Ten years ago on July 31st, I invited a man from Saint Paul, Minnesota to a tour of the Tacoma, Washington area where I was living. We spent the day talking and sharing while walking along Commencement Bay and exploring Wright Park and Point Defiance Park. It was a beautiful summer’s day and we became good friends and learned much about each other. As the day was coming to an end, I suggested we go to Gig Harbor and enjoy the full moon-rise over Mount Rainier. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day. Fast forward ten years, and I invite him to dinner to celebrate that first date in 2005. It’s another beautiful summer’s evening, with dinner on a patio in Saint Paul accompanied by yet another full moonrise only this one is more rare being a blue moon. Between dinner and dessert, this same man from ten years ago asked how the evening could be more memorable, and then got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. In these ten years we’ve shared joys and sorrows, births and deaths, and life’s share of ups and downs. We both appreciate all we’ve been through and the love we share. It was easy to answer his question with a “yes.”
landscapes
Sunset conversation
Our weather has been warm and humid, leaving two options for coping. First is to find some air conditioning and sequester yourself inside. Second is to hunt out a nearby lake and take in the cool breeze that blows across the surface. I sought out the second option one night this past week, as did others. The wind blew across this urban lake, rustling through the trees and dropping the temps considerably. A beautiful sunset was all that was needed to tell me that I’d chosen the better option. This couple seemed to be thinking the same thing, and relishing the end of another midsummer’s day.
Summer sunset
While in the Kansas City area last weekend, I marveled in a summer sunset over a field of wildflowers. I stole away from the busy activities of a picnic and walked across the acreage that my parents had purchased years ago for the family’s enjoyment. This evening I wanted to drink in the peace and beauty of the hayfield that hadn’t been cleared yet and the plethora of wildflowers that were blooming. The rains and lack of heat had allowed the flowers to bloom in profusion. The rudbeckia covered the hillside and seemed to glow in the golden light of the sunset. As I sat beside the pond at the close of day I was filled with a sense of gratitude for the beauty before me, my parents, my family, and for this lovely bit of property.
Scents of the late spring garden
Our warm sunny weather turned to mist and clouds yesterday morning, reminding me of my days living in the Pacific Northwest. The dampness of the mist and rain held all the wonderful scents of late spring in the air. I wandered our yard, enjoying the smells of the peonies and roses. As I rounded a corner, I got a hint of orange. Our mock orange bush has been flush with blossoms and is nearing the end of its bloom. Although its colors aren’t as bright and showy as the peonies and roses, the white glimmered amidst the spring green under the gray skies. Its delicate petals will fall for a few more days, and the green leaves will remain until next spring when we can once again marvel at its short burst of white blossoms and delicate smell.
Peonies in a row
If you travel west out of the Twin Cities on Highway 12 you quickly leave the urban life behind for farm fields and open spaces. We did just that yesterday morning – our destination was Swenson Gardens near Howard Lake. Celebrating Peony Days at Swenson’s was a true delight – to sight and smell alike. With fields of peonies in bloom, and a view of the horizon all around, we enjoyed learning about all the different varieties of peonies in so many colors that I’d never seen or known about. It was a wonderful place to explore and immerse yourself in the sights and smells of late spring.
