Welcoming in the bleakness

It was cold this afternoon. The temperature was around 40°F (4.4°C), but the chilly, biting wind made it seem much colder. My hands felt like ice, and Amber's nose never stopped running, which can only mean one thing - fall is on its way out, and winter is fast approaching. The two of us came to that realization today at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, home to the last remaining tidal marshland in the District of Columbia. Yes, Virginia, not only does D.C. have deer, it also contains wetlands. The best time to visit the gardens in in the summer when the water lilies and lotuses are in bloom, but on this post-Thanksgiving Day weekend, with its trees bereft of leaves and its muddy marshes exposed in the wake of the outgoing tide, the gardens at this time of year have a stark beauty all their own.

My daughter poses for her dad. In the background flows the Anacostia River, crossed by a bridge for the MARC Train.

This Great Blue Heron flew past us as we walked along some of the 45 ponds at the gardens. It was both huge and graceful.

Out on the boardwalk. In the 90 minutes we were at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, we saw just one jogger, two women and a man walking a couple of dogs and a lone park ranger.