Anacostia River Abstraction

 The Anacostia River has its own beauty and although there is still too much trash in it, it's been improving over the past several years.  This view is from the Anacostia River Trail in Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.  

Reflections of

More photos from my recent wintry visit to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, including the nearby Kenilworth Park.  

Off-season at Kenilworth

I've been to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens many times over the years when the water lilies and lotus are in full bloom in the heat of summer.  Now I've been there in the cold of winter and while perhaps less dramatically showy, it was still a beautiful spot and without the gross hot humidity and without the crowds.  A welcome boost to a week of the winter blahs.

Black & White & Shades of Gray: Lotus

I see things (not literally) in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil.  Are there shades of gray? I am doubtful.  It's hard for me to see often.  So here I go, pushing myself into the literal, the pragmatic, wanting to work on my black & white photography plus a photo challenge for gray, and so here goes.   

Lotus Dream

Kenilworth Bliss Redux

So it turns out the week didn't get any better.  But it's over.  I've been to Kenilworth so many times but never bored of its beauty.  My love of abstract art has me playing around with creating slightly abstract photos.  

Kenilworth Bliss

Escape to Kenilworth with a friend yesterday was much needed.  More to come, not tonight - too tired - but wanted to exorcise a trying afternoon/evening by heading to bed on a more tranquil note.  

Showy Kenilworth

After a two-year's hiatus I returned to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens for a delightfully cool July morning.  Almost in peak bloom, the lotus and water lilies did not disappoint.

Cool July day at Kenilworth

Yesterday the temperatures were about 20 degrees cooler than usual for an early July day when I headed out to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Anacostia, DC.  As a result, my friends and I were able to sleep in and enjoy the peak lotus bloom between noon and 2!  I've been so many times, I tried to challenge myself this year with some new and different photos.  It was beautiful, as usual.   Naomi had us all modeling with the flowers, Hiromi and Mary Kay wandered, and Mary Kay helped me spot the dragonfly who was kind enough to pose.

Remember September?

Although the summer weather seemed to drag this year, September blew by in a fast fall breeze.

Early in September I did a 10 mile hike along the Catoctin trail in Maryland, picking up from the end point of August's hike, and ending just outside Cunningham falls state park.

Then, had a lovely stroll with my friend Maureen around Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in the middle of the month and remembered just how much i enjoy that park past its peak.

kenilworth photo walk

Last weekend I did something I've long said I was going to do - led a group on a "photography hike."  This one at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.  It was more of a stroll and the photography wasn't too serious.  But quite enjoyable, and the heat held off until later in the day.  Had fun trying out a relatively new telephoto lens, which did pretty well for hand holding and no tripod.

 The lotus were in full bloom and quite tall.

And had fun trying to capture the heron catching a fish 

(i didn't, though caught him stretching his neck). 

  The water lilies were past peak, but still a few beauties around.

 And dragonflies.

Sweltering at Kenilworth

The other weekend, back to one of my favorite spots in DC, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.  By 8 a.m., it was already probably getting close to 90 degrees.  So hot, so humid, but still, so beautiful.