Capitol Tulips Monolithic edifices dominate Washington, but during Spring, pastel-colored foliage brighten the city. The rich hues of new growth symbolize the hope we all have for our nation. Let freedom ring! September 24, 2009

Poppy Patch This "Golden State" may have become famous for the gold rush of the late 1840s, but the California countryside was golden long before James Marshall found gold in the river at Sutter's mill in January 1848. California attained statehood September 9, 1850 when President Fillmore signed the bill granting California's admission to the Union. The Golden State became an economic engine fueled by mining, farming, cattle, business, service industries, and enterprising individuals who saw opportunity and grasped it. Mineral gold may be behind the "Golden State" moniker, but the glorious glimmering California Poppies marked California's vistas centuries before the Forty-niners disembarked ships that traveled around Cape Horn, transcontinental transits from the East Coast of the United States, and from countless countries worldwide to find gold. The California Poppy, or Eschscholzia californica, is a golden flower that rises individually from a singular stalk and blossoms fan-like golden blooms in April annually. In 1903 the California Poppy became the state flower. September 19, 2009