Thursday, April 7, 2016

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.

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