Spring is in the Air - a Walk Along the Tidal Basin

It’s getting to be spring in the DC area so that means it’s time to start hearing all about the cherry blossoms. It is probably the most crowded time of the year in the city. With the pandemic it was less so and better for us because we could still enjoy the season without being overwhelmed. And when we lived on Capitol Hill we didn’t have to worry about parking and haven’t missed the cherry blossoms since we moved here seventeen years ago. So last week we drove in to town and parked at our favorite place next to the Tidal Basin for a morning walk and to see the progress of the cherry blossoms. It’s still very early on but you can see the buds starting to take shape - even in the trees that look half dead. I have a favorite tree that is rather small and hallowed out with only three little branches. We saw a grungy Canadian goose feather that was the perfect subject for my macro photo challenge. Just past the Jefferson Memorial we came upon a female mallard duck with about ten tiny ducklings floating along with two geese hovering nearby. Then we walked through the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial and stopped for a few photo ops. It’s one of the prettiest memorial backdrops. Rounding the bend we walked by the Martin Luther King Memorial shining brightly against the very blue sky. Some of the cherry trees look like monsters with outstretched arms. On the way back to the car we stopped by the annual flower garden where the bulbs are beginning to pop up. It was a most enjoyable walk on the sunny almost spring day. Luckily for us we get to see the Tidal Basin all year round, but it is exceptional at this time of year.