This whole business of starting a new year is always so baffling when really terrible, sad things happen, from horrible fires while people celebrate to more of our service people dying in the war, to the sheer sadness of the obituary pages.
But I guess they shouldn't baffle, these calamities: they happen every day, as hard and soul-crushing as it is to think that way.
So in that vein, it's also good to know that true beauty happens everyday and everywhere –in the streets of DC, for instance, some of which may be truly less than stunning by day.
Northeast –where this picture was taken– gets a bad reputation as an entire quadrant of the city, because of its crime and violence.
And yet, despite all the heavy duty mounted cameras and the police checkpoints and the broken streets, there is much happiness, vibrance, and beauty in this neighborhood, and there is especially the wonderful National Arboretum which is possibly one of my favorite places in town.
And furthermore, the sun still sets beautifully here, no matter what the statistics may tell you.
Happy second day of the year, everyone.
A Daily Dose of Zen Sarcasm! 
That is a lovely photo. I like how the street lamps echo like bird wings across that gorgeous sky.
Gorgeous picture and a gorgeous post!
Great post about the sunset in N.E. This is my first time to your site and I see you’re in the D.C. area (so am I)! 🙂
Thanks, everyone! And I hope you come back BlapherMJ!