Washington In Bloom

If you live in the Washington, DC area, this time of year is particularly beautiful. Many people all over the country, indeed, all over the world know about the beautiful cherry trees that line the tidal basin, adjacent to the Thomas Jefferson memorial.  For many people, the Cherry Blossom festival  has become a major tourist attraction, but did you know that the cherry trees aren't the only blooming trees in our nation's capital?

At this time of year, not only are cherry trees bursting with color, the many Dogwoods and other blossoming trees that are all over Washington, are also adding some welcome color to the city.

As pretty as the display of color in the city is, I'd like to tell you about the cherry blossoms in particular.

On Friday, in the middle of what was to become an exceptionally irritating day, I took some time for myself (otherwise known as lunch time) to go and see the cherry blossoms, and have a few minutes of peace and beauty (yeah, I care about that stuff).  It turned out to be a great thing.  Of course, dealing with what we call "Cherry Blossom Gridlock" could have been an additional irritant, but the truth is that I am never particularly bothered by tourists.  I am always pleased at the number of people that come to Washington to visit... I am particularly cheered when I hear parents telling their young children about the various monuments and the history of some of the buildings where our government functions.  Anyway, after driving around the basin, I parked my car next to the Jefferson Memorial (I was driving a patrol car) and walked among the hushed crowd. 

People from all over the world walked among those beautiful trees took pictures of them, and pictures of themselves with them... other people would volunteer to take group photos so that the picture-taker wouldn't be left out.  Others walked quietly without cameras and gave directions to various places to those who were from out of town. 

While I was there, the people had an additional bit of excitement as Marine One  flew low over the basin en route to a White House landing... some actually applauded.

Have I ever told you how much I love this city?