A surprising feature of the National Arboretum is the sandstone Corinthian columns, 22 of the 24 that were part of the east central portico of the US Capitol. They were completed in 1826 and stood until 1958, when they were dismantled to make way for the east front extension of the Capitol, which is adorned with marble reproductions. They were restored with support from the Friends of the National Arboretum and installed in their new site in 1990.

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As we do every year, we went to see the azaleas and dogwoods at the National Arboretum, located in northeast Washington, D.C., about a 15-minute drive from our house. It was packed as the weather was spectacular, and because of the bizarre "spring" we've had, there weren’t as many azaleas in bloom as this time last year, but still, a good time was had by all, including Sahraa.

Spring in all its glory, posted earlier