The first of April is the beginning of a month long love affair with all things "tulip" in Skagit County. I've spoken to this before in our blog.
Today we decided to make the rounds to all of the art shows in various gallery locations, both formal and impromptu. Our first stop included a hearty breakfast at a restaurant called the "Farm House" followed by a climb to the second floor showing of the works of several artists we found quite intriguing. Our stomachs full, and our senses stimulated, we then ventured on to the next stop.
Gallery two was within the so called "Pickle Barn" of a local garden shop and nursery. Here we met one of the artists in person. He had created a miniature world within the auspices of a mushroom roofed building guarded by a raven that contained a tiny music box within its core. Delightful! His enthusiasm in demonstrating his creation only added to the pleasure we derived from viewing it. It strikes me that the talent existing in this world is boundless. The frosting on the cake at this site was the array of beautiful plants available, two of which I could easily have carried home that moment were it not for the inconvenience of driving along on this tour in our Prius rather than in our pickup truck. Well, they will have to wait for another outing.
The third stop was again at a nursery with an historical 1888 school building occupying one corner of the property. Here, within the schoolhouse were further examples of the work of talented artists. The schoolhouse was surrounded by a garden just beginning to bring forth the promise of spring with a wide variety of budding and blooming plants. This will have to be another stop during a late spring or early summer drive to see how it has matured. An added focus to tempt a return was the paddock containing three very attractive and unusual looking sheep. These creatures were quite beautiful and at the moment we saw them, they were much more interested in their keeper's apparent determination that it was their meal time, rather than our need to photograph them!
We then came upon one of the most pleasant of displays in a gallery that occupied what appeared to be a greenhouse on the periphery of a private home. Here, sculptures caught my eye. One called "Honey Sisters" fascinated me. Two heads (connected by tiny micro lights strung between them that represent bees flying between them) gaze at each other. The shape of the heads reminded me of Egyptian sculptures I've viewed, with whispy eyes that I could hardly lift mine from.
The final gallery was in the basement of a Grange building. By this time, though just as talented and well presented, the artwork was beginning to swim in my brain in lovely little puddles I began to muddy together, one to the other. You come away from such an eventful tour in awe, promising yourself you will try harder with your own creations-whatever they may be.
And then I realize, "there's too much I want to do, in too little time, each day."
This year I took my neighbor and friend, Margarette. At 86 years old, she couldn't manage much of a hike into the tulip fields, but everything else was achievable and she was delighted with her first visit. We relaxed with a cup of tea after viewing all of their displays. What could be a more delightful afternoon? I feel lucky that over my entire life, I have been blessed with the friendship of older women. Their presence in my life has always been such a comfort in the core of what I call "my mother yearnings." Theses photos are just a few of the many photos of the flowers that I took. They inspire awe and demonstrate only a portion of what nature sings to me daily in this lovely place we call home.
