Day 297/365 - I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"
William Wordsworth
1804

(Taken with my Nikon D90)

Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Fortress in the Clouds

This week's added shot from my archives is a photo I took last weekend of the I.M. Pei-designed East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. I liked the way the roof of the building looked like castle battlements and framed the sky.

(Taken with my Nikon D90)

Day 163/365 - Printemps

Spring in DC started out on the chilly side. It was sunny and we had a pretty sky, though. And I'm currently in third place in my office's NCAA tournament pool, so that made the day even better. There's no money involved, however. It's strictly for bragging rights and entertainment value. There is a trophy, though. It's a Final Four commemorative basketball I got when I ordered a pizza from Papa John's several years back. The winner gets to sign his/her name on the ball and keep it for a year. I won the pool three years ago, but I'm a bit skeptical about my chances of repeating this year.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 10/365 - Stairway to Heaven

It was another beautiful autumn day, so I went for a long walk on the Capital Crescent Trail this afternoon. The trail starts in the Georgetown section of DC and curves up to Silver Spring in Maryland. It was converted from the trackbed of an old railroad line and runs in between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. It’s much more secluded than the Mt. Vernon Trail and there are so many trees bordering it that in sections it’s like going through a leafy tunnel.

This picture is of the wooden staircase leading down from the C&O Canal Towpath to the head of the Capital Crescent Trail. I got lucky while I was walking along the canal. They had a team of mules towing along a barge full of tourists. This was the first time I’d seen the barge moving. Usually when I pass by the canal the barge is just moored to the bank. I’ve been meaning to take that tour for years but still haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe one of these days.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)