Finally Farm Chicks

I've been wanting to go to Farm Chicks for many years. It is held on the first Saturday of June in Spokane and in the past I've had kids in school or someone graduating at that time. So, this year, I could finally go! Of course, Mary was my companion. We love to search for antique treasures together. 

We left for Spokane on Friday morning. We stopped in Moses Lake for lunch. We ate outside at Michael's. It was a good choice. We stayed at Tru By Hilton in Spokane Valley. They had these fun "egg chairs" in the lobby. Quite comfortable!

I appreciated the complimentary breakfast which included eggs and yogurt.

For dinner on Friday night, we went to the historic Davenport hotel in Downtown Spokane. This is the lobby.

After dinner we drove to Manito Park which is a favourite of mine. I was hoping to see lots of roses in their rose garden. This was quite a surprise!

No roses yet! I had already a few roses blooming at home. I suppose Spokane is behind Seattle since it is colder there in the winter. We did find some beautiful flowers in the perennial garden. I love this peony

Iris

Saturday was Farm Chicks. There were probably 300 - 400 booths. Just an estimate. It was held at the Spokane Fairgrounds. This was the chair that I really wanted to buy. It was at a great price. The problem is space. I actually want to rearrange the furniture in the living room. 

I enjoyed this display.

This photo is my attempt to show this one section. There were tables and tables full of old quilts, old blankets, yards of fabric, flags and other things. 

At Farm Chicks I ran into a gal that I worked with last year at the boys' school. She has now moved a few hours north of me to Sedro Wooley, too far to remain working in Bothell. I was delighted to see she is pregnant with her 2nd child.

Here's what I brought home.

I plan to make pillows from the fabric. I've already used the green and white fabric (small pattern) on the right for the quilt that I'm currently making. The rose painting now hangs in our bedroom.

Mary and I left at about 4 pm and drove home. It is about a 5 hour drive. The timing of the long days of June and this trip to Spokane worked in our favour. 

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Birthday Party in a Gravel Pit

Can you celebrate two birthdays in a gravel pit? Yes you can!

My hubby and my youngest son have birthdays that are one day apart. My hubby's birthday fell on Memorial Day this year which was convenient. C left the next day (his birthday) for his Europe trip so we had to celebrate the day before. 

J and I drove the hour or so to Sultan Basin Road where there is Department of Natural Resources land that is used for shooting. We stopped at the dollar store in Monroe where I bought the bunch of birthday balloons. There is plenty of space to choose from and even if there are other groups there, you can pick a spot of your own. 

J and I arrived first. It is quite a hike to get to the gravel pit area. J has a sturdy wagon which helps haul the gear up to the spot. I brought along 2 slices of cake with candles. 

I also made potato salad. I brought a chair to sit in but I didn't really use it. I kept moving it around!

Christopher and two of his friends came later. The day before Christopher made a temporary table out of some junk wood which was used to hold the cheap bottles of soda which were targets.

We all wore hearing protection while anyone was shooting. J tried shooting from a distance of 100 yards.

This is C shooting at the plastic soda bottles.

One funny thing was running into two guys that we know in this rather remote spot. One guy was an assistant coach on the Cedar Park soccer team. He took the group photo. Here's a serious pose except I was smiling. 

One reason that J likes this spot is that you can bring the soda bottles. You can't do that at a range.

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Tulip Festival 2024

I wanted to go up to the Tulip Festival in April. It had been many years since I had been there. The crowds are pretty large on weekends so it is best to go on a weekday. Jonathan and I were driving an older couple to church for many month - Steve and Naomi. Naomi loves flowers and I knew that she would appreciate an outing. I invited her and my friend Linda initially. I thought that it would be a good outing for ladies from church so I invited everyone. I was disappointed that no one else joined us. I'm still scratching my head about why I couldn't get any takers. 

I did the driving. We went to Tulip Town which is about an hours drive north of our house. There are two different tulip farms in Mt. Vernon to visit. The other is called Roozengard.

I loved the colour variety. Remember to click on the photo to enlarge it.

This is my favourite photo from the day.

After our time in the fields, we went for lunch at Calico Cupboard in Mt. Vernon. It is a long time favourite spot. Jonathan and I have been going to that restaurant since probably the year 2000. 

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Leaping to Leavenworth

Lake Wenatchee

Leap Day 2024 was spent in Leavenworth. I convinced everyone to go on a short trip to Leavenworth. The boys were with us for their Spring Break. On Thursday February 29th, we drove 1-90 and Blewitt Pass to Leavenworth. Here's a photo while driving through Snoqualmie Pass.

We arrived into Leavenworth at about 1 pm and quickly looked for a place to eat. Parking has become more challenging in town since they made the main drag a pedestrian only section. J and C ate sausages outside! I found a lunch spot - The Soup Cellar and the boys and I had soup and sandwiches. 

After lunch we explored the town for a bit. 

There was no snow in the actual town. It is the slow season so some businesses including a recommended restaurant were closed for renovations. We enjoyed the book store. Another interesting store was Kris Kringle which sells Christmas decorations all year long. J and I enjoyed the store which sold Russian dolls. I didn't take a photo but the artistry was quite amazing. J found a cheese store and a tea store. I found one clothing store that I liked but didn't buy anything. They do have the Christmas lights still on which was a nice touch. 

We drove over to Lake Wenatchee. I had been there 5 years ago while I was at a women's retreat at Tall Timbers conference center which is close to Leavenworth. C has also been to Tall Timbers for a high school retreat. 

It was amazing to be at a beach with snow! We didn't stay long since it was quite cold outside. A didn't pack any pants since he didn't know we'd be going to Leavenworth. 

For dinner, we ate at Wok About Mongolian Grill where you can choose any vegetables and meats and noodles and sauces. The service was very good here. In the evening, we just relaxed. The boys watched a movie.

We stayed at the Bavarian Inn which was recommended to me by a mom at our church. The hotel is located across the street from the main part of town. 

I was impressed with the Bavarian Inn. We had a "family" room which had 2 beds in the main room with another bed (where J and I slept) which was separated with curtains. We considered getting 2 rooms but this was cheaper. I didn't want the boys to have to share a bed. I thought the headboards were interesting. 

The elevators had Bavarian style paintings on them.

They had a complementary breakfast which was substantial. I liked the décor of the lobby. We posed for a family photo right before we left on Friday morning. 

For the return journey, we drove on Highway 2 which goes through Steven's Pass which is a ski area. Here's a photo from the road. The boys slept through the most scenic part of the drive!

We stopped for hot drinks at the town of Index at this coffee shop on the side of the road. It has an amazing view. 

We also stopped in Monroe on the way home. I'm so thankful to have this family time. We don't know when it will happen again since A plans to work in LA this summer. 

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Dreaming of Spring - Garden Show 2024

I love to go to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, held at the Seattle Convention Center. I missed the show last year but that was probably because I went to Texas with Christopher to visit colleges in February. This year I went to the show with my friend Elizabeth. 

One new thing I did this year was watch "Container Wars." Two expert gardeners put together containers of plants on stage with a time limit and the audience votes on their favourite using applause. The winner is determined by the loudest applause. Prizes were also given away to audience members showing enthusiasm and/or garden knowledge. The master of ceremonies for Container Wars was Marianne Benetti whom I first encountered back in June at Christianson's Nursery at Rosy Day Out. I like her down to earth style. She was wearing a dress, which was also impressive.

The display gardens are always fun to look at and smell! My favourite display was this whimsical one with lots of fairies and little doors. Remember to click on the photo for a better view.

One idea I could use in my garden is an old rusty wheelbarrow with plants.

In the lobby before you enter the show, there are displays made by local florists. I liked this one that includes wooden flowers.

One section that I enjoy is the patio or balcony garden ideas. This one was intriguing. It is a screen made using seed pods.

close up:

A vendor booth had this gorgeous paper flower display.

There are vendors selling lots of things that are in no way related to gardening. This vendor sold hair accessories. I just thought they were pretty so I took a photo.

Some random flowers. Anemone

Crocus

I brought home a pussy willow tree. Elizabeth bought one 2 years ago at the garden show and says she kept it alive. I decided to try one out. 

I'm excited to start planting soon. The first thing will be sugar snap peas.

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