Tag Archives: Japanese Garden

May Flowers

While we were in Spokane with my sister Vera last Sunday we swung by Manito Park in the South Hill area of town. South Hill has beautiful stately homes on streets lined with huge old trees. It reminds me of San Marino in Southern California.

We walked through the Japanese garden and then hiked over to the Perennial garden. We’d like to go back when the large rose garden comes to life.

Have you ever seen a Fernleaf Peony? Such an interesting plant. The crowned Lilies were fun, too. (Fritillaria Imperialis)

April showers do bring about May flowers! What’s blooming in your neck of the woods?

The next paragraph is for my historical context and if you are very sensitive you might want to look away and not read it.

While Dear was tending the ashes of our burn pile early yesterday morning he had a nature experience he’ll never forget. He was stooped low to the ground and around the corner, at lightning speed, came a quail being chased by a hawk. Dear stayed very still and watched as the quail lost the chase. The hawk bounced further away from Dear and started to pluck the quail with it’s beaks, looking around every few seconds. The hawk kept looking all around and at Dear while it was on the ground. Eventually the hawk took flight with the plucked quail in it’s claws. You know you live in the country when… (fill in the blank).

Hillwood Japanese Gardens and Dacha…

There was one more post hanging back from my favorite museum in Washington D.C. and I better share it before I forget. The Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens was full of surprises.

The Japanese-Style garden was tucked below the edge of the other areas of the huge estate.

You had to go down these stairs to enjoy the garden.

Tucked into a wooded area and surrounded by rhododendrons and azaleas, the Dacha, or Russian country house, is a romanticized interpretation of a small peasant house. Built in 1969 during the Cold War, when U.S. – Soviet relations were tense, Dacha represents a nostalgic view of Russian culture.

The architecture features many elements typical of authentic Russian peasant dwellings, such as the whole-log construction and the intricate carvings around the windows and door. Other details are American adaptations of Russian motifs. The bright colors of the window carvings and the roof’s onion-shaped domes are typical of Russian churches. The Dacha on this property is used for museum programs and Hillwood’s changing exhibitions.

I hope your summer is going well. Dear was off last week and he worked on our basement project and it’s getting close to getting done. He has another week off the end of August into September and I’m dragging him away from the house so he does something besides work on this old house. We booked a night on the coast of Oregon and a night at Bonneville Hot Springs on the Columbia River in Washington State just across from Oregon. I’m looking forward to it. Have you all already had some vacation?

Fridays Fave 5

This hasn’t been one of my favorite weeks for sure because of Dear and I getting sick and being “In” all weekend and Monday. But that won’t stop me from finding 5 things that made my week, anyway!

1. Seeing this photo of all my kids together having fun with two of their cousins at the Japanese Gardens in Seattle.

 

Niece-Michelle, Daughter-Katie, Niece-Melissa, DIL-Laura, Son-Dan, Son-Josh

2. Cracking myself up creating these Turkey Cookies!

 

3. Meeting my niece Michelle and my Grand Nephew Jackson at the Pumpkin Patch!

4. Hearing that our 911 neighbor is moving out soon. Hopefully peace will be restored around here…

5. My last Fave is having a little Attitude Adjustment at the Beach on Thursday morning this week.

 

I’m throwing in a few more photos of my kids from the Japanese Gardens as a bonus for ME! :0)

My Boys (Men)

Josh and Laura!

My Niece Michelle (Jackson’s mom) and daughter Katie.

 

Thanks Michelle for letting me steal these photos of you all at the Garden!

For more Fave 5 visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story.

Photobucket is holding all my photos from 2007-2015 hostage demanding a ransom that I can’t afford. So frustrating as I try to clean up my posts and delete their ugly squares of black and grey off my blog posts!

Japanese Gardens ~ Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle

During my weekend in Seattle my sister, daughters, and I decided to stop at the Lake Washington Arboretum and to stroll through the Japanese Garden. We wanted to see the Tea House where Katie attends class every Thursday to learn the Japanese Tea Ceremony. She has her final this Thursday (today).

 

 

The Gardens are beautifully landscaped.

 

These photos are of the Tea House that is nestled in the beautiful surroundings of the garden.

 

It’s Spring so the Rhododendrons and Wisteria were in their glory.

 

I was so pleased to see the Wisteria in bloom.

 

The 4 of us were really in awe of God’s glorious creation and how He has given man the eye to plant and plan the beautiful landscape in this garden.

 

 

 

I hope you can sense much of the beauty through these photos.

Photobucket is holding all my photos I stored with them from 2007-2015 hostage. They have blacked out all those photos on my blog posts. OH BOTHER! I’m slowly cleaning up my posts.