Le printemps est arrivé!

Jefferson Memorial just after dawn

Spring is definitely my favorite time of year.  In particular, the month of April.  Now maybe that's because my birthday is in April...maybe because it's finally starting to warm up...but most probably it's because I love flowers.  And they are coming up everywhere...even out of the trees!
This is my first time to really experience the Cherry Blossom Festival which happens annually here in Washington DC.  This year the festival took on a more poignant note with the earthquake disaster in Japan still looming on the headlines.  The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan, and 99 years ago the Japanese government gifted a couple thousand cherry trees as a show of friendship to the American government.  Interestingly, the original shipment had to be destroyed after being inspected by the department of agriculture who deemed it to be bug infested.  However, the Japanese government was determined, and the following year a new crop was sent with all the precautions taken to ensure a clean bill of health upon arrival.

 The trees were planted along the Potomac and the Tidal Basin, with the first two trees being set in the ground by Mrs. Taft herself.  (Those trees are still alive and thriving, by the way.)

The Cherry Blossom festival attracts millions of visitors every year, and, for 10 days, the city is full of tourist...each of them with a camera trying to capture the essence of this magnificent display of Spring's magic.

An artist on the tidal basin

Along the Mt. Vernon bike trail

Some people take a more traditional approach to preserving the grand display of color.  My preferred method is on the seat of a bicycle, ... either early in the morning, before everyone is awake... or from the other side of the Potomac, along the Mount Vernon bike trail. Exposed to the elements, I can smell the compost in the air, and chase butterflies down the path.   There are plenty of flowers -- only some of which are cherry blossoms -- and not quite so many people.    Yeah... I love spring!