Stumpy Is Gone!

It’s official. Stumpy is gone. The little cherry tree that could was removed from the tidal basin yesterday. We knew it was going to happen and now it finally has. I discovered Stumpy long before he became famous. The scraggly little tree would bloom in cherry blossom season even though the base of the trunk was badly eroded. But he came back every year in spite of it. Because of restoration work being done, not only Stumpy, but many cherry trees were removed to repair the basin wall. It floods so badly there that something is finally being done. Luckily I have photos of Stumpy in all seasons since 2018. I even put a collage together and posted it on TeePublic and Redbubble. A few tshirts have been sold in honor of Stumpy. It would be nice if the city commemorated him somehow - aside from the fact that they are supposed to be cloning him and planting the new Stumpies. It’s going to be difficult to walk around the tidal basin for as long as this restoration takes place. All I know is that we will miss Stumpy. 

Tidal Basin Floods and Disappearing Sidewalks

I don’t remember it being this bad before. The Tidal Basin flooding has become much worse- especially after several days of downpours. We went in to town for a morning walk and parked in our usual spot. It was the first time we had to walk completely around the Jefferson Memorial because the path that lead to the famous Stumpy cherry tree was under water. We wanted to visit Stumpy at least one more time before they pull him and a lot of other cherry trees out for the large scale restoration/renovation project to secure a new sea wall that has sunk several feet. We hope they pay tribute to Stumpy somehow aside from taking his DNA and creating mini trees. All along the tidal basin the sidewalks are submerged. It makes it difficult to get around it due to the unexpected nature of it all. It’s almost a two mile trek but stretches in to more than that with all of the detours. Even the sidewalks by the Roosevelt Memorial are not passable. I’m sure in the end it will be a lot safer and drier but it’s going to take at least two years and is supposed to start in May. This is one of our favorite places to park and walk. I have a feeling we won’t be able to once the construction begins. 

Floral Library Tulips

Everyone flocks to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. They are a sight to see. But there is another lovely spot to check out that is right across the street from the Washington Monument near the parking lot of the Tidal Basin. It is the floral library that has a revolving garden from spring to fall. Right now there are so many varieties and types and colors of tulips. It’s really beautiful. We drove in to town last week to visit Stumpy - the little cherry tree that could - and on our way back to the car we stopped at the floral library. It was quite busy with visitors and locals alike trying to take photos from all different angles. Spring is always so lovely in DC. The flowering gardens and trees and bulbs are stunning. Unfortunately they don’t last very long but we are so fortunate to have an opportunity to visit often. We lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years and loved the US Botanic Gardens for all of the obvious reasons. Now that we live in northern Virginia we don’t miss out on any of it. My husband doesn’t care for daffodils and tulips. But even he was surprised by how lovely the garden looked.  

Visiting Stumpy One Last Time at the Tidal Basin

My favorite cherry tree at the Tidal Basin is Stumpy. I knew him before all of the hype and have picture of him in all four seasons. He always got our attention whenever we walked around the Tidal Basin. But because of flooding, a lot of cherry trees are being removed to restore the area. That means that Stumpy will be removed next month once the project begins. So we thought we should pay our last respects to Stumpy. It was not as easy to get to him because there is already renovation work going on at the Jefferson Memorial, and the sidewalks were so flooded they were blocked off. That meant we had to walk all the way around the Jefferson Memorial to get back on the path to Stumpy. Now there is a sign that explains the project where Stumpy is situated. He was really under water and a fence surrounded him to protect his last days. He has become a tourist attraction and everyone wants to know how he could be saved. Apparently transplanting him just wouldn’t do because he is so far gone from all of the water damage. They hope to genetically save his DNA and create little Stumpy’s. It’s still so sad to see him go and we will miss him - the little cherry tree that could. 

Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Basin

The last three weeks have been terrible for the cherry blossom visitors. It’s been extraordinarily cold and very wet! We weren’t able to get out as much as we usually do because both my husband and I tested positive for Covid for the first time in four years. But one day we just got in the car and drove in to town and tooled around the tidal basin. It was like a parking lot but at least we got to see the blossoms before they all blew away. And driving very slow allowed me an opportunity to use long exposure and get some interesting images. We still need to return at least one more time before they haul Stumpy away - the little cherry tree that could! Stumpy is deteriorating because the water from the tidal basin overflows and submerges the trunks of the trees and they are literally rotting. But in spite of it all stumpy continues to bloom and has become a hero in the area. This is the last weekend for the cherry blossom festival. Too bad it’s still so cold, windy, and cloudy. But we have been fortunate enough to see the splendor of it all since we moved to Capitol Hill seventeen years ago. And every time we visit it’s just as beautiful.