 1 My friend Carrie and her son and Ben and I all went on a guided walk at the Bloedel Reserve. We expected a large group of 7 but everyone else bailed at the last second and it was just the two of us with the kids. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was actually a blessing because we could enjoy the serenity of the place that much more. Reminds me of walks through several botanical gardens in Hawaii. |
 2 Ok to run? |
 3 These leaves smell like cotton candy when they fall to the ground. |
 4 More running! |
 5 And these are actually edible - they are a bit sour. You can put them in a salad. |
 6 A nurse stump. Cedars don't nurse new cedars, interestingly, only Hemlock and I think mulberry (off to the side on the right). |
 7 Asking our guide if something is ok to eat. Good guy! |
 8 The sky is grey, but that sort of light allows the muted colors of WA come to life. I have a theory that the sky doesn't want to compete with the earth, but it will if it has to. In Hawaii, the colors are so super-saturated naturally that the sky has to always be blue with puffy white clouds. In WA, the colors are a bit more muted with little punctuation marks in the flowers and trees. So the sky rests, relaxes, doesn't try to outdo the earth. They are in harmony. |
 9 Ben really enjoyed himself. |
 10 There were three geese out eating, then they took a swim in the pond. |
 11 The leaves on this plant are very scratchy! Like sand paper! |
 12 Inside the Bloedel mansion - 8000 sf of "summer cottage" turned full time residence. It is beautiful. What a setting, though. |
 13 Ben really enjoyed looking out through the windows toward Puget Sound. |
 14 I loved the arrangements with all the evergreens and other plants in them. I really want to do these! Reminds me of my bouquet when Dave and I got married. I requested all items that you'd find in the forest at the Saratoga Springs State Park (where we often ran or snowshoed). I got the most amazing arrangement with berries, pine cones, spruce boughs. I loved it. |
 15 Isn't this totally cool? I need to find that green mold stuff that you stick plants into. |
 16 |
 17 Outside on the veranda enjoying the view. |
 18 Pointing out a bald Eagle up high in a tree! They have a nesting pair there. So neat. Bald Eagles don't turn white on the head until at least age 4. |
 19 There it is! Can you see it? |
 20 That dome-shaped thing is a Scottish-something-or-other. I want to find it and plant it. This place has weather like Scotland. |
 21 A pond with algae completely covering it. |
 22 This is a nice ground cover. |
 23 Looks like a good way to cover up a berm! |
 24 The zen garden! The gardener rakes it every morning because the deer enjoy tromping through it at night! (Just like Ben did!) They actually have 9 full time gardeners I think. |
 25 This is the guest house. |
 26 With a view of the Japanese garden. What a great morning! I joined so we can come back any time. |
