spring is in the air....

when winter comes....

can spring be far behind...?

- the view outside my window - first pic taken around jan end, the second in end of april ....

Cherry Blossom Festival,Washington.D.C

As spring makes an entry around the world, the city of Washington D.C has its own unique way of ushering in the spring… Every year, the thousands of cherry trees along the Tidal Basin (in the banks of the Potomac river in Washington D.C)break into bloom in end march- mid april. The flowers last for just a couple of weeks at the most, and the peak period is just a few days. The flowers are white and light pink, and the entire river bank is a beautiful sight in white. The trees were originally planted in 1912 as a gift of the then mayor of Tokyo, Japan. The trees are closely watched and the blooming period is forecast. A Cherry Blossom Festival is held with lots of events. Thousands of visitors from all over pour into Washington to see the beautiful trees. We went to see the cherry blossoms this sunday and it was a wonderful sight. Though there are thousands of visitors, elaborate parking arrangements have been made around the area and shuttles transport visitors from the many parking lots to the Tidal Basin. Trees full of white blossoms line the entire banks of the Potomac river, and it is a lovely sight as you take a walk down the river. You can also take a boat ride on the Potomac river and take in the lovely sights of the flowers on the edge of the waterfront, as well as the Washington monument on one side and the Jefferson memorial on the other. Outside the Jefferson memorial, a stage is set up and events are continuously taking place. There are lots of stalls selling souvenirs and snacks for those who want to grab a quick bite,and yet the periphery of the trees and the waterfront is kept really clean, as there are lot of trash cans everywhere(even seperate ones for trash and recyclable bottles and metal cans....) and people are responsible enough to through the trash only inside them(not leave them strewn around, as I have painfully seen, in most tourist destinations in India...)
Here are some of the snaps i took .... Chk out this link for more details about the cherry blossom festival

On sunsets

I have always been fascinated by sunsets (maybe because I don’t get to see sunrises that often , being a habitual late riser..!!),and having spent almost all my life in a tropical city blessed with sunshine, I’ve never had a dearth of them. From muted yellows to blazing oranges, I’ve seen many a hue, and I never seem to have enough of them…whenever I happen to have to have a camera close at hand, I rush to get a click of that glorious evening sun which draws to a close yet another day.

Twilight, I think, often has a deep effect on me, as I go into contemplation, sitting and watching the daylight ebb into impending darkness….
It sets the mood to reflect on the day, or more often, the days gone by….
Do some soul searching and ponder about where your life has taken you, and what is in store…
About journeys made and destinations yet to be reached….

It has a calming effect and soothes those harried nerves…

I was just going through my folders and found that in the past two years I had accumulated quite a good number of sunsets that I had captured….the most recent one happening to be in new jersey, where I am now, just about ten days back, in the middle of a pretty cold winter….!
I am posting here some of the snaps I like from my collection…