Right as Rain

…and because of our rain things seem so right and restored in Spring.

The Seattle Japanese Garden has been open to the public since 1960. It is one of the finest Japanese-style gardens outside of Japan.

This 3.5 acre garden features a style developed in the late 16th to early 17th centuries, known as stroll gardens.

Following a winding path around a central pond, stroll gardens invite visitors to journey through varied landscapes of Japan. Along the journey, varied landscapes are hidden and then revealed.

Renowned landscape designer Juki Iida planned the Seattle Japanese Garden faithful to the principle of shinzensa, the essence of nature.

Because the sun was shining and we were promised a few hours of it we picked up our daughter who lives close to the University of Washington and the Japanese Gardens just south of the University for a little stroll about the gardens.

We enjoyed our stroll through the garden last Thursday, the 4th of May.

Some of the reflections reminded me of Monet.

After the gardens we stopped for lunch at Saint Helens Cafe and then had a second walk at Magnuson Park before we dropped Katie off. This week we’ve had two sunshine days in a row so far. We are basking in it.

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday for R is for Rain, Right, Restored, Reflections, Revealed, Renowned. Speaking of renowned, thank you to Roger and the team and Mrs. Nesbitt for keeping this meme alive for many years now.

I’m also linking up to Tom’s Tuesday’s Treasures.

HT: http://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org

Seattle Treasures…

All these shots of the Seattle waterfront and other views of quintessential Seattle were taken from two Bainbridge Ferry Runs across the Puget Sound on August 28th.

The rounded tops are of Century Link Stadium where the Seahawks and the Sounders play and the further one is Safeco Field where the Seattle Mariners play.

Mount Rainier is always a treat to see even though it’s a dormant volcano and if she blows we’ll all be toast!

Linking up for Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom at The Backroads Traveler.

We are wrapping up our Labor Day with some relaxation. Dear trouble shot an electrical problem in our basement and all is well again. A handy man is a treasure to have around the house!

Buffalo Bill Dam

D is for Dam…

On our way to Cody, Wyoming from the eastern entrance of Yellowstone National Park we stopped at the Buffalo Bill Dam. It was so windy that they couldn’t even raise the flags.

Buffalo Bill Dam, the tallest dam in the world when it was completed in 1910. Built with no steel reinforcement.

This photo is looking down along the dam.

You can read about the history of the dam by clicking to this link.

More than 100 years after it was built, the Buffalo Bill Dam (formerly the Shoshone Dam) still stands as an impressive engineering feat. When it was built in 1910 its 325-foot height ranked it as the highest dam in the world. Located roughly 45 miles east of Yellowstone National Park’s east entrance and six miles west of Cody, Wyoming, the dam was also one of the first concrete dams erected in the U.S.

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by Roger and a team of ABC’ers. Thank you Roger and team!

Linking to Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom the Backroads Traveler with this historical treasure.

I’m also linking up to signs, signs with Lesley on Wednesday.

Our kids from Eastern Washington left on Monday with a full load for the long drive home. We were happy to get a text that they arrived safe and sound. Here’s what their load looked like as they drove away from our house. Dear is very happy about the freed up space in his shop and now our son Dan can work on this project in his own shop.

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the most breathtaking sight inside Yellowstone Park. Twenty miles long, the canyon is up to 4,000-feet wide and 1,200-feet deep in places. From several vantage points, you can view Lower Falls plunging steeply into the canyon 308 feet, or the Upper Falls tumbling 109 feet.

Lower Falls, the biggest waterfall in Yellowstone, is the most famous in the Park, hands down. In fact, the 308-foot tall waterfall it is most likely the second most photographed spot in Yellowstone, with Old Faithful Geyser being the first.

We are looking down here and just wanted the perspective with Dear’s arm in the photo. It’s a very long way down.

We viewed this area from both sides of the canyon. It really was amazing and it’s one of those areas where you really cannot capture the grandeur with photos. I hope you can go there in person if you haven’t been before. We also stopped at the brink of the falls. So powerful and scary.

This was our second full day in Yellowstone. We stayed the night at the Canyon Lodge area of the park which was close by. When we were in Cody, Wyoming later in our trip we stopped at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and I took photos of these artists renditions of the Lower Falls and Canyon of Yellowstone.

I’ll be linking up to ABC Wednesday, started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and the team. C is for Canyon. I’m also linking to Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom The Backroads Traveler. Yellowstone is a National Treasure!

I’m posting this on Monday and we are a month into summer already. Today is window washing day at this old house. Dear has been working since the wee hours of the morning on the windows and soon I’ll start on my part of the process and lightly scrub the screens. The views are clear and sparkling through our windows already. Do you have any summertime projects?

Y is for Yellowstone!

Smarter than the average Bear! Smart or not we planned a last minute trip to Yellowstone National Park making reservations on Monday and heading out on Wednesday last week. We drove from Washington State to Missoula, Montana our first day.

On our second day we drove to the North entrance of Yellowstone through Gardiner, Montana where the original entrance to the park stands as a monument.

We didn’t see any bears much to my delight and Dear’s disappointment. We started our visit at the Mammoth Hot Springs and continued south stopping along the way to see some beautiful sights before checking in at the Old Faithful Inn. Many of our stops will deserve a post of their own. Stay tuned for Old Faithful and other geysers and waterfalls and Bison and lakes, oh my.

We just got home Monday afternoon and I will edit my photos and decide which to post in the near future. This was both my and Dear’s first visit to Yellowstone National Park and we were amazed at the variety of sights with easy access and easy parking along the roadways. The geyser basins, the waterfalls, the steam and mud pools and the animals grazing were all a sight to see. Yellowstone is a national treasure.

I’m linking up to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by the ABC Team.

Also linking up to Tuesday’s Treasures with Tom The Backroads Traveler.

eXceptional Views

On Father’s Day after brunch in downtown Seattle we headed to Kerry Park atop Queen Anne Hill to take in these eXcellent views.

It’s great to capture both the Space Needle and Mt. Rainier together on a clear day. Both are iconic symbols in Seattle and Washington State.

Mount Rainier, Mount Tacoma, or Mount Tahoma is the highest mountain of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, and the highest mountain in the state of Washington. It is a large active stratovolcano located 54 miles south-southeast of Seattle.

Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers.

And on a more personal note…hope she never blows her top and annihilates all of us Seattleites!

The Space Needle and Mt. Rainier are treasures in Washington State.

Speaking of personal here is my eXcellent and treasure of a husband and the father of our children enjoying the iconic views from Kerry Park on Father’s day!

Linking up with ABC Wednesday and Tuesday’s Treasures. Thank you Mrs. Nesbitt, Roger, ABC Team, and Tom at The Backroads Traveler for hosting these fine memes.

Dear and I are eXiting the familiar and heading to roads we’ve never traveled to enjoy one of our Nation’s treasures, Yellowstone National Park. I hope to share some postcards along the way but if you don’t hear from me it’s because wifi might not be available to us. Our wonderful basement dwellers will take care of the safety of our home and water our plants while we are away.

Happy summer everyone!

Tuesday’s Treasures & ABC Wednesday…

Today is Flag Day in the United States of America and we treasure what the flag stands for at our house.

The Pledge of Allegiance

Officially adopted on Flag Day, June 14, 1924 (“Under God” Amendmant made by Congress in 1954)

I pledge allegiance to the flag

of the United States of America

and to the republic for which it stands;

one nation under God, indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.

Off with your hat, as the flag goes by!
And let the heart have its say;
you’re man enough for a tear in your eye
that you will not wipe away.
~Henry Cuyler Bunner

I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it. ~ John Thune

Whatcom Falls Park

Mid May Dear and I had a road trip north to Bellingham via Chuckanut Drive to check out Whatcom Falls and the historic stone bridge.

President Roosevelt’s New Deal Works Progress Administration paid workers to move the Chuckanut sandstone arches from a downtown burned-out building to the park. In 1939 the sandstone was used to construct the landmark stone bridge.

Too bad about the fallen tree that had lodged itself into the falls. I’m wondering if it has dislodged and flowed downstream by now.

In the distance above the main waterfall was this smaller waterfall with some pretty lighting.

The parking lot with access to the stone bridge and the falls was a very short distance from this spot.

I’m linking up with ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and administered by Roger and a team of ABC’ers.

W is for Whatcom Falls Park and for Waterfalls.

I’m also linking up with Tuesday’s Treasures hosted by Tom The Backroads Traveler.

St. Joseph Church

The cornerstone for Saint Joseph Church was laid in 1868 by a group of San Antonio’s German Catholic Immigrants who wanted to worship and hear God’s Word proclaimed and celebrated in their own language.

Over the course of years the German Community constantly improved their Parish of St. Joseph and its buildings. In 1891, four bells with matched tones were purchased and consecrated. They were given the names of Joseph, Mary, Henry and Joseph, by their donors as was the German custom. The Gothic style building was without a steeple until 1898 when the now existing spire was erected to crown and complete the structure as it is today.

This was the second copy of Michelangelo’s Pieta I saw in San Antonio.

Then in 1902, the beautiful stained glass windows were purchased for the unbelievable sum of $3,000, from the Emil Frei Art Glass Factory in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.

Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as Way of Sorrows or Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion and accompanying prayers.

The Stations of the Cross are commonly found in Catholic churches as a series of 14 small icons or images. They can also appear in church yards arranged along paths. The stations are most commonly prayed during Lent on Wednesdays and Fridays, and especially on Good Friday, the day of the year upon which the events actually took place.

In 1945, a crisis arose when the Joske’s Department Store wanted to purchase the Church and Rectory and grounds and use the land for its expansion program. The parishioners, however, voted unanimously not to sell their cherished Church, allowing it to remain as a strong sign of their Faith in the midst of a secularized, historic and cultural environment. As a result, St. Joseph Church stands today and is known as the “Jewel in the heart of San Antonio” close to the famed Alamo, and encircled as it is by the new RiverCenter Mall, Residencies and Hotels.

The Church is the home of the world renowned San Antonio Liederkranz. On the fourth-Sunday of the month, the San Antonio Liederkranz (founded in 1892) donate their stewardship of time and extraordinary talent to express their Faith through liturgical song; a variety of hymns are sung in Latin, German and English, at the 11:00 a.m. celebration of the Eucharist!

When I visited this church on Saturday morning April 30th there were more people and activity than I usually find when visiting during my travels and site seeing. I didn’t feel comfortable taking as many photos as I usually do in beautiful churches like this. It sure would have been a great experience to be at the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday of this weekend since the San Antonio Liederkranz would have been worshiping in song. We flew out on Saturday.

In Seattle style we are having a rainy Memorial Day weekend so far! I guess I’ll do indoor stuff like cleaning my dusty, cluttered dwelling! What are you doing?

I’m linking later to InSPIREd Sunday with Beth and Sally.

More Texas Treasures

Pioneer Flour Mills was initially founded as the C.H. Guenther Mill by Carl Hilmar Guenther, a millwright who immigrated to the United States from Germany in the late 1840s. Guenther built his first mill in 1851 in Fredericksburg and later relocated it one mile south of San Antonio in 1859. Guenther’s first mill in San Antonio was located along the San Antonio River across from King William Street adjacent to his home and on the grounds of the present day Pioneer Flour Mills. Guenther’s mill was the first flour mill and the first steam and water powered mill built in the city. For more info click here.

This was a stop on the trolley tour that was in time for lunch so I enjoyed a small meal at the restaurant here. Since there was just one trolley driver this day I had a good hour until the next trolley would come.

After I ate my lunch I went up the stairs to see a portion of the house and visit the gift shop.

After lunch I strolled along King William Street to enjoy viewing the large mansions some of which are being nicely restored.

Soon I’ll share many of the mansions I saw on King William Street just across the way from the Guenther House.

I’m going to link this post to…

Tuesday’s Treasures hosted by Tom The Backroads Traveler.

ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by a great team with Roger at the helm.

Happy Victoria Day to our neighbors in the North!

Hope you all have a great day off today. What are you doing to celebrate?

Check out Anneliese’s Queen Elizabeth Cake!

Mission San Jose in San Antonio

Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo – the “Queen of Missions”. This was my favorite stop on the trolley tour when I was in San Antonio at the end of April.

The Mission grounds with it’s massive stone walls were built for defense of the community that lived on the grounds.

San José, as it became known, was the largest of the missions in the area. At its height, the community contained about 350 Indian neophytes, sustained by extensive fields and herds of livestock. Viewed as the model among the Texas missions, San José gained a reputation as a major social and cultural center. It became known as the “Queen of the Missions.” Its imposing complex of stone walls, bastions, granary, and magnificent church was completed by 1782.

Along the walls were 84 two room humble apartments for the Indian residents.

Fine carvings on the facade of Mission San José Church gave it the title, “Queen of the Missions”.

La Ventana de Rosa, the Rose Window, is located on the south wall of the church sacristy. The window has been described as the site where the Host was shown to gathered mission celebrants during the Feast of Pentecost.

The window, sculpted ca. 1775, has been the object of both legend and admiration. It is considered one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in North America. The meaning behind the name is currently unknown, but legend has it named for Rosa, the betrothed of Juan Huizar who many believe created the window.

Much of what is visible today at Mission San José was reconstructed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s. The Archdiocese of San Antonio and San José parish are responsible for any maintenance and preservation work needed on the church structure itself. About 80% of the church is original. The National Park Service, with help from taxpayers and the park’s friends group, Los Compadres, is responsible for the the extant structures and historical landscape.

ht: National Park Service

I’m linking this post to Tuesday’s Treasures hosted by Tom The Backroads Traveler and to ABC Wednesday started by Mrs. Nesbitt and carried on by Roger and a team of ABC’ers. S is for San Jose, San Antonio, San Miquel de Aguayo and Stone Walls.

If you want to read more about this treasure click the National Park Service link above. I have more posts to share from my time in San Antonio.

We are in a cooler pattern this week in the Seattle area with some light rain which is more typical for this time of year. It’s nice not to have to water my plants. What’s going on in your corner of the world?

The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b.

To honor and encourage

Category Archives: Tuesdays Treasures