In the spirit of the holidays, I took two photos of the Capitol and the 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree. The first is a photo of the Capitol at night with the Capitol Christmas Tree lit up and reflected in the Reflecting Pool. In previous years, I've taken similar photos of the Capitol and the Capitol Christmas Tree, but this year the photo is a little extra special because I received some cooperation from Mother Nature—the air was still and the waters in the Reflecting Pool were perfectly still, allowing me to capture a wonderfully sharp reflection of the Capitol and the tree.

Capitol Christmas ReflectionsThe United States Capitol and the 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree at night, reflected in the Reflecting Pool.

The second photo is a closer shot of the 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree in front of the Capitol. The 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree is an 88 foot tall Engelmann spruce from Colville National Forest in northeast Washington State. It is decorated with thousands of ornaments handcrafted by the children of Washington State.

2013 Capitol Christmas TreeThe 2013 Capitol Christmas Tree is an 88 foot tall Engelmann spruce from Colville National Forest in northeast Washington State. It is decorated with thousands of ornaments handcrafted by the children of Washington State.