Found while walking: summer.

We spend a lot of time walking in this city.  It's too easy - all these cobblestone streets and tiny little row-homes. 

During one of those weekend walks, we came across the Smithsonian Zoo.  It was free, so we continued to take a stroll through.  I haven't been to a zoo since I was a kid.  Oh wait, that's a lie!  We came across one in Kazakhstan, which was so sad that I must be trying to block it out of my memory. 

This zoo was much better, though I still have mixed feelings about zoos.  We walked by pandas sleeping, river otters rolling in the water, lionesses perched high above the peering crowds, and a thirsty elephant. 

 

Summer is everywhere: the flowerbeds in front of the brick row-homes are blooming, and the parks are green, covered with wildflowers.  But what's kind of magical is that, during our night walks, we see fireflies floating above grassy lawns.  Did we have fireflies in Portland?  If so, I never noticed.

 

Yesterday afternoon, as we were walking back from Georgetown, we came across a small chocolate shop, Fleurir.  I bought a cup of their strawberry basil ice cream.  It's probably the best savory-sweet ice cream I've had in a while.