Reviewing photos on a television screen/Carlos Pueblo

Reviewing photos on a television screen/Carlos Pueblo

I offered to review photos with my host family on my cherry blossom visit

This year, then T.K. recommended me invite his son, Daniel, to join us and

put the photos on a television screen. He connected my camera through an

old Acer tablet and to a T.V. screen. He can enlarge on a certain part of the

photo and compare with some other pictures simultaneously. The flowers,

their colors and background become very impressed. This is one of the new

technology which makes our life so wonderful now a day and also makes me

look like a professional photographer.

This reminds me how far that I have been through with such revolution of

Technology. I was brought up with log book to deal with some application of

calculus in thermodynamic  homework instead of slide rule, a more expansive

apparatus made in West Germany during that time in the mid-60. 10 years later

in the send half of 70, I still manage my physical chemistry with that log book

through the graduate study because that I wanted to save some spendable money

to buy a pocket computer made by Texas Instrument for $100. When I bought one

for my son Arthur, it was less than $10. I have lost my dependence of calculator  

ever since. I have used a simple pocket adding calculator for my life needs including

the daily fluctuation of my investment portfolio.

Now I am really an almost computer illiterate. I am fortunate to have my son to stay

With us in the family and solve my problem to operate the internet. He puts a small

memorial hard disk onto a tablet to hook up with a T.V. and the computer has already

program to have a slide show, of course, it takes a long time to view 1,500 pictures.

One day, I was presenting a talk of my 3 weeks trip to Japan in Austin. I thought that I

had uploaded my pictures onto a lap top computer. First my cable was not compatible

to the slide machine and secondly, I didn’t know the lab top was broken. The audience

were very patient with me that day.

After the review of photos on a TV screen, I went back to Tidal basin to view the cherry

blossom for the rest of my staying. I developed a new emphasize on my shooting of

pictures. I pay more attention on angle and color selection.

觀賞相片/莊峻華

觀賞相片/莊峻華

去年賞櫻行，留下拍攝相片，給祖嘉兄欣賞，今年特地留下日本

行相片，詢問他是否有興趣？結果他說是，於是我們開始，在他電

腦上，觀賞相片，還包括當日抵達時，驅車到華盛頓運河，步行到

韓斯角一段，我帶兩夫婦，欣賞東玻多麥克公園櫻花有幾次。

最近十年，我開始使用數目型相機，拍攝相片後，就請元兒，將相

片儲存在桌型電腦，溫習一遍後，就鮮少再閱，旅行不斷，累積不少

回憶，因為成本幾近於零，所以我真是不吝拍攝，元兒將電腦硬體，儲

存到外硬體磁體，以備萬一用。電腦欣賞兩夜後，祖嘉邀請其大公子前

來，將相片放大到電視銀幕上，而且他可以操作滑鼠，將部份相片放大，

而且互相比較。年輕人欣賞角度不同，從異樣彩色，和花朵花瓣開始，

於是翌日起，我再臨潮汐盆地湖拍攝，重於角落方向，我一次旅行，拍

攝一千五百張花相片，顯然有些成功比率。

 也是再觀賞兩夜後，我將兩位愛好家庭園藝者，帶到潮汐湖，諸櫻花已

近尾聲，或是燦爛期，經過一夜春風，掃落多少花瓣，吉野花季，行將結

束，只得期待明年，抑或是兩週後之關山櫻花開。賞櫻花見，和憑弔古蹟

建築，心情有異，傑弗遜紀念碑，宏偉建築，大柱上屋簷，已有漆黑雨跡，

需要經費清洗，櫻花不同，花凋零後，又可期待來年，嶄新花季。

元兒將小外硬體片，置放在一小手提電腦，連接在大電視銀幕上，相片一張

一張，由遠而近呈現，他說古歌有一軟體曰，電力點，可以製作幻燈片配樂

，我說忙著旅行，留待來年。

Hains Point on East Potomac Park/ Carlos Pueblo

Hains Point on East Potomac Park/ Carlos Pueblo

I reached to Hains Point on the east end of the park, while Washington

Canal and Potomac River meet and form the Chesapeake Bay. I have been

one of the few visitors reach out to this part of cherry blossom every year.

Not like the Tidal Basin, the trees are considered younger than the former

Area; therefore, you can still enjoy the late Yoshino blossom and the majority

of flowering cherry trees are Yoshino. Hains was the Army engineer in charge of

the flood control work of the capital. It was flooded often in the Capital at the

beginning of the Republic. There is a good size of a parking lot and picnic ground

at Hains Point area; therefore, many visitors get off the bus and walk toward all

the Memorials; therefore, you see some visitors are taking pictures along the

walking path.

This was the second walk for on this trip, one was just done yesterday when I arrived.

 Most trees are Yoshino except a few Takesimensis on both sides near the end of the

gulf course as the map indicates. Takesimensis is single petal without significant bee

hives shape of flower branch. Until the area of park tennis court, we can see some willow

shape of flowering cherry tree, I still cannot identify their names, either Autumn Flowering

or Okame and I do see one or two Kwanzan ready to bloom. I took a nap on a dry bench

and ten skip Jefferson Memorial toward Tidal Basin Welcome Area.

The Cherry Blossom Festival sets up tents north of the Basin with small pier of vending boats

on one side and a large open ground on the other side toward Washington Memorial. Right

adjacent to the Area, there is a newly open turnips garden attracted many visitors. I believe

that is only open for two or three years, previously, I must go to the White house to see the

backyard garden of turnips through the steel fence. Of course, you can see some pretty

magnolia blossom.  There is a performing tent for the artists to perform for the festival. I see

those young artists to set up equipment and remove them before and after the show. One of

the lady singer tells us to visit her youtube for her song. I appreciate Google even more, if you

like my article, you can go to my blog to read it, you or the future generation can utilize such

modern technology.

After dinner, my host and I  review today’s pictures and exchange some view of the nature.

A night later,  his son Daniel joins us and he extend the pictures to a television screen and enlarge

some interested point to make this cherry blossom more interesting. 

韓斯角/莊峻華

韓斯角/莊峻華

韓斯角在東玻多麥克公園之東端，公園就是一小島，夾在玻多麥克河

，和華盛頓運河之間，玻河為華府與維吉尼亞州交界處，當然稍上游，

與馬里蘭州交界，開國初期，華府常有水患，於是工兵營，整頓潮汐湖

積水池和運河，韓斯先生為主辦工程師。從韓斯角西向，一直到傑弗遜

紀念碑，仍然是小島範圍，此段櫻林，遊客雲集，傑弗遜館旁，一段小步

徑，可連上潮汐盆地湖之北端，華盛頓紀念碑，環湖有步徑，繞湖一圈。

韓斯角附近，是遊覽車巴士停車場，也有一片草地，讓家庭小孩遊戲，也

有烤肉野餐桌椅，稍西端是高爾夫球場，有鐵離笆隔離，邊界處有櫻林，這

時候也是怒放，小島南北端，大部份是染井吉野櫻，這是東京特美出產，這

附近夾植竹下櫻，有190 株，單瓣花朵，沒有蜂窩狀花枝，我需要對照相片，

認真比較始得辨識。微風吹來，掀起雪白花片，陶公曰落英繽紛。落落續續，

華人女士小姐，覓景拍照留念，我仍舊一一拍攝點閱。

今日有大浪，河海水浪，淹沒環島步徑，有人釣到一尾鯰魚，就是俗語貓魚，

20磅魚在草皮上喘息，終於有人領走，今年釣魚者稍多於往年。繼續西向，都

是吉野櫻花，一直到鴉目街西，這是網球場，公園警局，公園維修通道。面對運

河，有幾株垂柳形櫻花，粉紅顏色，不知其大名，圖上說是秋櫻，另曰龜目櫻，

我將繼續追蹤其名，因為疲倦，我在運河邊上板凳，小憩些時，不覺天日已暗。

我選擇走回地下鐵車站方向，卻又為遊客群，引到湖北岸之，歡迎中心，櫻花季

大會，在北岸搭起帳篷，許多歡迎站，公園站有專家，可以回答花名，當時我不覺

有需要，結果錯過機會，實在是後來連續三夜，在朋友府，溫習相片所致。每年都

有歌手樂隊，到大會來表演，這是免費者，有一年花季首日，有一日本女歌手來表

演，在大飯店，需要購票。免費歌手，上下台都須要自行經理樂器設備，十分能幹。

有新歌就發表在谷歌，自我張貼網誌上，就像我將作文，張貼在部落格上，期待知音。

公園新闢鬱花圃，非常成功，引來許多遊客，我連續幾天都路過，旁邊有一株櫻花，

更是迷人，隨時均須調轉相機鏡頭。

My favorite trail of cherry blossom walk/Carlos Pueblo

My favorite trail of cherry blossom walk/Carlos Pueblo

On the island of East Potomac Park from the Park Police head quarter to

Hains Point is my favorite trail of cherry blossom walk. There is this Chinese

Classical essay, the story of the peach blossom paradise, which affects me

dearly ever since I was a school child. It says that a lost fisherman runs into

to a peach blossom grove with a hundred feet trail and then discovers this

paradise. I myself have discovered this cherry blossom paradise since 2010 trip

to the national capital. Only this part of the trail is more than 2 miles and for

the good part of the other side and tidal Basin trail must be more than 15 miles.

I like it because that not many visitors notice this part of the cherry blossom.

Other than the majority of the bulk of Somei Yoshino cherry, there are 400 plus

Kwanzan cherry and some other minor species in the total park inventory.

 During the cherry blossom festival, we can take a shuttle to visit East Potomac

Park; however, I have walked all my way around the island lately. It is a good spot

to take a picture on the bridge separate East from West Potomac Park with Washington

Memorial as a background. There is an unique tree on the west end of the bridge, I

would say a Shirofugen yet I am not sure and yet I do have many shots. Across the

bridge, it is a small garden of George Mason Memorial with a group of New York

magnolia which are after peak yet still charming. We can see more variety of magnolia

around White House area. This kind of magnolia is different from the kind in Texas we

call it Dixie magnolia, an elegant snow white petals  flower.

There are groves, river bank and inland, on both sides of the street. A few of Kwanzan

cherry trees under the highway bridge on river bank side are ready to blossom. I see one

flower coming out. Two wild cherry with pinky red blossom are on inland side near the

parking lot. We call such as wild cherry yet in D.C. they call it the red bud, the flower size

is smaller than flower cherry in general yet very attractive to visitors. There is a tree with

some dry cherries on the branches which I can gather for memory. Usually I forget how old

I am and when I get back to Texas, I would through them away because it takes unknown

time to get the seed to grow up to a flowering tree plus Houston is too warm for cherry

blossom .

According to the map, there are several kinds of flowering cherry trees here on the grove,

Sargent, Weeping, Akebono, Afterglow, Yoshino, Kwanzan, Takesimensis etc. I take all the

pictures to wait until one day I can ask some one’s help to identify each one individually.

One big portion of the trail consists of 400 plus Kwanzan cherry which are ready to bloom.

Inspecting the flowering cherry /Carlos Pueblo

Inspecting the flowering cherry /Carlos Pueblo

In 2015 I was early for the Yoshino blossom; however, I did run into an

early blossom of Akebono, a name for day break flowing cherry. The location

is around Roosevelt Memorial as a volunteer park ranger pointed out to me

during a tour of the Memorial. The blossom has several colors in total, green,

red, pink, white, and a blue sky on the background showing in the photo on a

television. Thanks to Daniel, the young man of my host family, his computer

technology and art view. During the blossom, not like Yoshino no new leaf at

the beginning, Akebono has new leaf coming out simultaneously with the red

bud, then red pinky petals, soon the flowers  turn to white. When I shoot the

camera up, there are sky blue on the background. On the picture, the red buds

look like a bunch of red berries.

There are several Akebono trees hanging over to the wall because of more sunshine

and space. There are some 90 degree walls on the Memorial, the original design put

cherry trees on every corner; therefore, we can see flowers on all the hanging branches.

There are also some trees which stand independently inside and outside the Memorial.

Usually, Akebono blossoms a little bit late of Yoshino yet before Kwanzan.

I walked outside and inspected all the Akebono about 20 of them in total. The flowers

draw many visitors for photo. Then, I back tracked upstream on the Potomac River bank

toward a bridge to the Arlington Cemetery. There is a poster of Dr. Fairchild for his work

of the early development of Usuzumi and Fugenzo cherry trees in the Park. Later on, I do

check on the internet that there are 13 different species of flowering cherry in the Tidal

Basin area.

I walked back toward East parallel to the National Airport run way. The official map of the

Festival shows  the 13 cherry trees on the area, Yoshino 2662, Kwanzan 481, Weeping 94,

Autumn Flowering, Akebono 120, Takesimensis, Sagent 21, Usuzumi 50, Fugenzo 14,

Shirofugen, Okame, and First lady. The number are from the internet information. I must

admit that even though I have taken thousands of picture from the Park, I still can only

identify few of them.

Then, I came to a bridge over the entrance of Tidal Basin’s water to the Potomac. This is the

boundary of the west and east Potomac Park. There is an early blossom single flower of

Kwanzan.

點閱美花株/莊峻華

點閱美花株/莊峻華

今年，西邊小橋內側，有株櫻花，十分特別，複朵花瓣，不是吉野，亦

非關山，以下尚有11種類，此株甚大，花苞粉紅，稍大於羅斯福紀念碑

內外之曙櫻，花朵也是粉紅轉白，花莖細長，若一般櫻桃梗，許多人住足

拍攝留念。過橋後，就是忙碌交流道，對面就是喬治‧梅遜小花園，花是紐

約馬克諾尼亞，中文簡譯木蘭，此木蘭花，與我們德州之雪白木蘭稍異，而

且不同風格，前者豔麗，後者高雅，就像關山櫻之於吉野櫻一般，我說是小

家碧玉，之於大家閨秀，此喻連我均覺不當，有待指教。我知木蘭花期，已

近尾聲，所以選澤河岸步徑，巧遇一朵關山，或是其他一種複花朵粉紅櫻，韓

斯角島之，東玻多麥克公園，有480餘株關山櫻，花期稍後兩週於吉野櫻。

陶淵明曰，桃花林，夾岸數百步，引為千古絕句，這是櫻花林，夾岸十哩路，以

國家公園之力量 ，維護如此美觀，莫論日本，幾乎全球，美國各地均跟進無誤。

梅遜花園背後，就是交流道，免費停車場，然後就是園警總部辦公室，有幾株櫻花

有特色，一株有櫻桃乾果，每年我都收集一些，都無疾而終，今年亦然，只是找機

會交代給居停主人之大公子，愛好蔬菜培育之小凱，我不知能否目睹櫻株萌芽？有

兩株野櫻怒放，馬里蘭人曰，紅花蕾，我們德州呼之為野櫻，花朵粉紅豔麗，我受

老夫子壞影響，說是恨紫之奪朱，恨鄭聲之亂雅樂也，賞花如此標準，但聽音樂，都

是演歌，靡靡之音，而非正統雅樂，僅圖樂耳，賞花悅目，卻又非禮勿視。

看到關山櫻林，我方死心踏地，我是早到十日，吉野櫻花仍舊怒放款，我須要避開觀

光巴士車頂，攝取鏡頭，我在河岸，找到一稍乾板凳，今日潮汐水大，水淹步徑，甚至

掀起部份草皮。最近幾年賞櫻行，我都從淑英府，攜帶飯盒，中午在河畔用餐，觀望國

家機場，飛機起落，如此行程不為中斷。無關山櫻花，很快抵達小島東端盡頭，島中央

部份是高爾夫球場，也有櫻花，而且聽說有殘留首披櫻株，被刻意秘密保留，每年想到，

我情不自禁，望遠鏡搜索。韓斯角就是盡頭，運河和玻多麥克河交會處，併入內海灣，

奇莎必克灣。

韓斯角現在是一小公園，過去說是有一童話中，臥像巨人，現在闢為巴士停車場等用途，

也許多櫻株，而且是兩排以上，此處標誌一種櫻花，不知其漢字日名，大概是竹下，我之

猜測，也是華府13種櫻花之。多數是吉野櫻花，環繞整個潮汐盆地湖，和東西玻多麥克

公園，我已經繞過韓斯角，現在走向運河沿岸，櫻花步徑。

Falling blossoms flying about like snow-flake/Carlos Pueblo

Falling blossoms flying about like snow-flake/Carlos Pueblo

From D.C. Metro Smithsonian station walking toward the Washington

Monument, I am used to get across the 14^th street and walk around

the Monument ground then enter the crown part of the Tidal Basin.

Tidal Basin is an Army Engineers’ project which has solved the flood

problem of the early capital of the nation. The crown part of the lake,

Tidal Basin, is like a bow which contains a crescent and a bowstring which

is the Independent Avenue. I start my annual inspection of cherry blossom

from the north end of the bow toward the west of the crown. This was a

week after the official declaration of the Yoshino peak, I could witness the

falling blossoms, the snow-fake like petals flying around on the ground,

avenue, and lake surface. It’s very beautiful. I have seen some classical

Japanese movies which describe the scenery  of falling blossoms and real

Snowfall simultaneously, for instance, the Miamoto Mushashi the double

Swords samurai master.

At the western end of the crown or the bow, I call it the beginning of the park.

About one hundred years ago, in 1910 in Taisho Emperor era, Japanese merchant

In Tokyo gave 3,000 flowing cherry trees to Washington D.C. in appreciation of

the help of the truce treaty of Russo-Japan war in Manchuria China which was 1905.

I believe firmly because Japanese did the same thing at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Only that New Hampshire did not keep it, same as D.C. authority which destroyed

the original shipment. Current day trees were from the second effort. You can see

the landmark of a stone lantern and a monument for those involved the effort. It has

been 106 years and some of the original trees are still alive on this area with no mark

on them to protect the privacy and safety from the tourists.

This is one of the famous photo points of Tidal Basin, the hanging flowing branches

reach to the surface of the lake with a background of Jefferson Memorial or Washington

Memorial, of course, you must take a special angle from distance to get Lincoln Memorial

covered.  I was walking toward the Roosevelt Memorial to see if I could join a free tour of

the park ranger, by that, I passed the newly addition of the Memorial of the late Martin

Luther King, Jr. it was an early blossom peak of Yashino cherry to miss King’s birthday of

April 8; however, if the park planted Kwanzan cherry which might be about a right time.

I’ll describe what I run into a fully blossom of Akebono cherry on the Roosevelt Memorial

on my next page in details. 

落英繽紛/莊峻華

落英繽紛/莊峻華

從史密斯遜人車站，走向華盛頓紀念碑，我習慣穿過14街，繞過紀念碑

，越過獨立大道，然後開始檢閱櫻花，這是潮汐盆地湖之花冠，像是一弓

型，弦則是獨立大道，彎弓部櫻林為染井吉野，怒放已過，開始落英繽紛，

春風激起櫻花朵片，飄揚在大道路面，湖岸草皮，也吹皺那池春水。花冠西

端，就是西端弓弦處，是獨立大道，我稱之為公園之開始，有一紀念碑和千年

石燈，東京市府贈與，大正天皇年間，日本民間，贈櫻株三千，其間多少努力

，始有今日之規模，我也因為七年前，紐約親戚雅興攜帶，雨中賞櫻，如今七

年，養成追櫻行嗜好。

公園西向，就是馳名全球之，垂櫻點水美觀，許多原始贈與，百年老株，仍舊

健在，要感謝國家公園，園丁之悉心照顧，植物愛水和陽光之本性，使櫻株樹幹

，逼近水面，對面就是傑弗遜紀念碑，應曰紀念館，雖是週四陰雨日，仍然吸引

一大群遊客，許多人取景櫻花，拍攝留念，如此我經過小馬丁路德金紀念碑，然

後到達，老羅斯福紀念碑，國家公園取消，免費導遊站，就是書店內，去年之老導

遊曰，此處櫻花為曙櫻，今日剛好是花期開始，許多紅色花蕾，含苞待放，已開放

者，則是粉紅色，陪襯者早生綠葉苗，花苞若紅果，粉紅花朵，綠葉和藍天，一日

後花朵轉白，相片放大在電視銀幕上，令人誤會我之攝影專才。

有幾株曙櫻，是紀念牆外，越過掛來者，也是花枝向陽性，牆外是小樹叢，幾株櫻

花，花開不若牆內迷人，中國人說紅杏出牆，真是比喻不倫不類，我一一檢視，牆內

到牆外，廣場上，約有20餘株曙櫻，同時花開，每株我都留連多時，不捨離去。

我開始走向西，就是華府玻多麥克河東岸，應該是到憲法大道橋下，此為西玻多麥克

公園，七年前，雨中賞櫻從此因緣起。小徑有立碑，紀念這位植物家，費爾邊克先生，

碑中指出兩種，成功移植之，歧阜縣薄墨櫻，和另兩種，普賢象櫻，和白普賢象櫻，我

先記下筆記，回家後再查網路辭典，我算是用功者也。然後，沿著步行小徑南下。這些

少數櫻花，許多均種植在河畔，像是曙櫻，第一夫人，白普賢象，普賢象，和普賢象等，

國家公園很有趣，不立標誌，所以我拍攝為證，回家後一一查對，我比去年進步，新增

幾種櫻花。

一路平靜，一直到潮汐盆地湖，排水入玻多麥克河口處，有座小橋，此為盆地湖和韓斯

半島交界處。

Observing cherry blossom in D.C. 2016/Carlos Pueblo

Observing cherry blossom in D.C. 2016/Carlos Pueblo

Every year in the spring, I always make a trip to Washington, D.C. to observe

the famous cherry blossom. Inside the National Park, there are 3,800 Japanese

flowering cherry trees. The interest party always predicts the peak of the bulk

of Yoshino cherry and I would make my travel plan accordingly. This year I was

late again for about 5 days; however, I still met the amazing blossom and several

other kinds of cherry blossom peak. My host family took me from the National

Airport and went directly to Hain’s point on the Washington Canal’s side.

T.K. parked the vehicle on the parking lots of the gulf course and we walked directly

to the eastern path of the cherry grove. Even though it was several days after the

peak, the flower was still luminous. Now, I can tell the distinguish part of the Somei

Yoshino cherry, a long honey cone shape of flower on a new stem, snow white color

of the petal, and 5 or 6 single petals in a flower. We call Yashino elegant and gracious

because it looks so pure. Before the peak, the pink bract looks like a red berry turns to

pink petals for a moment, then a tiny pink bud, finally snow while after the peak. We

still can see that Canon camera catches the pink on the computer or TV screen. There

are 2,800 of Yashino inside the Tidal Basin park.

I was overwhelmed by the natural beauty , and fortunately I had been accustomed to

such sensation everywhere in D.C., in New York, in England, and in Japan. Observing

cherry blossom has become my hobby in my later part of my life. I find such hobby that

has filled one major part of my life annually along with winter traveling to the snow and

observing falliage in the autumn.

We met several bus lords of Chinese visitors at Haine’s Point parking lot. They were so

happy to take photos for each other which reminded me a famous Chinese classical novel,

the unofficial history of the scholars. People in that time often visited the park during the

spring to write poem and chat for something about Confucianism even though all of them

were unemployed scholars.

On our way back home, we were lost and ran into a welcome party on the street near the

Chinese Embassy to welcome Chairman Xi’s current visit to the U.S. The crowd looked

peasant to me and I did hope after the welcome party they would visit the cherry blossom

and visit Lincoln Memorial, for the people, to the people, and by the people in the People

Republic of China as they claim it.

賞櫻行2016/莊峻華

賞櫻行2016/莊峻華

每年春天，我都安排旅行華府賞櫻行，華府國家公園內，有13種櫻樹，

3,800株，每年冬殘，網路開始預測，櫻花盛季期，類似日本之情報，櫻

前線，於是我就開始安排花見旅行，今年買到國家機場機票，所以淑英夫婦

好意，前來機場接機，然後直奔韓斯角，我抵達日已經晚了盛期五天，櫻花

仍然怒放美觀。

祖嘉兄將車停在高爾夫球場，走出停車場，就是華盛頓運河，我們沿河岸，走

向韓斯角，韓斯是當年工兵營主辦，運河上開始有遊艇，岸邊櫻林，多半是染

井吉野， 吉野櫻有絕大部份，超過2,800株，當年贈與之主力，吉野櫻花在日本

，也是主力，幾年前一位韓國太太，說是吉野櫻花高貴，淑英也同意，春天株生

長枝，花開成串若蜂巢，或曰棉花糖，吉野櫻花苞紅色，花成單瓣粉紅色，漸形

退色，形成雪白，但相片上，仍舊呈現淡粉紅色。每年，我都拍攝上千張相片留

念，今年張家大公子，指出電腦技術，可以比較相片，放大相片，非常美麗。

幾年來，我常比較日本和華府，賞櫻環境，我一直覺得，韓斯角尖端之走道，需

要維修，後來才發現，潮汐水漲破壞，連草皮都一一掀開，難怪走道水泥板，也

是坎坷不平，淑英一路都在拾垃圾，累了坐在板凳上，我們兩人，走畢韓斯角，許

多巴士，帶來許多中國人遊客，又讓我想到，吳敬梓之儒林外史。

回家途中，經過華府市中心，交通堵塞，路過中國大使館，遇見一大群中國人，歡

迎習進平主席，我在車上，觀看這些面貌穿著樸實之中國人，如果真心歡迎習大大

也罷，若是發動而來，真是不如，不如讓這些中國人，到潮汐盆地賞櫻，比起江南春

花，或是蘇州春色，更加真實，又有林肯，華盛頓，和傑弗遜，民有民治民享。

Quitclaim Deed/Carlos Pueblo

Quitclaim Deed/Carlos Pueblo

After returning from annual D.C.it, I ran into Arthur’s day off and I asked him

for the process of Quitclaim Deed. We try to avoid the auto increase of property

tax for the house which he owns 50%. In Texas, most of the property owner pays

3% of property tax which includes city, county, and school district tax, of the property

value. The appraisal district will automatically increase the property value up to 10%

each year in order to increase the revenue. You can protest to the appraisal district;

however, the rate of success is rare unless you go through a special accounting firm

to do it for you with a price of sharing the saving. Fortunately, I am more than 65 years

old and I can file for a senior discount, he agrees.

Before the cherry blossom tour, I went to Office Depot to purchase a Quitclaim form

and made a copy. After preparing the form, all of us went to Chase Bank of a free notary

service; however, we ran into the same problem that was the bank would not provide

two additional witness; therefore, we went to my old office neighbor Svadenah, an auto

dealer’s accounting firm for help. We got it done and promise to buy the entire firm lunch

two days later for all the free service, same quitclaim deed for the old house and three wills

etc.

The next destination was downtown, Harris County Clerk Office. I had had a hard time to park

the vehicle on the left side of a one way street. A friendly old man guided me to avoid rear

collusion and luck me, a lady passing by and offered me a free parking ticket for her un-using

hours. We entered the course house and passing the security check like the airport and I notice

no wonder the tax needed to be increased constantly. I have done such procedure once before

and it was no problem at all that I knew what I was doing. On my way out of the court house, I

stopped a vehicle and asked the driver if he liked to have a free parking ticket. You should see his

face of appreciation. The kindly old man came back and asked for two dollars as a tip for his service.

Finally, I gave in for a dollar and both of us were very happy.

Now we are waiting for the three pages paper work to be registered and mailed back to us; there

after, we can file for homestead exemption and senior exemption to get the tax rate down for next

year, 2017. I know this because in my young age, I have had some continuation for real estate law

in Texas. Quitclaim Deed has been a very interesting subject in that real estate studying. I have always

admire the legal system of the United States of America, a sufficient, fair, and considerate, is my

conclusion of such system; therefore, makes the nation great.

棄求房地產手續/莊峻華

棄求房地產手續/莊峻華

華府追櫻行回來，剛好遇到元兒週休日，我詢問他，是否可以隨我們

，到銀行公證，和到城中區域法院，辦理棄求房地產手續？他點頭，於

是我開始準備打字，表格和打字機，我在旅行前，都已經準備妥善，而

且也溫習過多次，一切就續。為何需要棄求房地產產手續？因為德州房

地產稅高昂，約是房價價之3%，每年增加10%，去年地方稅約是五千多

美金，今年增加房價後，將近七千元，於是愛美要求我，交給會計行辦

理，就是向哈理斯郡估價地區辦公室抗議，抗議成功者，與會計行，均

分節省額，我一直不習慣如此抗議，因為郡內征稅者支出一定，抗議成

功者，減少失稅收，終究需要增加稅率來補充差額，所以自行抗議者，

成功者渺，因為估價往往比市價低，這是政治學，有一番大道理，比較

德州，加州，和台灣之稅務制度，非常有趣。

於是我開始，在郡區域辦公室網頁，登記抗議，一方面準備棄求手續，我

在五年前，購買房地產有糾紛，對方代理人，威脅告我一百萬，不然就是

要三分我的五千美金定金，我不理其求，於是將茶花女住屋所有權，從愛

美和我過戶給，愛美和元兒，手續就是，棄求房地產。手續需要經過公證

和郡地區法院登記，當然費用便宜，一樣有效，四年前賣掉老屋，購買新

宅，糾紛心有餘悸，所有權仍舊登記給元兒，其間經過我之65歲，稅務和

家庭經濟結構，有很大之變動，但我一直履行贈與元兒之一切，稅務責任。

我把愛美和元兒，帶到大通銀行，職員曰銀行禁止職員，參加見證行為，我

們必須自行攜帶，兩位證人，於是我們知難而退，在回程車上，愛美提醒那

位舊日辦公室鄰居，史瓦寧克先生之辦公室，他們有五位會計師，可以選兩

位當證人，我於是焉恍然大悟，上次和遺囑等手續，都在其辦公室完成，於

是我將車開到其辦公室，史瓦寧克先生，長我十年，仍然工作，拜訪帶來多

少美憶，於是愛美約好，兩天後由我請全辦公室午餐，過去我曾參加多年，他

們之午餐巴士，餐廳範圍，方圓20哩。

公證完畢，我們就逕赴城中法院，辦理登記手續，不是每人都能負擔律師和會

計師，法院有森嚴警衛，安全檢查如同飛機場，當然要充分稅收，職員仔細核

對文件，收取24元美金登記費，我們約可節省一年兩千美金。棄求房地產手續

，就是所有權人，贈與者，將所有權轉交給被贈與者，手續不保證所有權之真

偽，在我們之情況，上次購屋時，已經有真偽之保險，仍然有效，新所有權人，

就是我，可以依登記文件，申請老人稅務折扣。