The Bloom

As some of you may know, the centennial celebration of the cherry blossoms is starting up in April. There are a variety of events planned over several weeks, with big stars and big shows. To which Mother Nature said, "Well, if you're not gonna include me on the guest list, then I'll take my flowers and go..." Thus, we had an unusually warm winter, causing the flowers to peak this week, several weeks before the celebration is due to begin.



In 1912, Japan gifted the United States with several thousand cherry blossom trees that we subsequently planted throughout the District of Columbia, many of them along the Tidal Basin.



The blossoms themselves range in color from pink to white. There is even one purple tree in the district, but finding it requires previous knowledge of its location and a map (or so we've heard). We have yet to find it.



The flowers, while beautiful, are extremely delicate. When a flower is plucked from the tree, it never grows back, as if poisoned by human touch. SO DON'T TOUCH!



Today, the best location to view the trees is around the Tidal Basin, located just south of the western edge of the Mall.



Of the original trees planted in 1912, about 100 are still blooming today.



In an attempt to avoid the crowds and capture the blooms in the morning light, we rose before dawn, only to have our plans thwarted by clouds. That's what we get for making plans...



But when Mother Nature gives you lemons...er...poor lighting, sometimes you just have to shoot in black and white. While the vibrant colors are lost in this format, there is a level of complexity added...



In spite of the clouds, we still had an amazing time seeing the cherry blossoms. They truly are one of the most beautiful sights in DC!