A Wonderful Summer Afternoon at the National Arboretum

Romeo Discovers a Hole at the National Arboretum!

I realize that this is not Breaking News.  But for Romeo, it was pretty exciting, if brief.  He was all over this little freshly dug hole smelling it stem to stern and then the entire perimeter.  For clues to what exactly, I'm not sure--not even sure he knows, but he can't resist!  That is until something else catches his attention and then--off to the next discovery.

A Gift

Romeo and I came upon this little gift left by someone here before us.  A reminder that each of us can give a gift of grace anywhere we go.

Autumn Color Is Sugar Maple Glory!

Resting On Our Walk

 After an hour of hiking around, but still before we can relax, my boy must check out who's been here before us!  The nose knows!

The Capitol Columns In Autumn

Romeo And I Go In Search Of Autumn @ The National Arboretum

 Romeo takes riding in the truck so seriously!

 Bottle Gentian, Gentiana sopernia

 Some fungus among us!  (That joke kills every time!!) 

National Arboretum: Asian Collection Exploration

 On this most lovely day, my Romeo and I went to the National Arboretum, but this time we skipped our favorite Fern Bank trail, for the Trails of the Asian Collections. This is a series of wooded areas planted to form the following Gardens: A) Korean Hillside, B) China Valley, C) Asian Valley, D) Japanese Woodland, and there is a Camellia Collection, a Pagoda, and a Gate to the Anacostia River. We did not get to every trail, but spent about an hour wandering up and down the trails and discovering the remnant blossoms of summer. I have to include the first photo--it's in the truck on the way and Romeo (buckled in from the back of his harness) always sits up so straight and tall! I love this kid so much.

 I've always found it fantastical that a meteorite wiped out the Dinosaurs but still managed to leave somewhere some vestigial outpost of life as to spare things like ferns and Ginkgos, and Magnolias, and Conifers through a period of tens of thousands of years of ecological devastation and climate disruption to survive pretty much intact into our present era.

 Romeo does love our National Arboretum adventures!

 He has the unbridled, if harnessed, curiosity of a curious cat.

 To take him a place with such beauty and so many plants to smell, and all he wants to do is smell is gravel.... Oh well!

 What's at the top?

 DUCKS!!!!!!

These are the gardens nearest to where we had to park. The Dogwood Gardens, which are naturally more interesting in the spring.