capper/Carrollsburg redevelopment, and may before long have DDOT as a sibling on the south side of that block. It's also supposed to have a small amount of retail in the portion of the ground floor that faces the park.

But wait, there's more!

*Transition from beige brick to red brick, we have the latest look at the Bower, the 138-unit condo building at 4th and Tingey in the Yards. This photo is taken from its east side, at what will be a new intersection of 5th and Tingey. And behind the Bower, where you see the green wall covering, we have...

* The Guild (at least we think it's going to be called the Guild), the 190-unit rental building that is actually two parallel towers that run north/south behind the Bower, as more clearly seen in the middle photo. There will be a new block of Water Street running between the Guild and the parking lot, hooking up with the new 5th Street to the east.

* Lastly, I decided to toss in a photo of the back of the new DC Water headquarters, to not only show how the new building wraps around the existing (and still operational) O Street pumping station, but how the back of the building now has colored panels that mimic the front's glass, so that it isn't the stark green monolith that had people a little nervous a few months ago.

Head to the project pages of each of these buildings to see more before and afters, renderings, sliders, and whatnot.

Coming next, a look at two projects that are refusing to adhere to my facile skeletons/facings/holes construct.

But there's no way that these seventeen projects can be well surveyed in one post, so let's start with the five projects now that have arrived above the fence line or right at it in the past few weeks:

* First up is the one that's probably making the biggest splash, which is the new National Association of Broadcasters HQ at South Capitol and M. (Its sibling, the Avidian condo building, isn't quite keeping up, and is still below the fence line.)

* Meanwhile, up at Half and K, It's taken a while but the second phase of the Parc Riverside apartments is now visible from street level as well.

* Trekking over to the Yards, the Thompson Hotel on the south side of Tingey Street is visible, while *its* sibling, the 227-unit apartment building apparently dubbed The Estate, has rebar juuuuuuust poking up above the fence line, but not obvious enough to bother with a photo. (See, I'm not COMPLETELY OCD about this.)

* The last new arrival, the third portion of "The Collective" group of apartments known as the Garrett, is past the fences.

Stay tuned for more.

Of course it made me think of that spot's "before photo," which is one of my absolute favorites, because it shows the old Normandie Liquors building, all alone, in May 2006. Just one block to the south, demolitions were underway to clear the site that would become Nats Park, but this photo gives no hint of the radical changes about to come.

And then I thought about how I have taken so many photos of this corner since 2006, because the actual corner lot took so long to be developed, and because so much happened right around it. And I realized that it is probably one of the best spots to illustrate what has happened in the Near Capitol Ballpark River Yards neighborhood over the past 15 years.

Let's take a run through just a few of the 102 photos I have taken of that corner since 2006. Click to enlarge/slideshow 'em:

By June 2007, cranes are visible to the south, as work on the ballpark is well underway. Later that year the distinctive steel work of 55 M appears next door, and the new building rises up above the Normandie--until February 2008, when the little yellow brick building meets its demise. The ballpark is now clearly visible from 1st and M, just in time for its debut in late March, 2008, and by the end of that year, 55 M's exterior is finished.

And then the view freezes. It's the same for all of 2009, and 2010, and 2011, and 2012, and 2013, until at last a crane appears at the south end of the 1st Street block in spring 2014. Up goes the Hampton Inn, and it is followed in 2015 and 2016 by F1rst and the Residence Inn.

Finally, in May 2017, 11 years after the Normandie stood alone, the southwest corner of 1st and M finally has a skeleton of its own, as 99 M at last makes it above ground.

And now, one year after that, the sidewalks are open, and the garage-like doors where Circa will host hordes of stadium-goers are visible.

I'm guessing the beverages at Circa will cost a little more than they did at Normandie.

This is of course just one of a whole lot of corners that have radically changed in the past 15 years, and some of them even had a similar start-stop-start timeline, but I do think if one corner has to be picked to tell the story, it's this one.

While it does not yet quite look like the rendering, the huge space that will be the first restaurant on N Street SE immediately across from Nats Park (or, more accurately, one of the garages) is certainly taking shape. If you look closely at the rendering, you can see that Mission will occupy the corner space on both the first and second floor, but the bulk of the restaurant--including what it is heralding as DC's largest bar--runs the length of the second story, from Van to South Capitol.

There are actually four separate bar areas, plus outdoor seating on two floors, a private event space, and lots of the large roll-up garage-type windows to bring the outdoors in.

Owner Fritz Brogan told me that there will be happy hours seven days a week, and that while of course the hope is to make Mission a destination for the huge ballpark crowds that descend 81-plus times a year, the restaurant is also planning to cater to residents during the days and nights when Nats Park is dormant.

As to whether they will actually make it across the finish line by All-Star time, We Shall See, but one way or the other, I imagine that there will be considerable excitement for Mission's opening, whenever it is.

Here are some photos, showing the second-floor space and That Bar, plus a few positioning shots to give a feel for where the restaurant is/will be, in case you aren't envisioning it.

As an aside, if you had told me in March 2008 that it would be July 2018 before any sort of retail opened on N Street, I would have called you mad. Mad!! But delayed is not denied.

In the meantime, you should keep checking the site on a regular basis, and I'll post new threads up every so often and invite people to check out what they might have missed, which in this case includes:

* News of the neighborhood's "Rooftop Hop" on Saturday starting at 2pm (RSVP required).

* A farmers' market at Nats Park on Sunday, June 3 starting at 10 am.

* A Post article on complaints of excess vibrations with the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel(s).

* Greystar's purchase of the big CSX parcel that runs from New Jersey Avenue behind ORE 82 and 70/100 Capitol Yards.

* The folks behind Circa deciding not to bring their Open Road "concept" to 99 M, but instead a new venture. And Circa is still coming, too.

* Chase opening a branch at New Jersey and M.

So keep checking on this post to see what tidbits will come, but I already know of one, which is the news that the new Circulator route that will run down M Street from Southeast to Southwest will start June 24. Here's what I wrote about it last year.

But, in return for bailing on the loyal readers who were ready to make the trek in rain or snow or dark of night, I have something that might be of interest.

And that is, I think I have come up with a way to quickly and easily share small tidbits of news, as they break, without waiting to pile them up in tidbits posts that turned out to be my undoing. And not just tidbits I find (since I won't always be on the lookout), but tidbits that readers pass along in the comments, as they have been doing for so many months.

So, starting now, you'll now see at the bottom of posts a section called "Tidbits to Tide You Over." These will be a mix of things I've come across along with *vetted* items from readers, and each will be marked with who posted them. All coming from the comment threads. Here's an example.

This will be an experiment--after all, my name (well, my initials) are on the masthead, and I have to be able to vouch for everything I elevate.

The JDLand rules of reporting and evaluating what is news will still apply. For instance, no rumors will be elevated. Longtime commenter/loyalists who have earned a level of trust will be more likely to see their tidbits elevated than someone who just registered. Pure advertisements will not be elevated. (Feel free to buy an ad, though!)

And I might suggest that commenters both try to keep any tidbit offerings short and sweet, and to not try to flood the zone with every little thing--you don't want to get on my bad side. And I reserve the right to do light editing when elevating content.

But if this works, it will actually succeed in making JDLand an even better destination for the latest in neighborhood goings-on than it has been in a long time. And I don't see it taking much of my time, leaving me better rested to write the longer posts on subjects I am interested in.

Enjoy your deputization, loyalists, but use your powers wisely.

And keep checking back to see what's new.

According to ANC 6D commissioner Meredith Fascett, DDOT is wanting to occupy its new space by early 2021, which would mean construction would need to start in early 2019.

This location is directly across from the US Department of Transportation, which means that I'll be forced to call this stretch the DOT block of M Street, SE. It also will share the block known as Square 769 with the currently under-construction mixed-income apartment building on the north end of the block.

There are ANC and zoning approvals to be had, including giving the okay to WC Smith's desire to lower the building height to nine stories (as, ahem, illustrated at right), cut back on the ground floor retail space, and drop the expected parking spaces to 177 on three underground levels (instead of 197 on four).

This building is actually part of the Capper-Carrollsburg PUD, and it was 10 years ago this month that the plan for an office building on this site received its preliminary zoning approvals. Then the Great Recession came along, building office buildings without substantial amounts of space pre-leased became a relic of another time, and WC Smith had to file for four two-year extensions to that zoning approval, the last in late 2016.

As for DDOT's current home, it was in May 2010 that the rumor first came out that the agency would be moving to 55 M, which was a big get for that building and for the neighborhood in general at the time.

And, this lot also is dear to my heart because it was the subject of one of the first photos I ever took in the neighborhood, with my film camera (with bad film in it, dammit) in the fall of 2000. And I thought when I first really started tracking the neighborhood in 2003 that it took what seemed to me to be for-eehhhhh-ver for that little gas station to be demolished, nine whole months after I started watching, one month after the photo at right was taken in August of that year. Little did I know.

Come meet your neighbors, your fellow commenters, and the entire staff of JDLand (minus the felines). I'll be the old lady with the fake red hair. Hope to see you!

In other news, while I am not walking back my decision to not write posts on little day-to-day stuff anymore--I'm already very much enjoying the guilt-eradication on that front--I have come up with a somewhat crazy solution that will allow the site to still have a steady stream of tidbits without my having to exert much energy. Stay tuned on that.

And I'll still be writing longer posts when the mood strikes.

Thanks to everyone for all of the lovely words these past few days. Now you know why it's so hard to extricate myself--you all are so good to me. My life would be much poorer without this little band of folks. Especially now.

It might be that, after 15 years, I have reached my maximum allowable limit of words written about zoning, public meetings, ribbon cuttings, retail spaces, project delays, and expected opening dates of highly anticipated grocery stores.

It also might be that I am still in the very early stages of trying to figure out life after last year’s neutron bomb, and am wanting to pare back on additional sources of stress wherever possible, such as this perpetual feeling that I am falling down on the JDLand job.

I have spent a year telling myself that the groove would return after the memorial service, then after the sale of the Wyoming house, then after the holidays, then after the hip surgery, then after the anniversary, but that groove has remained elusive. I think it's time to listen to that.

I hesitate to say This Is It, because I’ve said that twice before, only to be lured back by the siren song of being the Digital Town Crier. But I’m sort of looking at it like I am promoting myself to JDLand Editor at Large. (Though I see in 2013, when I first tried this dialing back, I called it Blogger Emeritus. Basically just read that post and change the years on it.)

If the mood strikes (like, say, when a highly anticipated grocery store opens or a professional all-star game comes to town), I’ll post, but I’m done chasing the day-to-day tidbits and news. Or, more accurately, I'm done feeling guilty about my lack of interest in posting the day-to-day tidbits and news. But follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where I'll still pass things along that strike my fancy, and where I'll send up flares when there are new posts here.

I think this is for real this time. Fifteen years of always being on the lookout for news is a pretty good run, especially for a “hobby.”

I’ll always take pictures, though. And I am sure will keep maintaining the project pages, maps, sliders, and whatnot, because it's not like I won't be watching.

And I certainly won't just up and forget the mountain of minutiae I've stored in my brain about Near Capitol Ballpark River Yards since I started watching in 2003. I just don't want to pretend that I want to write about everything anymore.

Maybe the JDLand commentariat will just keep doing what it’s been doing, which is to use the comment thread on the most recent post to provide the steady stream of news tidbits that I was slow to get to.

Thanks for everything. You folks have powered me on this adventure for a lot of years. But don't be strangers--I'm not disappearing completely.

And who knows, maybe the groove will indeed return. Like when Amazon picks the neighborhood for HQ2.