Easter Sunday at Seneca State Park - March 27, 2016 (Janice Chang)

Spring is finally here!  Even though it’s still a little chilly outside.  

My choir conductor, Emma, her husband, James and their son, Andrew, a 3-year-old boy decided to enjoy the Easter Sunday at Seneca State Park to ward off boredom with Charlie, Ben’s business associate’s half-fox terrier we are sitting this month.  There’s quite a responsibility to dog-sit, especially for us, the novice dog-sitters. 

I am amazed to see the striking similarities between dogs and toddlers in terms of social behaviors.  Let alone that they all are cute with sweet smiles & constant licking at you.  They do need your undivided attention at all times.  I sometimes call Charlie by mistake with my grandson’s name – Forest.  “Charlie/Forest, let’s go outside to walk!” 

Look at their unsophisticated non-verbal way of communicating – looking, imitating, frolicking, and scampering around the park. There’s a space in between them to respect each other. 

I think we all have fun by seeing that they aren’t all that different at all!

Magnolia Blossom in DC - March 18, 2016 (Janice Chang)

It's the early peek of annual DC magnolia/cherry blossom!  However you would not be able to find the beautiful pink floral display around the Tidal Basin yet.  It's always hard to predict when the peak bloom will come.  

Jen-Jen invited me to pay tribute to her late husband at Arlington National Cemetery.  It's her annual outing.  I sensed the deep loss of her beloved husband while she laid the yellow daffodil in front of the tombstone.  She told him the spring has arrived!

Without the madding crowd to fight for the photo shots of cherry blossoms, we did find the showy magnolia, pink and white flowers everywhere.  It creates such a sharp contrast against the brilliant yellow forsythia bushes and the bright blue sky.  I love taking the pictures! 

We were lucky to find the companion, Sam, willing to take a few hours off on a Friday afternoon sightseeing with two old folkies. 

It's the first time I noticed there is George Mason Memorial tugged away somewhere around the park.  The sculpture is larger than life-size.  George Mason, a clever thinker and a reluctant politician, was born on a farm near Fairfax, Virginia.  There is an inscription carved on the stone from Thomas Jefferson, "This was George Mason, a man of the first order of wisdom among those who acted on the theatre of the revolution, of expansive mind, profound judgment, cogent in argument.... Thomas Jefferson, 1821"

Surprisingly, I found the similarity in character between Sam and George Mason after I read Sam's e-mail today about his position as TAC's choir member.  There is a fight brewing in the choir group between to sing or not to sing at the annual Taiwan Night.  He, a reluctant speaker of TAC's silent majority, would just love to sing for Taiwan, nothing else!  What a convincing and cogent view about his and our choir group, TAC - Taiwanese Americans Chorus.  I am proud of him.  Jen-Jen, this is for your answer of "cogent!"

Sam and Jen-Jen, I hope you all enjoy the pictures and our 2016 short visit to DC's Magnolia Blossom!

We will wait until 2017 to do it again!  Sorry, Company of Sophie & parents and Mimi, we miss you all!