The other day, my boss suggested that we all go on an outing. Where and why?

…”Let’s go see the trees!” says the boss. This time of year, the famous cherry trees along the Tidal Basin in downtown Washington, DC, are in bloom.

We made plans for a visit. While making plans, I also discovered that we would have a full moon yesterday as well. So I came up with a “typical me” hair-brained early-bird idea, “let’s meet at 0545 at the Metro!” After all, that’s late for me since I rise every day at 0400. I forget, though, that my colleagues and friends are mostly night-owls, staying up way later and sleeping later than I do.

Responses from the boss and co-workers ranged in the general neighborhood of “are you nuts?”

Yep, there I go again. I really am an early riser. But I was determined, and went by myself.

Unfortunately, the full moon was obscured by clouds. But with the early arrival on the first train into the city, I had plenty of time to take some interesting night photos of the monuments and get myself in position on the Tidal Basin to take pictures as dawn and sunrise arrived.

Within the next week or so, I will post a gallery of the photos that I took on my website and I’ll give you that link when the pictures are posted. But for now, here are a choice few. All cropped to size, but not digitally enhanced. The colors are pretty much what I saw in person. Awesome!Life is short: appreciate what you have so close by.