It was a glorious day taking in the views of the cherry blossoms, even if they are nearing the end of the season. The color was not as vibrant, yet there are still blossoms on the trees and it is still a breathtaking view. The Tidal Basin is the location most associated with Washington DC's Cherry Blossoms and the Festival that takes place at this site.
The Tidal Basin is actually in West Potomac Park. This park also contains The Jefferson Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the George Mason Memorial, the John Paul Jones Memorial, the Floral Library, the Japanese Pagoda, and the Japanese Lantern... also the site of the First Cherry Tree that was planted here, a gift from Japan. You can find all of these surrounding the Tidal Basin. You can easily walk the circle and touch upon each of these sites.
Presented to the city of Washington on March 30, 1954, this stone lantern symbolizes and stands as a gesture of everlasting peace and friendship. A representation of the concept of healed wounds,the lantern acknowledges the peaceful union and friendship between the Japan and the United States.
Carved in 1651, it stood for over 300 years on the grounds of the Toeizan Kan’eiji Temple in the ancient city of Edo, present - day Tokyo, in Ueno Park, a place famous for its cherry blossoms. Its mate stands there to this day. The granite lantern, older than the United States itself, stands eight and a half feet tall and weighs two tons (4,000 pounds). It resembles the lanterns that were introduced to Japan from China along with Buddhism. These lanterns initially adorned temple grounds and were later used decoratively in Japanese gardens. As the oldest free-standing, man-made stone structure standing outdoors in Washington D.C., the lantern takes its place among the many natural and cultural treasures on the National Mall.
The stone lantern continued the gift-giving cycle that began in 1912 with Japan’s donation of cherry trees. Every year at the start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the lantern is lit to commemorate the annual celebration and kick off the three weeks of events surrounding the iconic cherry blossoms. source
Today had a little breeze to it, althought it was nice out. Much of today has been spent watching the annual rainingof the blossoms. Oh,yes. It's a thing. Yet, there are places that I can still see some buds popping on the later blooms. I won't lie to you, it has been a crazy year.
I find it amazing that nature is so perfectly lined up as far as how the flowers bloom. The cherry blossoms are almost over and the Magnolias are right on top of them. Such perfect precision. I feel like they have the perfect system. Can we get some of that somewhere, Mother Nature?
I was going to have a stone patio put in the backyard. It has been many years that I have been thinking about doing it, but, the price is prohibitive and so I waited, just in case I was going to have a transfer on short notice. Somewhere between that and other things, I decided that I should do it as it would give me a deep satisfaction having the project done. Then, the unpredictable happened. The man who represented himself at one of those Home Shoes I went to had misrepresented himself in so many ways. I think he can do the job well and his plan was amazing. However, there were so many untrue things that I was told that I could never believe him now. He doesn't even have a license and went bankrupt, basically misrepresenting himself to a different customer. I could go on and on, but why? I cannot use him and now must start all over again.
Even so, with everything else, I must say that there will be #alwaysaflower to color your world. And just like that, this show is over. Come back tomorow and we'll do it again.
Even if you want to, you cannot walk out of your own story. Some days it would be more conveient to do that, other days, I just have to own it. If you want to live it with pride, you have to do things to be proud of. Never believe for a moment that you cannot change the way the story ends.
If I can have a little water, a lot of boat, and the magic of sunset, I would say that I am both lucky and fortunate. Gorgeous sunsets are not a given and being with someone that you can share it with is a personal joy.It might be a small pleasure, but, it is self-satisfying in so many ways.
All I have are my words, armed in my mind, written in pen, stand by stand. Oh, yes. Still by hand. It has a different feel. Altered not by keys, backspace, and delete, I write, erase, tear it to pieces and start all over again. And again.
It’s my way. I walk out to the deep end of the page and dive right in.
He looks like he is waiting for me to come home, doesn't he? That is his story and he is sticking to it. In reality, it is not me he is looking for.
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost
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