My Cherry Amour

It is not possible to take a bad picture on a spectacular spring morning at the peak of the Japanese cherry tree bloom which accounts for why there were so many of us out there in the chilly, windy early morning, walking around the Tidal Basin, smiling, capturing image after image on the fanciest as well as the cheapest cameras.

I'm not saying there were lots of people. It was early so only the folks who really really really wanted to be, were there. The cherry minions (as someone referred to the tourists) don't arrive until about 9:30 or 10:00. We locals tend to go just after the sun rises, to take pictures, stroll around the basin, or picnic, or all three. It's kind of hard sharing the nation's capital with the rest of the nation sometimes. Just sayin'.

One of the really great features of this morning's walk was a duck couple who swam along next to me almost all the way around the basin. Perhaps they were looking for a handout; those Tidal Basin ducks love junk food. I explained very specifically that I had nothing for them, not even a crumb, but they followed me nonetheless. I love little miracles like that so much.



On the subway I sat next to a man reading The Idiot's Guide to Paganism. I couldn't stop myself from saying, "Why don't you put the book away, go walk around the Tidal Basin and let the cherries tell you all about it?" He frowned slightly and gave me a strange look, but when I got off the train he said, "Have a nice day!" Maybe I gave him pause for thought. Who knows?

It's always a good thing for me to break my self-imposed rules, to just get up, for instance, brush my teeth, put on my clothes and walk out the door (instead of following my iron-bound routine of shower-meditate-coffee-newspaper-breakfast-blog, after which it's "OK" to begin my day). It was definitely well worth the breach of protocol today. I feel bathed in pure pink and white, washed clean by the sound of the water and sky, cheered by my duck companions. What a day. All I can say is: wow.