The "You Still Have A Few Days!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Weather is beginning to warm and I am ready to begin another summer of lawn mainten- ance.  Forsythia bushes are in bloom, but their blooms don't last more than a few days.  The day lillies are a few inches above the ground and the grass is trying to find enough energy to begin growing once again.  I don't always enjoy outdoor work, but I find it does give me a reason for getting some exercise.  

One thing I have never done in my life is take a trip to Washington D.C. this time of year to see the cherry blossoms that surround the Tidal Basin at this time of year.  They too last only about two weeks before the blooms disappear.  This year the Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 to April 14 so if I care to see the blooms, I had better get a move on.  Predicting when the cherry trees will reach their peak bloom is a tough job.  

National Park Service horticul- turists study the trees carefully for months before issuing their predictions.  Buds usually begin to emerge in March and can last up to two weeks, depending on the weather conditions.  The peak bloom date is based on the day that 70% of the blossoms of the Yoshino cherry trees are open.  Frost, high temperatures, wind and rain all play a big part in trying to arrive in time to view their blossoms.  

It was back in 1910 that 2,000 cherry trees were shipped on a Japanese ocean liner to Seattle, Washington and then transported by train to Washington where they were planted along the Tidal Basin.  First Lady Helen Taft helped in the planting of the first few.  But, the majority of these trees were infested with bugs and had to be destroyed.  The trees that now stand along the Tidal Basin are related to those adjacent to Tokyo's Arakawa River, and after WWII, cuttings from these trees were sent back to Japan to help replace those that had been destroyed by bombs during the war.  

It was in 1935 that the first cherry blossom festival was organized.  In 1938 a group of women chained themselves together near the trees hoping to make a political statement against President FDR.  They hoped to stop the workmen who were preparing to cut the cherry trees down to clear ground for the construction of the Jefferson Memorial.  Eventually, a compromise was reached where more trees would be planted along the south side of the Tidal Basin to help frame the memorial.  Well, you still have a few days if you wish to partake of the festivities associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival this year.  If you go just look for the activity tents that are set up on Maine Ave. SW along the Tidal Basin's main parking lot.  There you can find a performance stage, food tents and dozens of portajohns.  And, it's all free, as it should be!  Smell the aromatic blossoms and take in the sights of our nation's capital.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The photos are from this year's festival that were posted on the festival's website.