A beautiful weekend, filled with endless sunshine and warm temperatures, followed in the wake of Hurricane Floyd, as Washingtonians by the thousands streamed outdoors to, well, dry out.

Some talked to the animals at the National Zoo; others got dirty in the Center for Marine Conservation's International Coastal Cleanup; while at Fort Washington, Civil War artillery demonstrations by the Fort Washington Guard could be heard all the way across the Potomac at Fort Hunt.

Meanwhile, at the White House, it was business as usual for President and Mrs. Clinton and the dozen or so placard bearers outside. Demonstrators who every Saturday, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., give up a prime chunk of their weekend to protest the Clinton administration and its "myrmidons" in the press.

Just who are these people?

They call themselves the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com, and Saturday, Sept. 25, they will be commemorating their one-year anniversary of Saturday protests at the White House.

"These protests have been well received, with the exception of the Clinton administration, their diehard supporters and, of course, the White House press corps," says Kristinn S. Taylor, who lives in Washington.

But what about the countless tourists who visit the White House, especially the foreigners? What kind of message are they taking home?

"During the course of the day, we speak hundreds, if not thousands of people, many of whom also ask to hold our signs and protest with and get photographed by us," she says.