13: Is Life a Bowl of Cherries?
1. Or is it a Tidal Basin surrounded by Cherry Blossoms, which happens once a year in D.C. and is referred to as The Cherry Blossom Festival.
2. In 1912, over 3,000 cherry trees were gifted as a good will gesture to our State Capitol by Japan. These are those same trees.
3. I had seen them in bloom once before, but only in one section and after they had peaked.
4. Never like this.
5. Some people dress up to match the experience. I had planned to wear pink to color coordinate with the scene, but the weather was cold and we were forced to bundle up in winter clothes, including hats and gloves.
6. Joe and I walked the 2+ mile hike along the Tidal Basin walkway under canopies of blossoms and with views of some historic buildings and statues.
7. It was a photographer’s paradise.
8. Everyone was friendly and taking pictures of themselves and others. Some popular tree scenes had people waiting to jump in and have a turn to pose. It was like trying to walk down Abby Road while traffic was active, which Joe and I had done before.
9. ‘I’m not going to take anymore pictures’ Joe and I both said at different times but then something caught our eyes. We were like kids at a pajama party sleepover who promised to stop talking and go to sleep but couldn’t pull that off. I ended up with 500 pictures’!
10. The sad part was that we learned that some 100 or so trees were going to be cut down as part of the tidal basin renovation because the walkway is prone to regular flooding. The said trees are marked with a tag.
11. This year is said to be the last year to see those marked trees and so we felt honored to take time to appreciate them.
12. They were all our favorites, gnarly like elders with stories to tell.
13. All I can say is the scene was spectacular. Better than I imagined. Maybe next year we’ll go at sunset.
_______Thirteen Thursday
March 24th, 2024 5:15 pm
Why is this the last year to see the marked trees?
Ma, myself & my kids saw the cherry blossoms in 1989 or was it 1987? It doesn’t matter the date, I feel blessed having seen them🌹
Love the last picture!
March 25th, 2024 9:55 am
How absolutely marvelous and utterly magical, Colleen! Love the sentimentality and symbolism of the last pic. We are all a snapshot in time.
March 26th, 2024 10:01 am
Those cherry trees don’t look unhealthy to me and why would anyone have a fruit tree that doesn’t bare fruit… they are like the Bradford pear of Cherries, but fortunately not invasive. Growing a food garden there would be better than ornamental to my farmer brain. Thanks for sharing your journey Colleen and Joe.
March 26th, 2024 10:16 am
I read that a couple got married there and later brought their children to show them the exact spot where they were wed and it was under water. So I guess, sadly, the flooding is a problem.
March 28th, 2024 6:34 am
They had a story about the trees, they are being inundated with sea water at high tide and apparently that is not good for the trees, so they are fixing the tidal barrier. I’ve never seen the cherry trees.
March 28th, 2024 8:56 am
True. The ones that are being affected by the flooding are the most interesting shaped ones.