Raindrops, But No Roses or Whiskers on Kittens

It’s been a miserable two days with clouds, rain and dampness. When you grow up in a state that has sunshine 340 days a year, this is tough. I got out of taking a daily walk yesterday because it was Saturday and we always go to brunch in McLean followed by grocery shopping. But I wasn’t that lucky this morning. At least it wasn’t freezing and icy, so it was somewhat bearable. And I now have a retired person’s LLBean waterproof wardrobe so I no longer have an excuse. Most of the winter I haven’t been able to take photos of interesting scenes because it’s hard to work with mittens, and my iPhone completely loses power or inevitably freezes rendering the camera useless. So today at least I was able to take pictures in between the downpours. I was trying to focus on the raindrops in the gardens by the Smithsonian castle and botanic gardens. But there were some even more unique perspectives along the way. Unfortunately only a few really came out like I was hoping, but when we saw the first signs of spring it was even more encouraging.  

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

Even though it has been extraordinarily hot this summer, it has also been extraordinarily stormy and rainy. Most often the rain comes later in the afternoon - like it always did in Florida. Then it would cool down and start again the next day. I can't remember the last time we needed umbrellas for our morning walk. If we did, it would be to keep the sun from scalding us, although we never actually tried that. So this morning we woke up to rain showers that were supposed to turn in to storms. Even though it was warm I wore my rain jacket. What's nice about cloudy days is that they can be perfect for taking photos, as long as it is not pouring. And my favorite place is any garden. Unfortunately the US Botanic garden does not open until ten AM, so we did our usual trek to the Smithsonian gardens by the castle. Our own little patio garden has been otherwise occupied over the last few weeks with building equipment and supplies for our bathroom and floor renovation. That's one reason this city is kind to people who don't have their own yards. There is always a patio and garden to walk to, sit in, and ponder life in general. We got home before it really started to rain, and the flowers never disappoint.