"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Sunday, March 29, 2009

My journey!

A few days ago Dirt Princess at Trials & Tribulations of a Southern Gardener said she took the time to really notice the little things as she was on her way somewhere, was she on a journey or a destination?   She found lots of interesting sights and shared them on her blog.   She suggested others take the time to do the same thing and share their journey. 
I'm pretty observant about most things.  I think a lot of that comes from being a nurse.  You have to be or you can miss something very important.  But I know that some days as I drive to my destination I'm not noticing some of the little things.  I tried to capture some interesting sights as I drove to my daughter's preschool and did errands the other day.  I pulled over to take the pictures, and so some are not as clear because I stayed in my car so it could be as accurate as possible.
As we left our home I noticed that my neighbors daffodils were beginning to bloom.  I had noticed the heather a few days ago, but not these daffodils.
A little further away I saw that the church that is adding on, left the row of old crabapple trees in place.  I hadn't really thought about it until today.  They will be blooming soon and always are so pretty.  
Down the road a ways I passed my best gardening friend's house.  I see the fruit trees in her "orchard" are beginning to bloom.  Before I knew her I watched all the work being done on her yard.  It was the talk of the neighborhood that someone was finally taking care of this large yard that had been neglected for years.  Now that I know her I get to enjoy it all the time.  
Driving down the highway the lights were all green (the only time I hoped for a red light and not one!) so I missed taking pictures of the small river that runs along side of it.  As we get closer to my daughter's school you can see a small pony area.  They had a sign saying that they did pony parties, but I have to say the quick glimpse into their stalls was not pretty.  I don't know much about horses or ponies, but it looked kind of crowded.  They had a large pasture around them.  Maybe they were eating inside, usually they are out of their barn.
Here is one of the many Starbucks that we pass while we're out.   I guess that's what you would expect to see around the Seattle area.
I took the long way home and passed another part of the river.  There are bike trails all along it and it's busy no matter what the season.  Very blurry I know, but I hope you can still see the beauty in it.
I also passed one of the wineries that is pretty well known,  Chateau Ste. Michelle.  Later in the spring I will go there for photos.  It's absolutely beautiful.  Well worth a visit if you are in the area.  
At a stop light I found a row of plum trees beginning to bloom.
Closer into the "downtown" area of the city I live in I've noticed this wall before.  I never thought about what used to be there.  It's been cleared of any buildings and is covered with blackberry bushes now.
Here is a magnolia tree that I see is getting ready to bloom.  Every year I wait to see the show it puts on.  It's at a 4 way stop and people always take their time when it's blooming.
A few things I noticed but couldn't take pictures of since I was driving:  
Daffodils planted in a large clump in a ditch with no houses or businesses nearby, the large fields where people grow the flowers for many farmer's markets around here, the pea patch that is empty now, the huge sod farms in the valley and the baseball fields in the middle of the valley.
I think this was such a great idea.  I'd love to see if anyone else wants to share their journey too and take the time to notice the little things.
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26 comments:

  1. Thanks for showing us your "beauty" Catherine. I enjoyed all of it including the Starbucks. Yum!

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  2. What a great record of your journey. I often see lovely views on my journey to work but as the roads are generally windy country lanes I am always abit nervous of stopping in case someone goes into the back of me!!!

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  3. Great journey Catherine. DirtPrincess emailed me because that same day I did part of my way home from town. She said we must have been on the same wavelength. Now I need to do a whole journey. Yesterday I decided where it would be (as I was going there) but it was too rainy for pictures.
    I think this is the best idea and judging from hers and yours they are very interesting to read and see what others take the time to notice.
    Thanks for sharing - this was great!

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  4. Your are right, we do need to pay more attention, other wise we miss so much of the beauty which surrounds us.

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  5. I am one of those folks who pay too much attention-hence scary driving skills. Thanks for sharing this journey. I really like the stone wall in front of the plum trees-and the Starbucks too of course. I will be out of the net pretty much all week since it is spring break so if I'm not visiting as often, do not fear I'll get back into it soon enough after vacation. Have a great day all!

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  6. Susie - Thanks! I spend too much money at Starbucks, they're everywhere!

    Patientgardener - Yes, I can imagine you wouldn't want to just stop and take pictures then :) Getting in a car accident would definitely take away from the fun :)

    Rain Gardener - I thought it was fun. It made me take much more notice and take a longer more scenic route home.

    Keewee - This time of year there is so much starting to grow, I sometimes overlook the less obvious things.

    Tina- That was is nice isn't it? It was alongside a business park. I like when they take the time to do a little landscaping. Have a great week, we'll miss you! Hope it's sunny!

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  7. I enjoyed the tour so much. Sometimes if we just slow down a little, there are so many small things to see to give us pleasure. Don't you know the next few weeks will bring many changes with the warmer temps? I can't wait.

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  8. I LOVE IT! I am so glad you did it. It was awesome. Great sights to see on your journey. Thanks for sharing. It was pretty hard to drive and take pictures. I couldn't help but wonder what the people near me where thinking about me driving and yakings pics? Lol!

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  9. Catherine, Looks like a lot of beauty there in Seattle! What a great idea to take the time to really look around at what is happening in your area! I did this last fall- to capture some fall beauty, my favorite season, and I noticed things I'd never really paid much attention to before.

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  10. What a great idea.........lot's to see on your journery, I always think about the things I pass whenI'm driving around but don't think to photo them .....thanks!

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  11. Hi Catherine, what a beautiful area and thanks so much for giving us looks at the little details and explaining them. I love the rock walls, the crabapples, everything. The river path is wonderful fuzzy like that. Sometimes that is the best way to see the blend of colors and shapes rather than individual things for a good feeling of the place. Seattle is a place I would love to visit sometime.
    Frances

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  12. Since I started blogging about gardens in public spaces, I have done this a lot, but never a complete trip like yours. I love that you slowed down or stopped to capture the things that most people just pass by without taking in. We could all learn from this!

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  13. What a great idea! I love the kind of dry stone wall in front of the plum trees.

    When I'm driving I keep my eyes glued to the road, but I'll try doing this when I'm walking somewhere!

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  14. Thanks for showing us what you see around you. It's like traveling without going anywhere.

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  15. What a nice out and about. Thanks for taking us along.

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  16. Mildred - Very true!

    Dirt Princess - I know I kept wondering if people thought I was strange too. It was a lot of fun to do, thanks for the idea!

    Tessa- I'll have to look for hat entry on your blog. It's fun to see what it's like where other people live.

    Darla - I know, I do notice a lot of gardens and those types of things that would be nice pictures but never have a camera with me.

    Frances - It's definitely worth a trip out here. It's a beautiful area with lots to see and do!

    Karen - The pictures you take have got me to notice a lot more of public spaces that I'd never paid attention too. We all sure do learn a lot from each other!

    Phoenix - If you do, I hope you'll share your journey!

    Sue - It is, isn't it? :)

    Lanny - Thanks!

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  17. I'm always pulling over to snap a photo of something that catches my eye. Never thought to do a whole journey (although the little guy does a color journal of his day). Great fun to go along with you!

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  18. What a good idea. You did a great job taking pictures while driving Catherine! I think I'd be rather scary at that. My dad is an avid bird watcher and he used to bring our car to a screeching stop whenever he spied something he wanted to check out. Reminds me of this post for some reason. You have a lot of interesting sights to see around your neighborhood.

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  19. I enjoyed this very much. I am pretty observant but there is always something you miss. MrD misses a lot but I usually point things out to him. We are such opposites.

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  20. Some of these photos are very nice and most are interesting. I see the forsythia blooming in the last one. You are farther along in spring than we are. Nothing like that up here yet.

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  21. I like to think that I take time to notice the journey, but I don't always. But I think I try harder than most! I was excited to see you living near Chateau St. Michelle winery. Yum. Can you pick up a Reisling for me? LOL

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  22. Melanthia - I never have a camera with me. I'm terrible about remembering. How neat your son does a color journal each day.

    Kathleen - That must be where you get your appreciation for nature!

    Anna - That sounds like me and my husband. I think it drives him crazy when he's driving, he's a very focused person.

    Oldmanlincoln - The forsythia is really blooming up here now. There is a camellia blooming there too,but it's hard to see.

    Msrobing - They do have good Reisling! I wish I could send you a bottle :)

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  23. I enjoy seeing where other people live. Great fun! I had to laugh at your comment about getting all green lights when you actually need a red one. This always happens to me! And when you are in a rush, you get stopped at every one of them!

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  24. Thanks for sharing your journey Catherine. It's funny how much we notice when we are looking for something to take a pic of. Oh and the Starbucks - Moka latte please!

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  25. What a great idea! I'm usually in a rush and don't take time to even register those lovely little details, let alone record them. You've made me realise I've got to take on less stuff and take more time - then I'll have the time to do something like this too!

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  26. Hi Catherine! I have noticed the heath/heathers blooming wildly near me and am just NOW seeing them with gardener eyes. I was going to joke about how close we must live with the starbucks picture...(haha, seattle, ha!) and then I saw the St Michelle gates and we REALLY are close! Maybe one day we can fight over a plant at Molbaks and then I will know I made the right choice :)

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