A delightful stroll at the Seattle Japanese Garden

Photos by Lorie and Cipp Tais

Words by Lorie Tais

Next month, this trellis will be crawling with blue wisteria in full bloom! 

If you’re in or near Seattle and happen to feel weary, I suggest that you take a stroll around the Seattle Japanese Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum. Every second you spend there will definitely soothe your soul.

I’ve been to the arboretum a few times before to run with friends, but I’ve never visited the Japanese garden until last Saturday. It was an unplanned visit late in the afternoon. We just wanted to be outdoors, take a walk and enjoy the sunshine. And, wow, it was the first time in months that I was able to wear flip-flops outdoors! I felt like I was in the tropics again.

The arboretum parking lot teems with flowering trees. Oh look! My date is here!

Upon entering the gate and courtyard, we were greeted by a Japanese maple tree. Its leaves were the miniature version of an ordinary maple's. Its tiny flowers were surprisingly fragrant.

A Japanese maple tree, also called Acer palmatum or Koto-no-ito.

Ubiquitous snow lanterns (yukimidoro) adorned various parts of the garden and made a great accent to the assortment of beautiful spring blooms, flowering trees and bodies of water. There were also lots of little nooks to rest, read a book, reflect or converse.

One of the many benches scattered around the garden

The garden is currently a splash of pink and white. Camellia japonica, azaleas and rhododendrons are just a few of of the flowers that are currently budding or in bloom this time of the year. There were ferns, flowering cherry trees, magnolias, maidenhair trees (Ginko biloba), pines and a blue wisteria tree hat was not yet in bloom. Of course, flowering cherry and cherry plum trees were also present. Looking back, it's quite funny to think that we literally stopped to smell the flowers.

The cherry orchard

The streams converged to form a lake where koi fish and turtles swam freely. Bridges made of earth, stone, wood and bamboo also spanned the lake and portions of the garden close to water.

A snow lantern stands beside an arched stone bridge 

It's quite amazing to see the garden so full of life, knowing that, just like the rest of nature, it went through the past two seasons too. The Japanese garden has only recently reopened after winter. I'm sure that a lot of work was put into making it ready for public viewing again. I'm thankful for the minds that envisioned such a garden and the hands that continue to care for it so that we may have such a place of sanctuary.

A couple of blog entries ago, I wrote about my thoughts on patience. The visit to the garden reminded me of another quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

A Day in Portland and Thoughts about Hope

Words by Lorie Tais

Photos by Lorie & Cipp Tais

When poetry resonates with my experiences and feelings at a certain moment, I find it extremely  difficult to purge the words from my thoughts. These past few days, I've been contemplating on the following verse from Emily Dickinson's work:

Hope is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

After vacillating between topics, I decided to write a bit about my week that was indeed filled with hope. As I often opt to spare parts of my personal life from being told in detail, I'll just expound by saying that, throughout the week, good news came in waves. Doors (and even windows) opened. Prayers were answered. Great possibilities appeared on the horizon.  It was definitely a "nothing but good vibes" kind of week, a seemingly cathartic change from finding myself having a few random moments of trepidation the week before.

Yesterday, the good vibes stayed on as we drove to Portland, Oregon to meet with my husband's friends who were visiting from California. (They also seemed to have brought the California sunshine with them. We enjoyed having blue skies all day!) I wasn't privy to the details of our road trip. All I knew was that I had to bring my camera and pack my hiking shoes and rain coat. It was only after we had arrived in Portland after a three-hour drive when I learned that we were going to the Tulip Festival at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm (cue in hubby: "Surprise!"). I loved it! It reminded me of when he surprised me by taking me to the lavender fields in San Juan Island last year.

Rows of various tulip varieties and colors...also, find the hidden Lorie!

It's no secret that I love flowers. I love seeing them growing in fields and gardens instead of cut and put in vases. Walking around the fields and taking in the vibrant colors gave me inexplicable joy and serenity. The tulip field was also a cornucopia of artistic inspiration. I will definitely reach for pencils and paints soon.

There's an extraordinary beauty that comes with being different

Yellow beauties, azure skies, one fine day!

A ladybug camouflages itself inside this red tulip

Delicate petals become almost translucent as the sun's rays pass through them

A pretty sea of pink

A field of mixed varieties...a metaphor for diversity?
It's awesome being individually beautiful together!

"Lilac Wonder"

"Fancy Frills"

Of course, my favorite color!

We left the Tulip Festival with full hearts and growling stomachs. After sharing a delicious vegetarian lunch in the Belmont neighborhood, we drove to the Columbia River Gorge and hiked along the Wahkeena and Multnomah trails to see the waterfalls. 

The presence of many hikers and a big crowd of fellow tourists did not rob us of a memorable experience.  It became our time to exchange stories of travels and adventures and a chance for the three friends to catch up on each other's lives.

The waterfalls didn't disappoint. I completely understand what Ralph Waldo Emerson meant when he wrote: In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man, in spite of real sorrows. Nature says, — he is my creature, and maugre all his impertinent griefs, he shall be glad with me.

Spending time in God's creation is indeed a panacea for my soul.

Wahkeena Falls. Wahkeena means "most beautiful."

The majestic Multnomah Falls (190 meters)-- we hiked to the top!

Good night, Portland.

Our day drew to a close. After our hike, we had dinner together at an Indian restaurant. We said our goodbyes and headed home. Only then did it start to rain.

I wrote this piece in my mind during the ride home. I snuck a glance at my husband who was patiently driving in the downpour. Last week's "wins" filled me with hope and joy. I remain grateful for having a loving and encouraging husband with whom I can share them with. Our journeys — literal and figurative — are indeed better when we are together.

The week ahead will definitely have its own challenges and surprises. In my case, I'm still waiting on a number of plans to come to fruition. I must remain patient and keep holding on to this "thing of feathers" inside me.

Taking off from Dickinson's poetry and a They  Might Be Giants song, may the little birdhouse in your soul keep you going.

Have a great week ahead!

A calligraphy artwork made for me by my sister
(Instagram: i_am_chihiro_kohaku)