Category: Celebrations

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day we’re taking a wee bit of a wander from Sequim to the land of St. Patrick himself.

This is the Hill of Tara, one of the most sacred spots of ancient Ireland. It is a site of kingship rituals and the region, near the River Boyne, is rich with archaeological sites and stunningly beautiful.

This was sunset on a cold winter afternoon. It caught a cherished moment and with it the light and the mood of the day.

“May God grant you always: A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you; laughter to cheer you; faithful friends near you; and, whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.”

This photo has been posted at the Weekly Top Shot in the View From Right Here hosted by Madge Bloom. To see other Weekly Top Shots, click below:

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, 3 of 3

The downside of making a day trip to the Skagit Valley from Sequim is that the schedule – and thus the light – is subject to the ferry crossings from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. And this, regrettably, meant no soft angles of morning light nor honeyed evening kiss on the flowers. It’s a day trip worth making and as we left we began planning a “next time” in which there would be an overnight stay that would allow pictures at either end of the day.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, 2 of 3

Two of the larger Skagit Valley growers, RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town, host formal exhibits and tours of their facilities and charge an admission fee. Above is a shot of a display at RoozenGaarde. Because it was a warm day and our dog Chord was not allowed on their guest list, we opted to explore on our own.

We began our day in LaConner, a sweet little town on the western edge of the valley, then zigged and zagged around the fields. The website for the festival has a map of the valley, a calendar of events, and descriptions of the activities throughout April. When our LaConner breakfast scones wore off, we followed signs to the Kiwani’s Salmon Barbeque in Mt. Vernon and fortified ourselves for the trip home.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, 1 of 3

Washington’s Skagit Valley is located roughly 70 miles north of Seattle and is an agricultural region that partly specializes in tulips and flower seeds. Tulips grown in the area are celebrated throughout the month of April with the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. While there are local events such as art shows, a wine festival, and a Kiwani’s salmon barbeque, the festival is largely a free self-paced drive along fields of tulips and daffodils.

We visited in late April last year in an attempt to avoid the soggy weather that had plagued us for months and continued well into April. We succeeded in finding a sunny day, but the downside was that some fields had already been plowed under. There were still tulips, but no fields of blooming daffodils. Drat.

This was my first real outing with the camera I now use, which is to say I think I’d do things differently today.

This post is part of the Weekly Top Shot series hosted by Madge of The View from Right Here. To see other posts, click below:

Chord

Chord, the Wonder Dog. Avid walker. Fine companion. Most people think their animals are the best in the world. I’m no different.

Chord tip toed through the tulips at the Skagitt Valley Tulip Festival last year. I’d known of this event for many years but last spring was my first opportunity to visit. I’ll share a few more pictures in the next day or two.

Love is where you find it

I met my husband when he walked into my tacky, chaotic, shared office in the basement of a major hotel. About five minutes later he declared he’d fallen in love with me. It definitely got my attention — eight months later we were married. He’s a keeper.

What about you? Do you have a love in your life? Did you find it in an unexpected place? What is your story?

Happy Valentine’s Day. May you be blessed with enduring love!

Clean sweep

Some years ago an African American colleague and I discussed New Years traditions. She shared with me a tradition of getting a new broom at the beginning of a fresh year. I’d heard of “jumping the broom” as a form of marriage ceremony, but not of replacing brooms to welcome a new year. She was frankly horrified when I admitted how old my kitchen broom was.

Other friends and neighbors have shared traditions such as eating pork (specifically boiled spare ribs with sauerkraut) or pig-shaped cookies.

This year I’ve decided to welcome 2012 with a new broom. What are your New Years traditions?