Detour

On Thursday morning I had a meeting downtown. On the way back to my apartment to work from home for the afternoon, I decided to take a detour and swing by the Mall to look at the cherry blossoms. I made the trek the first few years I lived here, but haven't done it the last few; the crowds are just too tortuous and I get too frustrated.

It's no secret the Mall is spread out and requires a lot of walking. Let me say this, when it's 85 degrees and you're wearing black dress pants and carrying a laptop, the distance seems to multiply. And since I really didn't have more than 30 minutes to spare, I decided to snap a few photos of the blossoms near the Hirshorn and call it a day. I mean, it's the same tree, same blossoms as those on the tidal basin, so technically I succeeded.

On the walk to the metro I saw that one of my all time favorite D.C. sights, the fountain at the National Gallery Sculpture Garden, was on. Yay! My first few summers in the city I used to attempt to satiate my need for water by heading to the fountain on the weekends. Since moving to an apartment complex with a pool, I don't go to the fountain as much. While I felt a little silly hiking up my dress pants and setting my laptop bag beside me, I still dipped my weary feet for a few minutes.

Blossompalooza '11

The first two years I did the Cherry Blossom thing I went after work on gray days. But I beat the crowds. Last year I skipped it and thus was determined to go this year on a blue-skied day. (Because, as we all know, Carolina blue makes everything better.)

So I went on Sunday afternoon around noon on a 60 degree day after a week of 30 and 40 degree days. 

And it was hell. So. Many. People. So. Many. Tourists.

But also...So. Many. Petals.

And, just as I suspected, the Carolina blue sky did make everything better. Not really any new commentary to add that I didn't already do in the other posts. So just enjoy a few of my pictures; the rest are on my Flickr.

I know that last one is blurry but I think it makes it look like a painting. Completely intentional, of course.

Blossompalooza!

All of the basketball excitement made me forget to post about the cherry blossom "excitement" of last week. (Sorry, the two just don't compare.) Last year I went at the end of the blooming period on a gray day. This year I went on the second day of the blooming period on a gray day. Pretty much the same. (Except this year I wasn't lazy and walked to see my man TJ, and around further up to FDR's park.)

Sadly, no sign of the CNN cam so my plot to propose to an anchor will have to wait until another day.

This would be so much better with a Carolina blue sky:Crossing bridge to get to TJ:

Love the shape of the branches. Would be better without the concrete barrier:Pagoda:

Attempting a self-portrait with blossoms in the background. Nine attempts later...

Some megatron pre-historic type bird creature thing showed up, meaning it was time for me to leave.

Blossompalooza '09

I have become completely entranced by CNN’s live feed of the cherry blossoms around the tidal basin. Or what I have dubbed BlossomCam. Or CherryCam? Or CreepyCameraStalkingStrangersCam? Jury’s still out.

After watching it for longer than I am willing to admit, I am unable to determine if the people passing by or posing for pictures or attempting to not fall in the water – no matter how hard I will otherwise - are aware of it.

Needless to say that when I head down on my own blossom trek this week, I will be looking for a little CNN cam, with my hand-lettered “Marry Me Anderson?” sign at the ready.