Signs of Spring

The seasons here in DC are not subtle, spring arrives with an explosion of bloom and color.  The first trees to bloom are known as red bud, followed by white dogwood and pink tulip trees. The picture above is a line of tulip trees between the subway station and the terminal at National Airport.  The Cherry Trees bloom, the cherry blossoms get the press coverage with the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  There are thousands of cherry trees and they put on a spectacular show around the tidal basin and along the water front.  The shrubs and trees are starting to leaf out.  I will lose the view from my bedroom window to the trees over the next couple of weeks. The explosion of brilliant green in the grass, underbrush and trees can be jolting after the grays and browns of winter.

Summer is amazingly hot and humid.  The brilliant greens of summer rapidly darken into olive shades.  Fall can be brightly colorful with deciduous trees all around.  Winter is dull, gray and brown, occasionally contrasting against the brilliant white snow.  Spring and fall are really the colorful seasons.