Sakura and Springtime

Springtime in DC brings lots of things- some of them fantastic, and some of them make me want to lock my doors and never leave.

The first one is :Sakura, a.k.a. Japanese Cherry Blossoms. The spring rains bring out a plethora of flowers on the trees around here, but one of my favorites is the Cherry Blossom. The various shades of pink are a beautiful accompaniment to the DC 'sky'line. And along the tidal basin where they are concentrated is spectacular.

However, springtime in DC also brings tourists-- loads and loads of them. The blooming of cherry blossoms is only the beginning. Once the Cherry Blossom Festival begins each spring, throngs of tourists descend, and they don't leave until the fall.They stomp on the grass, they litter the streets, they stand on the left of the escalator, and they are generally in the way of me enjoying my beautiful city, and they tend to leave it in shambles.

I went to the festival on Saturday to enjoy some paddle boating on the Tidal Basin. I struggled to get any good pictures because not only were the skies mostly overcast, but there were so many people, nothing had a clear view. Anyhow, these are some pictures that I've taken of the cherry blossoms this year, and in others. Enjoy!