Cherry Blossoms on Thursday

Thursday afternoon I left work early to get down to the Tidal Basin in DC where I was heading a group in the evening to walk around the blossoms and a couple of the monuments for photos. I wanted to be there early to see what parking was available and as I wound round the Lincoln Memorial I somehow ended up going down a little one way street the wrong way. Thankfully there was no traffic but as I turned the bend I saw 2 police officers standing next to their motorbikes. I smiled at them and drove over as one of them beckoned. I had hardly come to a halt when he bent over to me and growled, "And you can wipe that smile off your face!" My face must've registered something as before I could utter a word he continued, "And don't develop an attitude either!" I concentrated every ounce of effort into not moving a single muscle and simply stared at him. He enthusiastically portrayed the kind of attitude that gives traffic cops such a bad name and made no allowances for a genuine mistake however polite I was. He finished his performance with announcing how fortunate I was that he didn't go to his bike and write me a citation and then after learning I was trying to find somewhere to park, waved me off with a "Good luck with that!" I didn't thank him, just drove away dearly wanting to decapitate him, and just being glad that I wasn't a weaker person who could've burst into tears with his conduct, because I'm sure he would've leaped upon that tasty morsel of opportunity to spit out some more touching sentiments.

I did find somewhere to park and grabbing my camera bag, I walked down to the basin and promptly zoomed in to take a close up of the blooms, pressed the shutter.....and no flash card. Oh bugger.I knew exactly where it was, in my computer monitor at work. Refusing to give up I marched back to the car, drove downtown to get a card and an hour later was back in the same position waiting for the group to appear.

The blossoms were in their peak and magnificent. The group got acquainted and then we slowly walked around the basin chatting and taking photos.
One of the best monuments at dusk is the Roosevelt Monument  It has wonderful lighting and a surprise around each corner as you weave around the granite walls.

I had my first belly laugh of the evening when talking with Trevor about chairs. He mentioned that he'd made an axe from an old meat cleaver and a chair leg which just tickled me pink as I pictured it in my mind. Between laughs, I asked him if he was going to become a new serial murderer, after which his response was, "Good God, no, I'd use something a lot more reliable for that!" I felt the previous tensions of the afternoon drop from my shoulders as we laughed and was thankful for that.

As the night drew in, the sky became more pink and orange and this pretty hue settled on the water and seemed to coat everything in sight. 

But the temperature was dropping and a cold drizzle was making us damp so we decided to call it a night and finish the evening the only way a respectable urbexer would, with a beer.