Last Chance

4/6/20 Sunset Hill neighborhood

A street in the Sunset Hill neighborhood is on my blossom-peeping list every year. These cherries always seem to peak a week or two later than Dibble Avenue or the University of Washington Quad, but I was afraid I might have missed them. Sunny and even warm, Monday seemed like it might be my last chance.

Sketching from my mobile studio, I thought wistfully of how pleasant it would have been to sketch from the sidewalk as I have in some years past, smelling the blossoms. But with so many dog walkers, runners and families passing by, I didn’t think I should.

This gnarly tree seemed very familiar, so when I got home, I checked my blog: Indeed, I had sketched it two years ago on a cold afternoon from nearly the same parking spot.

A bit past peak after all, the sakura were still glorious. I’m looking forward to next year when I can sketch them from the sidewalk again.