Dirt and Sod on the National Mall

We drove in to town last Friday for a walkabout. It was a beautiful and bright, but chilly morning. Because the parking at the Tidal Basin is so convenient compared to Capitol Hill, we oftentimes prefer this side of the National Mall to our old neighborhood. And my husband loves Constitution Gardens because it is so serene and not really well known compared to the WWII Memorial, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Korean and Vietnam memorials. On the way over and back there was something interesting happening. Of course there is always some sort of construction or road work going on. But what we saw was very unique - especially the size and scope. Apparently there is a grass replacement project going on in between the WWII Memorial and the Washington Monument. From the street to the Washington Monument was dirt. And on the dirt were huge grass rolls/sod that were systematically being planted by an army of workers. It almost looked like farmland from one view with hay rolls. The area was roped off to keep the foot traffic away. I suppose this is a good time of the year for this type of planting, but there is no rain in the forecast. So we spent a bit of time watching the production - it seemed more interesting than all of the other things around us. 

Tidal Basin Before the Blooms

Last week I wanted to get some slow shutter photos for the 52Frames challenge this week. So we drove in to town and took a ride around East Potomac Park, and then parked by the underpass along the Anacostia River and walked over to the tidal basin. The idea was to get a helicopter traveling past the Washington monument. It was a fiasco because I don’t know anything about slow shutter photography and didn’t have the essential tripod, but the walk around the Tidal Basin was lovely. The cherry blossom buds were just starting to show signs of life compared to the near full blossoms that we saw yesterday. It’s hard to believe that such rather ugly looking trunks and limbs turn in to a magical paradise. We walked as far as the FDR Memorial, then turned back around and walked over to the Jefferson Memorial that is undergoing renovation. It was a beautiful blue skies day and perfect for this excursion. I always try to find the best day of the week to get our drive in to the city. With spring here it’s the prettiest time of the year to visit. If the crowds get too large the park police plan to close down all the cherry blossom areas in the name of social distancing. For that reason we may ride over to the US Botanical Garden. We haven’t been there since we moved to northern Virginia. The flowers don’t last very long which is why they are so inviting. Luckily there are a lot of different places to find them. 

Washington Monument

We have never been inside of it, but it is probably the most photographed item - aside from the Capitol building. When we lived on Capitol Hill for thirteen years the Capitol was the focal point. We walked by it almost every day. Now the building is barricaded off and you can’t get anywhere near it. Lately we have been spending more time around the west end of the National Mall and the Washington monument. We drove to DC for the weekly 52frames photo challenge where I thought the WWII memorial might have some great options for the single focus shot. But the Washington monument overtook the scene - again - mainly because the skies were such a crisp blue and the sun was hiding just behind it creating a very wide shadow for a tall and thin structure. I ended up using a flock of geese that suddenly flew overhead instead of a favorite photo of the structure. Sometimes I need to listen to my gut instead of my husband! Now I’m starting to post photos on my Facebook business page during the week to see which one gets the most attention, then uploading that image for the weekly challenge. I always liked taking photos before. Now there is a purpose and the outcome seems to be better. And the photo editing helps a lot. There’s only so much you can do with an iPhone, but it’s easy to use and always on hand. 

52Frames_singlefocalpoint

Unfortunately it’s been snowing way too much around here. I am not a fan, having lived in the Midwest for thirty years. After being cooped up on the house for four days, we finally got out and drove in to the city. I wanted to find something that might be a good candidate for the 52Frames single focal point challenge, thinking the WWII Memorial might be a good place to start. Earlier in the week I tried taking a few images in the house and parking garage that might also work in case we couldn’t get out of the house - including a close up of my husband’s torn sock. We parked at the tidal basin and walked over to the Mall. I thought the gold stars at the WWII memorial turned out well, but my husband didn’t like it. We then walked over to the little pond on the way to the Lincoln Memorial, but turned back to walk up constitution Avenue. The barricade and fencing around the White House was clearly visible. Then we headed over to the Washington monument where the sun was hitting the top of it - casting a huge wide shadow. I usually don’t take photos in to the light, but this seemed interesting. After that we took a turn by the Tidal Basin and then a ride up towards the Capitol and our old neighborhood. I can see why the neighbors are so upset about the fortifications there. If I was still working at the Library of Congress, it is walled off by high fencing and barbed wire, along with guards with long rifles. It feels like the green zone and I a, happy that we moved ways almost two years ago. When we got home I thought the Washington monument image was the one for the challenge this week. But after looking at all the photos again, another one stuck out. It was a flock of geese that flew overhead. I could hear them but couldn’t see them and randomly took a few photos hoping I might catch something. So I put it through the editing process and turned up the blue sky. I don’t know if it qualifies for anything special, but it’s a lot different than what I usually do. Besides, I’ve already showcased the Washington monument twice in eleven entires and thought something different would be nice. I suppose that is the idea of the photo challenge - do things you may not have thought of doing before, and being less literal about the challenge. 

52Frames_Horizon

At the suggestion of a friend, I joined the 52Frames weekly photography challenge. It’s been eleven straight weeks. I’m not really a photographer, but I enjoy taking photos. The iPhone is my camera of choice since I don’t own a “real” camera. And If I was to upgrade, it would be the latest iPhone. Right now I’m using an iPhone 8plus. So to find some “horizon” shots we drove down the GW Parkway to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove that is located near the Pentagon. There were boundary channel photos where we walked over the foot bridge to the grove. Then we walked along the foot path next to the GW Parkway and I tried to get a clear view of the Washington monument. It was difficult because of all the traffic. Then we walked towards the Marina. Across the way is the Pentagon, but before we got there we saw a bunch of geese near the outdoor closed restaurant/shack. I would have loved to run in to them, but they are mean and ornery. On the way back we stopped at the memorial grove. We had been there a couple of times before, but never in the winter. In the spring the place is filled with daffodils. On the way home we stopped off at two scenic overlooks, but I wasn’t impressed with the views or the photos. I ended up selecting the view of the Washington Monument from the GW Parkway because it actually captured six to seven “horizons” with some greenery to frame the image. The quality of the photos isn’t the best, but I gave it a try and did my best. My husband is a great photo assistant. His opinions and suggestions are extremely helpful. It’s a way to spend some time every week doing a bit of creative activity - something we can all use about now. 

Reflections at the Tidal Basin

Our morning walk yesterday took us to the Tidal Basin where I had some ideas for the 52Frames photography challenge this week. Before I started thinking more about those, other images became more obvious - reflections. The water was so still and there was no wind, which is very unusual. And, the area was devoid of other people partly because it is January, but also because of the threats in the city and landmarks. There was a lot of police presence and helicopters flying over. As we strolled along the path everything looked surreal - especially if one focused just on the reflections of the most recognized monuments. The Jefferson, MLK, and Washington monuments looked like water color paintings. There were also a bunch of geese making their presence known, along with loose feathers caught up in the twigs. The cherry trees took on a more ominous tone - it’s amazing how spring turns them in to a fairy wonderland. Even though it was overcast the walk was delightful. And the place was all to ourselves.