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. 

We Will Miss You Stumpy!

The first photo I can find of Stumpy - the “little tree that could” - is from 2018. He has now become famous because the park service will be cutting him down for tidal basin improvements that will begin soon. We have been visiting the tidal Basin for the last seventeen years, and also before we moved to Capitol Hill. This little tree is so scrawny you might not even notice. He sits just beyond the Jefferson Memorial. But there, the waters oftentimes flood the area and it has taken a toll on the trees. Every time we meandered that way on our morning walks I would take some photos - long before knowing his fate. And I’m so glad I did! Luckily I have Stumpy in each season from almost the same vantage point with the Washington Memorial in the background. Unfortunately both my husband and I tested positive for Covid last week for the first time and are so disappointed that we can’t walk about like we always do. We are hoping that we will still have a chance to visit after the cherry blossom festival and before the tree destruction. It makes us feel so sad to see him go. But at least we have good memories of this little tree. I’m so glad I noticed him long before the hoopla. Stumpy deserves to be remembered. 

Cherry Blossoms and Magnolias are Coming

Last week we took a morning walk near Constitution Gardens. We parked in our usual spot at the Tidal Basin. This time of year brings an end to the peace and quiet of the winter months when the traffic is less and the pedestrian traffic is even more less. There was an announcement that the cherry blossoms would be in full peak around March 23-26. On our way back to the car we stopped at the Martin Luther King Memorial where there were a lot of school children frolicking about. And when we walked back along the Tdial Basin you could see the hint of what is to come. The almost dead looking cherry trees and branches were beginning to show signs of life. And over at the Smithsonian Castle the magnolias are already showing pink buds that will turn in to a magical fairy land a lot sooner than the cherry blossoms. Wherever there is direct sunlight there are also blossoms already bursting - like in front of the Washington Monument. It is a beautiful time of year and it will the seventeenth year straight that we have witnessed the splendor of it all. Unfortunately with the lovely views comes the hoards of visitors. And that’s something I can do without. 

Cherry Blossoms Elsewhere

Everyone flocks to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms. We haven’t missed a year since we moved to Capitol Hill seventeen years ago. We usually try to go when it is the least busy. But there are a lot of other places that you can go to see the beautiful blossoms. This week we drove in to town and went to see the new exhibit called “entertainment” at the Smithsonian American History Museum. After that we walked down Pennsylvania Avenue and saw cherry blossoms popping out here and there. Then we headed towards the Capitol Building and then made a turn at the National Gallery of Art. There was a beautiful street lined grouping of the beautiful trees. Unfortunately it was a bit overcast so the flowers didn’t pop against the gloomy sky. As the time was running out in the park mobile app we needed to get back to the car that was parked next to the Air and Space Museum. But before we returned we stopped at the Hirshhorn sculpture garden where there was a beautiful tree located by the outdoor garden. Just a few days earlier there was hardly a bloom to be found - now it’s covered in pink cotton candy flowers. It’s a beautiful time of year to visit the city. And we take full advantage of it.