Long Walks On Leafy Streets

4/15/2014 Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells, ME (Thanks to Nicole)
Today marks the completion of the first year of this blog. It has been a way to find a little space to breathe during the busy everyday life here in Washington, DC. A time to sit down and think about things that are most essential to life and to meditate on my experiences with and thoughts about nature. Hope you have enjoyed reading them.
Today we have the cold front moving in from the north after a few days of very pleasant and warm almost Hawaiian weather. They are even predicting a bit of snow tonight, believe it or not. The winds have also brought heavy rains with them and it has been gray and wet all morning. Now and then wind-driven showers batter the roof and the windows as it is doing right now while I type these words. This is typical mid-Atlantic weather where the cold and warm fronts do constant battle with each other and the weather report is never dull. There is a certain beauty to this kind of gray gloomy weather as well.
I enjoyed looking at the wet grass this morning. Our weather is like life itself, full of changes and surprises, some pleasant and some not so pleasant.
But the preceding days had been truly heavenly. I enjoyed walking to work yesterday morning. On Saturday Nicole and I took my parents to see the cherry blossoms. These are the peak blooming days this year, a bit late due to the endless winter. The tidal basin was full of tourists and locals taking in the sights. We also were lucky to see a demonstration by the joint forces fife and drum team as well as drill teams. You can see pictures on my Flickr page.
There are cherry trees not just at the tidal basin but also in most neighborhoods of DC and it is great to see them in bloom. There are some around our house as well as on the Howard campus. On our street the Juneberries are in bloom. They put out buds soon after the snow ended. On Friday evening I was walking home, feeling totally exhausted after a week in which apart from teaching and research I also spent several hours doing taxes. As I got to our block and approached our house I noticed a Juneberry in bloom. Then I looked at the next one and it was in bloom too. Then the next one and on and on until I reached my house and the one in front of it was in bloom as well. It was like a row of beautiful ladies holding forth flowers welcoming me as I got home. It lifted my spirits right away.
On Saturday evening I went for a walk just to clear up my mind. It was as pleasant as the evening of a warm spring day can be. I don't know if it was the spring air and the freshness of the new season but my mind was very clear and thoughts flowed very smoothly. It was a great feeling to walk outside when it was normal human temperature and you didn't have to wear a jacket or a sweater. We have six months to go before the next winter and I am going to enjoy it. At that moment I wouldn't have minded not having winter at all! I walked along the main drag of Takoma Park namely Carroll Ave. It was nice to see people enjoying themselves in the sidewalk cafes and the newly opened restaurant / bar Republic. I felt like I was in a dream of my own making.

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