The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pond

We take a ride in to town at least once a week. It’s great for a morning walk and also helps me get photos for the weekly 52Frames photo challenge that I belong to. Last week we visited the Tidal Basin and walked by the WWII Memorial to see the D-Day memorials, then took a turn by the Constitution Gardens Pond. Then we headed towards the Lincoln Memorial that is undergoing major renovation - like everywhere else in DC! We always delight in all of the bodies of water around the city including the reflecting ponds. The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pond extends from there to the WWII Memorial and it is a very pleasant walk from one end to the other. There are also tree lined covered sidewalks along the pond that is always better to take in the blazing sun. It wasn’t exceptionally busy on this day but it’s always interesting to see the people traverse the area. There was a group of four girls taking photos in what looked to be a graduation get together and others riding by on bikes. Still other larger tour groups were coming and going on their way to the Vietnam memorial or the Korean Memorial. When we got back to the WWII Memorial there were several people taking photos of the ducks and ducklings. This is the time of year where the ducks steal the scene and always get a lot of attention. Regardless of the time of year there is always something to see at the reflecting ponds. And it’s great for a morning walk. 

Ducks and Ducklings at the Capitol Reflecting Pool

It was soooo busy in DC today. Apparently the tourists and visitors exceed the number from before the pandemic. There were hoards of buses and huge groups. I hate it when it gets this busy - my husband loves it. I try to avoid the city near the weekend. Wednesday is usually the best day to visit when the crowds are around. But for whatever reason we couldn’t make it until today. And we try to drive in at least once a week for a change of scenery and enjoy our old neighborhood. We parked right in front of our old condo when we couldn’t find any street parking along the mall. I didn’t need to get any specific photos for the weekly photo challenge because I already had some options.  So we were just in the mood for a morning walk. Congress must be out because the streets around the Capitol were quiet. But one area wasn’t as quiet - the Capitol reflecting pond. The ducks and the ducklings were everywhere and they were capturing the attention of all of the passersby. This is the busiest time of year to observe the babies and their guardians and it’s always fun to watch the feathered friends. After that we walked to the botanic garden and then headed back to the car. I can’t tell you how many times we walked this way over the last almost eighteen years of living here. There is always something to see and we are able to still enjoy it. 

Smithsonian Gardens and Ducks

It’s always a treat to walk through the gardens around the National Mall. We were visiting the Smithsonian Castle last week and things were starting to look very summery. I was surprised to see so many poppies. We planted poppies in our tiny Capitol Hill patio garden one year and they looked so pretty. It seems the predominant colors of the flowers now were orange, yellow and gold. On the way back to the car we walked around the Capitol reflecting pool. Now is the time to see all of the baby ducks that sometimes use the ramps that are put out by the grounds staff. We found several ducklings huddling together on the perimeter as their parents were swimming nearby. As we walked through the US Botanic garden there were remnants of the beautiful wisteria vine overhead. A bunch of school kids were visiting and taking a break on the lawn. It was a beautiful day for a morning walk. We like to head in to town at least once a month. There is always something to see. 

Critters, Birds and Rice

It’s cold outside. We used to feed the ducks in New England with stale bits of bread. When we moved to Florida we went to the bakery for stale bread for the same purpose. But it wasn’t cold! We have an old container of rice that we don’t plan to use. So we decided to put it in little baggies and bring it with us on our morning walks. We went to Old Town Alexandria last week and walked along the waterfront. There they were - ducks, pigeons, crows, seagulls. All of them were waiting for a hand out. So we started throwing out morsels of rice and the the show began. The best part was watching the ducks make the sliding landing on the ice. All of the birds were hustling! I never knew ducks would go for these tiny grains of rice. When we were walking on the national mall we took another bag of rice and sprinkled the contents on the sidewalk by the American history museum. The birds went crazy. They didn’t want to take it out of my husband’s gloved hand though. The albino squirrel and the rest of them seemed interested, but not for long.  And in the neighborhood park we sprinkled more rice along the trail and on top of tree stumps. It didn’t seem like any one was interested - but perhaps whatever was would gulp it down on the stealth after we left. We still have a bit of rice to use up yet. It’s fun to watch the birds and critters - of any shape or form.