A Change of Pace/Place Weekend

It has been unusually rainy here in the Pacific Northwest. We are counting our blessings that we are not experiencing the floods happening in some parts of our region, or the blizzards or violent storms and tornadoes in others. We are fortunate, and we needed the rain, but after 12 days of rain, coupled with much colder temperatures, it gets wearying. We gardeners couldn't go out and play in the dirt. We needed to get out of the house. 

Saturday, we were happy to get dressed up in rain gear and head out for a 1:00 Sounders match at the stadium. 

Our opponent was Toronto, a match up of two good, unbeaten teams. I do love singing along to "Oh, Canada!"

It was a great game, very entertaining, the rain held off except for a few fits and spits, and our Sounders won! We went home, rested, and then went out to Red Robin for dinner. 

Sunday morning had us on the light rail again, and back at the stadium. Jill needed us to do some shopping for her for a birthday coming up this week, and to do that shopping we needed to hit the sports team shops in the stadium and across the street. 

I would send photos of various samples and Jill would critique. This hoodie was not acceptable, but I liked it a lot, and so I bought it for myself! Hey. It was on sale.

Checking all four shops, we did find another hoodie that was acceptable. We also had fun watching all of the Mariners fans arriving for a 1:00 baseball game in the adjoining stadium. 

Since there is a Starbucks right at the light rail station, we decided to have lunch there. 

Here's mine.

Tom had a sandwich.

Then I got my free latte, earned with accumulated points, to drink with a bit of chocolate.  

We got the train home, made a quick pit stop, and we on our way again, this time by car, south to Branches Garden Center. 

Branches has a good little nursery, but the real attraction is the gift shop. Everything is so pretty there, and of course there were Easter/Spring decorations. 

 Outside, but under cover, the annuals and perennials are just as pretty. 

 Again the rain held off, so we thoroughly searched the shrubs too, and found a hydrangea that was on our list. 

 I bought some hardy sedums to replant a patio pot. We were happy to stay home today. Monday is house work and laundry day. We got that done, got in our walk on a sunny morning, and then spent some time working in the yard. 

I got the sedums planted today in this old birdbath. That golden plant on the left is a fancy corydalis. I got it planted too, and did some weeding. 

Tom didn't get the hydrangea planted yet. He says he ran out of energy. He did take care of his greenhouse, move his tomato plants out of the greenhouse and under a cloche in the garden, finish a construction project, and mow the lawn. 

 I ran out of energy long before he did. It did feel good to get outside and get some work done. The clouds have moved back in, but it's looking like the rain will hold off now until Thursday. 

We'll be able to get back outside. Yay!