summer begins

with a picnic by the tidal basin.

 Decadent fried chicken and potato salad with some French pink sparkling lemonade. Then off for an after dinner walk around the whole tidal basin. Perfect weather and a slowly setting sun made the walk fun and different from the usual mid-day walks we normally take. All around the basin were the usually lovely cherry trees but this time of year they are covered in dark green leaves.

along the route we noticed a vine covered wall across the roadway leading to 14th St. Bridges.

upon closer inspection we realized the entire wall was covered by one single vine which I believe turns red in fall for an amazing display. 

decorative rails on one of the bridges caught my eye.

Canada geese were nibbling grass at the edge of a flooded area. 

in the distance Washington Monument has a new skin of scaffolding built to repair earthquake damage from 2011

here you see the Jefferson & Washington memorials and the flooded edge. Seas levels are rising right here in the capitol.

Waxing moon is high in the sky

 We made it home before sun was all the way down to see a pretty pink purple sunset reflected on the few clouds along the horizon. Then I set to work and finished up the sewing of a binding on my big orange quilt project. Now it will be turned under and blind stitched over the next few evenings and an embroidery label is on the way.

I worked during late afternoon to make my chocolate brown binding for the nearly completed Orange improvisational quilt inspired by Gee's Bend quilters. 

Cherry blossoms 100th anniversary

We took off to have a picnic on the tidal basin by the Jefferson and MLK Jr. memorials last Sunday in nearly perfect spring weather even though it was still winter until today. Keith and I had a great time and after eating Mom's home made fried chicken and some delicious potato salad with chocolate dipped coconut macaroons for desert we walked till we were ready to drop around the water under the trees with all the zillions of visitors. The only draw back about these beautiful blooms is the air around them is chock full of misery making pollen that smothers the allergic guys walking under them. It still was fun to go and see and share the photos.

cherry blossoms and narcissus poeticus

crocus and lambs ear with some day lily in the back ground working their way up through the pine needle mulch.

narcissus poeticus

narcissus poeticus bursts forth

cherry blossom covered branches reach down to the water's edge

young girl poses with a hand made doll that looks like her also in a yellow dress

Lots of people posing and waiting for family and friends by the tidal basin.

Bob and Doug at the 2010 cherry blossoms on the tidal basin.

I am home alone for a week and there are all sorts of exciting things to do because spring has really arrived. The wonderful cherry blossoms around the city and especially at the Jefferson memorial's unique tidal basin. It is a circular pool that holds water from the tidal Potomac river, hence the name. The basin never empties out so there must be some controls which I don't know anything about but I wanted to mention it for those who don't know about that body of water's name. I always wondered what it meant...

I went with my pals Doug and Bob for an early evening walk round the basin. It took us about two and a half hours to stroll around stopping to take pictures and look at the views. Bob didn't take pictures so he had to wait on his two dates with the cameras to get our all consuming snap shots. We had some fun trying to find the best light and angles for pictures of the trees and their flowers and the water and the monument and people visiting. Naturally all this was very causal not serious photography. What is kind of amazing is how many people go there with some sort of camera and more and more they are iPhones. I love my small point and shoot digital camera, as you all know by now, I take lots of pictures. I am going to post the full cherry blossom set on my flickr. page.

After dark this weekend there is a conjunction of Venus and Mercury in the evening sky just after sunset in the western sky that we can all see if the clouds that are hovering over head don't impede your view at that time. 3º apart the two planets will be very bright in the early evening side by side. I can't wait to see and I might try to get a picture if the view is clear here.

I also am enjoying the garden spring flowers are showing off especially the narcissus this weekend. Last fall I planted a string of crocus and grape hyacinth's (muscari) along the edge of our fence garden to show off for the passing commuters and walkers on the nearby sidewalk. They are shaded and facing north so coming out slowly. The small species crocus I planted in the lawn has faded but they were an early spring delight and I plan to add lots more this autumn.