Last week, the National Weather Service altered their anticipated peak bloom dates for the D.C. National Cherry Blossom festival to April 1-4, just in time for us to drive out on Friday afternoon. This is all more scientific than I'd anticipated, and far more exciting; "peak bloom" is a technical term that means that 70% of the 3,700 Yoshino Cherry blossoms will open in the Tidal Basin during a four day range. Since we rearranged our schedules to go Friday, I've been following Bloom Watch and reading Google news alerts (like these two), getting more excited. Saturday is the big festival, with parades and concerts, to commemorate Japan's gift of the trees in 1912. Thanks, Japan! I plan to bring Don's camera, which is on loan to me, and all my admiration for 1) blooming trees, 2) Japanese cherry blossoms, and 3) civic recognition of nature.
To prepare, here's a parking lot in full bloom, just in time for a birthday showing of Duplicity on Friday:
And a moment in the Smoky fog Sunday:
And a public response to BD's comment: I tried about fifteen ways to write something pithy about the mute moose on the wall of the Devil's Backbone Brewery, and couldn't come up with anything! J, Ben, clever responses to answer her question? Suffice it to say, BD, I was anticipating this, and ... was also shuddering when I saw the stuffed foxes posed to attack a grouse, wishing I was in a more pleasantly themed Canadian restaurant. ;-) Maybe I should just download this software?
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Enjoy the cherry blossoms. I hope they don't play havok with your histamine receptors.
ReplyDeleteI must say: Holy Moly! That Devil's Backbone Brewery diorama is a freakin' Wild Kingdom!
The moose spoke, we just failed to listen. But the fries definitely distracted us.
ReplyDeleteThe moose spoke, we just failed to listen. But we were distracted by the fries.
ReplyDeletewait, what? did you just make a dar williams reference? are you channeling me circa 2000?
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