Who’s a happy girl? ME! I just get so excited during Cherry Blossom season! One of the rare times I’ll get out of bed before dawn is to see the blossoms at the Tidal Basin in DC so I can beat the crowds. I’m still not alone mind you; there are a lot of other photographers out there with tripods and every make of camera, vest and bag imaginable. It’s also great to see all those fitness loving souls out jogging along the basin with a few others enjoying a hot coffee and even a picnic breakfast. (The latter appeals much more to me I have to admit.)
Here are a few images of the pre-peak blossoms along the Tidal Basin from last weekend. (I’ll post my favorites from the whole season after Easter.) Some changes this year I noticed right away are the new recycling receptacles. Now I’m all for recycling, but couldn’t they have figured out a way to make them blend in more? They just ruin the natural looking environment. I also had to work extra hard to keep them out of my frame. I shared my observations and suggestions with a friendly park ranger who said he “never thought of that” but thinks “blending in” the recycling bags is a great idea and will pass on my suggestion. So let’s see if they get the hint. Some other changes I saw were that many of the older cherry blossoms got some major pruning. That also changed the look of some of the more established trees. There was a new wall put up along the road on one side of the basin to block the view of the construction for the new Martin Luther King Memorial that should be completed in about 18 months. Came across some intriguing park rangers cutting into an old hollow trunk and finding all sorts of things stashed from credit cards to an old Walkman – that seems so ancient now! It was also fun to wander through the Kite Festival on the Mall, always so colorful. Here’s where I follow the bloom watch by the way: http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/cms/index.php?id=404
