The Cherry Blossom Festival was celebrated for the hundredth time today in Washington, D.C. The last time I saw the parade was probably 1980 or 1981. There was nothing in those days like the robot spider, but the clowns and marching bands and splendid soldiers are the same. I didn't have to go far from the parade route to find homeless folks, seemingly oblivious to the celebration of spring and the wonderful gift of cherry trees from Japan a hundred years ago.