Sunshine ans Roses

Our first roses of the season are in bloom. That makes me happy.

 Sunday we had sunshine. Monday we had a little rain. Today, Tuesday, we have sunshine again. There are blooms in the garden.

Some of them are not real. 

They all co-mingle and get along anyway.

It's columbine time.

I had a long awaited steroid shot in my right hip flexor last Thursday. I'm not sure if it's working. Sometimes I just feel like quittting and sitting, but I don't.

I've been working in the garden most days. Today I just have a small job to do, so when I get this posted, I am going to back over to the park for a walk. 

Sunshine and flowers make me happy. I won't quit. 

I Made It!

 It has been a long time and another surgery since I have gone to the Stadium for a Sounders soccer game. I gave up my two seats several years ago and Jill now goes with Tom using her two tickets. 

Well, Jill and Jake were both at the Whidbey cabin this weekend, so it was my turn to be Tom's seatmate. I stewed about it all week, but decided that with Tom's help I could do it. The biggest problem is my severe unsteadiness, especially in crowds. Tom stayed by my side.

We rode the light rail. I managed stairs when the elevators weren't workingat the stations. We managed the crowds at the stadium.

We arrived early enough, 11:20 for a 12:00 match, to have Starbucks coffee and a protein bar in the Club before the start, to tide us over

The stadium slowly filled up to 30,000 fans, all happy to be there on a sunny Saturday in Seattle.

Me too! It was a good game, a rough game, and we finally got the best of Dallas on a penalty kick to win the game. 

I made it without any disasters. I had fun. I even decided I could probably do it again. :-)

A Special Time on the Island

At Bayview Gardens on South Whidbey Island, the Laburnum Tunnel is in full bloom.

Designed in the manner of the Laburnum Tunnel at Rosemary Verey's Barnsley House in England, it is a spectacular creation right here in our Whidbey cabin backyard, well, almost, just up the hill a bit.

Besides being the time for some spring gardening, it is just the right time to see this beauty.

Of course we looked at all of the plants in the nursery too, and came away with one addition to our Danger Garden.

Then we drove across island to Langley for coffee on the patio, under blue sky, surrounded by blooming plants.

We will be leaving for home soon. Tom's work is done and I have an appointment tomorrow. We had a short but good little get away.

Beach Blooms

 We came up to the Whidbey Island cabin Monday evening for a couple of days, so Tom could bring some geranium pots for the deck and do some weeding and clipping in the cabin garden. With rain coming in the afternoon, he got busy by late morning. While he worked, I walked.

Down the road, Sunlight Beach Road, there is a large empty lot. It belongs to a long time beach family, and so far it has not been built on. The property is worth millions, but I for one am very happy that I still have this view when I walk the beach road.

Right now the Sea Thrift is in bloom, with it's shades of pink.

Also blooming is the native Lupine, here in shades of cream, yellow, and touches of purple.

In a cabin garden farther down the road, my favorite Ragusa Rose is beginning to bloom. 

At the end of the road I turned around and rested a bit and checked in with Tom at the cabin before going on to check out the dike and see if the wild roses were blooming.

They are, and Scotch Broom too.

The tide was out, but a heron was fishing. There is a heron rookery in the tall trees next to the dike, and there are babies to feed.

Looking back to the sand spit where the beach cabins/houses are, ours is the second one from the left in this photo.

My morning walk was slow and lovely. I spent an hour walking a mile.

This afternoon it has been raining, but now with clearing skies, I'm going out for another walk. It might be a little faster, or maybe not. We're on island time.

Saturday Morning

 "Come Saturday moring

 I'm going away with my friend"

(song released by The Sandpipers in 1970}

This Saturday morning I had a long awaited appointment for a bone density scan at 8:30 in Tacoma. We decided to make an outing of it.

After the appointment we decided on breakfast at the Hob Nob in a 1920's building right across the street from Wright Park.The restaurant was full of mostly young people from the neighborhood enjoying leisurly time with friends. The food was good the setting was congenial. Then we walked over to the park.

Wright Park was established in 1895 and is in the historic district of Tacoma, close to the hospital district. The park is full of wonderful old trees dating back to the establishment of the park.

A centerpiece of the park is the Seymore Conservatory, dating from 1908. 

Tulip Tree, planted in 1895.

We were on our way home by 11:00, with clearing skies, and our stomaches and souls having been well fed. 

The gift I bought myself, to commorate the gift of this Saturday morning.