Washington’s famous cherry trees were at peak bloom over the weekend. We always used to walk around the Tidal Basin to enjoy its iconic collection, gifted to the US by Japan more than 100 years ago, along with views of the Jefferson Memorial, but it’s become impossible in recent years due to the gigantic crowds, traffic gridlock and lack of places to park even remotely close. So this year we visited a local park near home as well as the US Capitol, which doesn’t have all that many cherry trees but enough to make for a nice view. Good thing we went when we did because a big storm is forecast for this afternoon that could do some real damage to the blossoms, if not totally disappear them.

Number 507, posted earlier: