Tulips and dogwood this time

Two weeks ago was the time of the white cherries and daffodils. Last week was the time of the puffball cherries and tulips. I love spring!

The white cherries are fading.

But tulips are popping out.

It was so sunny the picture is overexposed. 

These were at the National Floral Library.

Puffball cherries...

at River Park!

Dogwood along the Mount Vernon Trail

Tulips at the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial

For Mom, because you can never have too many red tulips!

My bike is resting while I photograph the memorial and the dogwoods.

People are clustering under the late blooming cherries now. 

Here's a redbud but it really should be lilac bud!

This redbud is unusual. I don't see many that are actually pink. 

And here's a weeping redbud for Tori. 

Appropriately called "Lavender Twist"

Wisteria in front of the American History museum. 

In other updates, check out this new profile of my neighborhood! Southwest Waterfront: A Tiny Neighborhood on the Cusp

Visiting the National Gallery of Art

You really should. It just makes my eyes happy to spend half an hour there! I stopped by at the end of my run this morning.

The current special exhibit, well one of them, is just beautiful: Piero di Cosimo: The Poetry of Painting in Renaissance Florence. You aren't allowed to photograph the galleries, not that I could do them justice anyway. The altarpieces are so beautifully colored, it doesn't seem possible that they are 500 years old. He lived in Italy, 1462 - 1522.

You can view many of the pictures online. For example The Visitation with Saint Nicholas and Saint Anthony Abbot is owned by the NGA and they've cataloged it. That's a nice one. A critic of the time was wowed by the gold balls at the feet of Saint Nicholas and describes them as reflecting the room. They don't quite do that but the vibrancy and realism is amazing.

Another great one is Vulcan and Aeolus which you can see from the National Gallery of Canada. The best thing about it is the giraffe on the right. It's so cute! In fact it is starring in the exhibition gift shop nearby...I took a picture of the stuffed one.

Here's a picture I can actually link to directly. And it has a dragon!

That one is called Liberation of Andromeda.

Here's a what you get for my photos...

See, you can get your own cute giraffe!

And here's the exhibition description. I could take a picture of that. 

Great banner! Wouldn't you want to visit an art exhibit with a dragon?

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancakes

I've been enjoying cooking with coconut flour and inviting Elizabeth and Kevin over for breakfast-for-dinner was a good excuse to try this recipe. This one came from the back of the Bob's Red Mill bag although I modified it some.

GF Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c brown rice flour
1/3 c coconut flour
3 T tapioca starch
1 T baking powder
1 T golden syrup
3 T melted butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 c buttermilk

Whisk together dry ingredients. Beat eggs, add butter and syrup and mix to dissolve syrup. Add buttermilk. Combine wet and dry mixtures. Stir until completely mixed (no chance of overbeating this batter). Let rest 20 minutes to an hour to allow flours to absorb moisture. 

Cook pancakes in a little butter. 

Eat hot with maple syrup, yogurt, berries, and jam!

Sorry, you don't get any photos 'cause we ate them all. 

Cherry Blossoms. Just cherries.

A collection of "spring is beautiful" photos...

April 10 was rather gray but the photographers are already out

And so were the cherries

Nice and sunny on April 11

And everyone come out

The Washington Monument framed in flowers

Against the sky...

And the tree.

Photographing photographers is fun.

They like to look through branches.

At things like this. 

I think these guys were filming IMax

Look at all the flowering trees!

They make a fairytale woods

Of course you need to photograph your dog. 

Here's the panoramic view. I think you can click on the picture to open it.

Two colors of flowers. 

I'm enjoying the morning.

A forest of white flowers. 

The Washington Monument catches the best light

Floats are setting up for the Cherry Blossom Parade

And classic cars

And marching bands

You don't get any parade pictures this year though because then I left the Mall and went to the tomato grafting workshop. Watch for that in another post. 

All the cherry blossom pictures you could want...here's the Festival

Actually let's start with the Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival last weekend (before most of the cherries opened). Liz, Patrick, and I watched the fireworks from my balcony.

Arena Stage with the cool roofline

The Wharf project is under development

See how cool the neighborhood? You can look down the street to the Washington Monument

Coy Boats!

And the Army rock band

Mari, do you know what these flags are for?

Lots of people came out

Because you need one

It's a faire...all in pink!

Nope, you can't take good fireworks photos without a tripod