Whidbey Gardening: All Play and No Work Doesn't Get the Job Done.

Friday was a day of celebrating, and being celebrated. BTW, social media and blogging adds immensely to the joy of such a day. Thank you for all of the good wishes.

Saturday was a day to play, to explore the beauty of the island.  But when I looked down on the garden Saturday evening, I could see the work ahead. 

Sunday morning a fog lingered over the lagoon, creating a special beauty.

 It was 9:30 when we got to work. The garden was full of shot weed, drifted over from the neighbor's property, and other weeds were gaining a stronghold too. 

We worked all day, crawling around, weeding and cleaning. It was 4:00 when we reached a stopping point and called it quits for the day. We would finish Monday morning. 

I sought a bit of quiet time over on the beach. The bay was calm and quiet. 

Monday morning we were stiff and sore, but there was work to finish. It took us another two  hours, but we got it all cleaned up.

 We left a lot of the California poppy seedlings. We'll let them bloom and then pull them out. They seed freely and there will be plenty for next year. 

 The next door neighbors are new, and they have been making improvements in their yard. All the more incentive to keep ours up. 

 The word on the street is that the neighborhood is quite excited that the tulips are coming into bloom. It is a highlight of spring for the locals who walk by every day. 

 Looking better.

We rested a while. I cleaned up the cabin and got things packed up while Tom finished a few more chores. Then we decided that since the weather was so beautiful and warm, that we would stay through the afternoon before going home. 

We took an easy walk on the dike along the lagoon. 

 Then I sat on the deck and read. It was like summer! It was wonderful!

That was Monday. We have been back home since. It has been a whole week now since our anniversary. We spent time this week researching caterers and party rentals. We have booked a caterer and the rental equipment we will need for our delayed big celebration in July, which I am calling Celebration 50/75. 

Now I can relax and settle into spring. It is happening all around me, and I want to absorb every moment of it. 

A Day of Exploring on Whidbey Island

We had leftover blueberry coffee cake to start our Saturday, and after a slow morning, we set out about 10:30 for our destination walk. We were headed for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, but we took a wrong turn and ended up at Fort Casey, where before turning around, we noticed this officers house at the end of the row, overlooking the sound, looking a lot like an Andrew Wyeth painting. 

And just look at that sky!

Ah, here we are, Ebey's Landing, and ready for our morning walk.

We made it up the steps before needing our first breather stop. 

We didn't go all the way to the top, up to those trees and along the bluff. We have done it before and it's a great hike, but those days are over for me. 

Instead we traversed  the hillside, alongside the fields, to the blockhouse. 

This historical reserve contains some of the richest farmland on the island, and is most likely part of the reason for the island's first pioneers to settle here. 

Reaching our destination, it was time for another rest, and a chance to soak up the sun and the view. 

There were eagles landing too! I didn't have my zoom lens, but you can sort of see them. 

This field along the track was pink with tiny wild geranium blooms. 

That bench at the end of the hike beckoned us too, just to enjoy this lovely place a bit longer. 

Then we drove over across this narrow part of the island to the historic town of Coupeville, on the other shore, where we had lunch and a walk about. 

From there we drove to Langley, where we stopped in to visit with Marie at her Chocolate Flower Farm shop, and to get ice cream, which we ate sitting on the benches at Boy and Dog park. 

It is mandatory that we stop at Bayview Garden Center, just up the hill from our cabin.

With 25% off on perennials and succulents, we bought some. 

The nursery was beginning to look like spring. 

I do love the exotic succulents.

And the cacti are so cool. 

Tropicals are not my thing, but not because I don't admire them. These bromeliads are lovely.

We got back to the cabin tired, but content, and after a bit of rest, we went to the grocery store for some take out food, then settled in to watch the Sounders match on TV. The result was a tie, 0-0, not thrilling, but not a loss.

It was a good day. 

A Happy Anniversary

On Friday, the day of our 50th Anniversary, we started the day as we do every Friday, with breakfast with retired teachers from Tom's former school. There was a pile of cards from our friends. I shared our wedding albums. 

Tally, our Friday morning server, who has become a dear friend, brought us a still warm from the oven blueberry coffee cake, compliments of the staff. It was delicious. 

We all ordered our breakfasts, many of us saying "I'll have my usual", and then we had cake! 

It was a sweet start to the day! At home, Tom and I went for our usual walk, and we puttered about, doing a few things that needed to get done. We packed what we would need for the weekend.  

Then we joined our family for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.

I had reserved a round table with a Lazy Susan. Everybody ordered their favorite dishes, and we turned the table to share and eat, and eat some more. Conversation was varied and lively.

We departed the restaurant with good wishes and we on our way, 

 We drove north through the city as the sun was setting.

Glorious color drew us on as we passed the Everett Boeing Plant. 

 I walked to the lighthouse as we waited for our ferry at the Mukilteo dock. 

The sun was gone by the time we reached the cabin on Whidbey Island, but the party wasn't over. We went next door to Tom's cousin's cabin where they awaited us with more good wishes, and dessert!

It was a good day, filled with friends and family and love and sweet attention, and slow time and busy time. We felt properly celebrated, and we looked forward to a new day of fun in the morning.