A day with the tulips

Lily and me amongst the tulips

 Every year for the last decade or so, I've made an April pilgrimage to see the Skagit Valley tulips, many of which have been spent with my friend Lily. It was sunny and warm on Friday, but not yesterday. There were clouds that came in and then a cold wind, so we were bundled up to stay warm. Lily wasn't thrilled with this picture, but I like it myself. 

The tulips were, as usual, gorgeous

Isn't this a beautiful color?

We stayed a little more than an hour, before we drove to Mt. Vernon to have a snack at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. In previous years, we've gone to La Conner for lunch, but since we were too early for that, we headed instead to the nearby town of Mt. Vernon to enjoy the incredible ambiance of their co-op. We have a pretty good one here in Bellingham, but it doesn't hold a candle to the one in Mt. Vernon. Not only does it serve great food in its deli, but it also has lots of shopping for unusual items, for cooking and more, I love it there.

Never ending tulips

Not only is it a great place, it is also much cheaper to eat there than at any of the restaurants we have previously visited in La Conner. Although we didn't eat much, we spent a good amount of time browsing through the items for sale, some of which I have never seen before (along with socks and costume jewelry). Although I didn't buy anything, I sure had a lot of fun watching a professional shopper (that would be Lily). 

We took the long way back to Bellingham; instead of hopping on the interstate, we meandered back on the Chuckanut Highway #11, and enjoyed looking at the bay and all the people out and about. By this time the clouds had cleared away, and it had gotten much warmer.

We started back to Bellingham around noon and decided to have a real lunch in Fairhaven. On the way we spent many delightful moments talking about our long friendship and discussing where to eat. At first we considered a brewery in order to have a beer with lunch, but we ended up going to a local restaurant we both know well. And I enjoyed a draft IPA from a local brewery anyway. 

It was a fun day

I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I used to, but part of that is because of my failing eyesight. It was also because there are only so many different times you can look at the beautiful tulips and be transported, as I was in times past. There were also so many people at the garden that it was difficult to take pictures that didn't have other people in them. I realized how much my vision has deteriorated since last year, and I am not at all sure that by this time next year, I will even want to visit the display. It's sad but a fact of life I cannot deny. There are plenty of things that deteriorate as we age, but macular degeneration of one's sight is probably one of the hardest to accept. For me, anyway.

It's Easter Sunday. I am reminded of the many Easters I have enjoyed in my long life, and remember fondly the times I would spend Holy Week at the Convent of St. Walburga in Boulder. I wrote about the convent and its nuns in an earlier post (from 2011). I didn't know when I wrote that post whether I would still be here, celebrating Easter in a much different way. But still, decades later, I am happy to be able to look back at earlier Easters and be grateful for all that I have been able to experience over the years. 

And I am also grateful for the friends I have met, here in the blogosphere, and to reflect on all that is good and peaceful in the world today. There is plenty of uncertainty and upset, but beyond all that, there is a sense that the season of spring and new beginnings heralds a possible moment of change in the world. And I so much benefit from visiting the websites of friends that I have known now for decades. Everyone is living their lives and making their own futures as positive as they can. Some are finding new avenues and learning new skills; some are continuing to hone their old habits as they age and must slow down. I'm one of them, but I am still incredibly grateful for the life I have been given and what I can still accomplish. Precious life. Mary Oliver said it perfectly when she asked, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" She certainly lived a wonderful life of her own, and died just a few years ago. You can read about her amazing life here.

And now I am beginning to think of how I will spend this hallowed day. First, after getting up and doing my exercises and a short meditation, I look forward to John arriving in his truck to transport me to Fairhaven for an Easter breakfast. When I return home, I will spend some time with my wonderful and dear partner, and we'll talk about our possible "wild and precious" ways to mark the day, with sunshine and birdsong and good food. And each other. I wish a wonderful day and week ahead of you, my dear friends, and I'll visit your blogs to find out how you are (or are not) celebrating the holiday. Until we meet again next week, I wish you all good things.