It’s rare to have a snowy cherry blossom season, so when they called for snow last weekend, I told my 7-year-old daughter that we would get up first thing in the morning and head into town and take some photos of the snowy blossoms.  That morning I woke up and went to her room to wake her, and she was already up and dressed and excited to head out!   We drove in (love the DC area roads with no traffic and no construction!) and parked over at the Washington Marina where in the metered marking that’s free on Sundays.  We passed by the fish market, which was already up and running even so early on a Sunday morning, and some homeless people who were huddled under the bridge to escape the elements.  When we arrived at the Jefferson memorial even though the sun had yet to show itself, there were already a number of people with large cameras, monopods, and tripods who apparently had the same idea that we did.  It was definitely a great way to see the tidal basin.

This March has been host to pre-Lenten carnival celebrations as well.   In honor of my Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, I went in search of the traditional Fastnachts (potato doughnuts served on Fat/Shrove Tuesday).   I found some at the local Wegman’s store which looked yummy, although a little different than the style I’ve seen before.  The ones I’m used to are plain and it’s more traditional to eat them with Turkey syrup, but I have always preferred apple butter on mine.   The apple butter was a little much on top of the sugar–I may have to specially request some plain ones next time ; )

For more information on Fastnachts and the traditions here’s an article from today’s CSM.

It’s been a busy week here, keeping up with the business and training my new pup.  I’m having to type with one hand and hand the puppy with the other, just like when my little ones were infants.   After taking last week off for pup-ernity leave, I got back in the studio this week with 3-year-old twins, and have a newborn session up before we head into spring break.  But the lovely weather also inspired me to take the trusty macro lens out to capture the blooms I’ve got in the garden before tomorrow’s rain tramples them!

I am loving the spring-like weather we have had the past couple of weeks, even the rain!  I have the first signs of spring showing in the garden, with the crocuses in full bloom, and a few early daffodils as well.  Just had to share one of my beautiful crocuses.  They are so short-lived, but always a welcome sight after a long winter.

I was playing around in the yard with my handy macro lens, and caught this mosquito snagged in the spider’s web.  Now that’s why we love the spiders, even when they look as creepy as this guy!   And I also managed to catch a tiny fly taking a nectar-bath on one of my daisies.   Yummy!

Yesterday I was in the backyard spreading grass seed while my daughter played happily on the swings.  I came to the section of my lawn where the oak had uprooted last spring, and found it still a mulchy mess, with tiny sprouts of grass valiantly trying to survive the chemical warfare from the deteriorating wood.   In contemplating what do to about this desolate patch of the yard, I came upon a tiny little pair of toadstools about the height of a quarter.  Looking closer, I thought–with an imagination fueled by living with two preschool girls–that it looked like the perfect little home for a garden fairy.   I brought out my trusty macro lens to catch some photos, and left them on the camera until this morning.  When I opened up the images, I realized I should have trimmed a little more of the tiny grass sprouts around it, and wanted to go outside and try again.   Well sure enough, the fairy must have realized I found her home and moved on, because the little house was all shriveled up, and hardly recognizable this morning.

I am always amazed at how closely insects resemble aliens from sci-fi movies.  These are just a few creepy critters I found in my garden and captured with my trusty macro lens.  Despite how big and intimidating they appear here, have no fear, in real life they were only about 2mm long and quite harmless.  The first guy was a fly who was enjoying the raindrops on the hood of my car.

As we go into a rainy weekend I thought I’d share a few more macros of the flowers in my garden.  This time washed with spring rain.  If you look closely in the drops of the purple flower you can see my reflection!