I have seen witch hazels in the Washington Park Arboretum and wondered what it was and it smelled so good and fresh! Thank you for sharing the picture and plant names with us!
Even though my feet are firmly planted in NZ now, your pictures tug at my heart strings and leave little inklings of longing for my time on Vashon. The PNW is a magical place. Thank you for the glimpses into its wonders.
So, how far back was your Vashon chapter. Wonder if we know any of the same peeps. I'm so pleased that your eyes found even a bit of respite in a place that was once home. You're most welcome for the glimpses.
My Vashon days were in 2017 and 2018. I had been living in Jackson Wyoming and hoped a change of scenery would suffice to keep me in the same profession. I fell in love with Washington. Vashon was heaven as I could take the fast ferry into work some days and worked from home most days. I lived on the west side of the island on Tabor ave with my husky shadow. Patti Daughtry and her wee dog Truman were my next door neighbours. I did a bit of volunteer work with Janie Starr and Jessica Livosky with SURJ. And shadow and I loved the Burton woods for running. I had some good friends in the trial lawyers and psychodrama groups in Port Orchard too. I left in Sept 2018 after it became clear I couldn’t or shouldn’t be a trial lawyer anymore. A slower pace and different night sky were calling. The husky and I moved to Dunedin on the South Island. Five + years later I am a bit further south and still in awe of this place.
Winter allows us to admire what is often hidden from sight and out shone by summers' blooms.
It is currently summer where I live in Wanaka NZ, but in winter our town can sit under an inversion which blankets everything in cloud. I love how this is the time the lichens and mosses say "Hello look at me!" It is their time to shine. They brighten up a winter's day if we just take care to notice.
Fifteen points to Gryffindor for the best two word sermon of the day.
Your entire note is just wonderful. I've read it through several times now. And then I needed to look up Wanaka on the map to get a bit better picture of where you're hailing from. Was close a decade or two ago whilst talking out a bunch of things with sheep (great listeners, they), tossing flies to giant rainbows and browns, and puncturing the hell out of my waders with Matagouri thorns, but not sure I actually visited your town. Love your take on 'their time to shine.'
Thank you for your generous reply David. It made me smile. 😊
Is it the butterfly effect at work here in these responses to your post? Or perhaps it is just simple beautiful human connection stemming from a love of nature and reverberating out to the world, Vashon to Wanaka to Riverton.
Have a wonderful day! ( or it may be a wonderful night where you are....)
"Is it the butterfly effect at work here in these responses to your post?"
For all that nothingness in the half-empty part of the half-full glass, the fullness and substance, the generosity and community in the full part is rather magical. We get to choose which part we swim in, which part we offer our attentions, which we toss our pebbles into. I'm so glad you both are here. Thank you.
Kia ora Jo from your neighbour down in Riverton. The clouds and grey today seem more akin to winter than summer. If it hadn’t been for a few hot days last week and the tomatoes in the garden I could believe summer had passed us by this year.
Oh so much here in this wonderful conversation originating from David's post.
Kia ora Alison down in Riverton. Yay!! I should have known from your sheep photo that you were in NZ. Although one should never presume, as there are sheep in other countries! ( ok whoops just edited this as I see upon closer inspection it is an arctic dog, not a sheep on your profile! 😀)
Sounds like you have had some interesting travels in your time. I would love to visit Vashon and had not heard of it prior to this post. So many questions and not sure best way to ask without taking over the comments here. Wouldn't it be great to have a group where people from around the world share a photo of nature from where they live. I am not very technical but have lots of big ideas!
I hope the sun comes out for you. We have a beautiful rainy day here in Wanaka which is much needed. Big white cumulous clouds are sitting over the mountains with a black sky backdrop. Stunning as I write this at 6am.
My garden is small and recent. My conifers are young and wee. The sheer mass of this garden is overwhelming, beautiful, gives this old man something to aspire to.
Henry, like our children, the plants in our gardens seem to double, triple, quadruple in size, almost overnight. Your young and wee ones will almost certainly surprise you. May you revel in each and every little moment of wonder along the way. Thank you for leaving such a lovely note.
Oh splendid! I'm wow-staring at your photo of clustered conifers! I've been slowly gaining a bit of conifer-knowledge, passing very slowly the very most basic "they are evergreens" kind of knowing. These pics are marvy, and so are you two!
What a combo you guys are---I love the couple books I already own. I've always admired the photos you've shared of John's fantastic garden paradise, and kinda love that he often waters plants & trees by hand, assessing & enjoying them, the extra time spent as if with friends. I tend to do that, too.
What a beautiful way to describe your day... I'm smiling, now, too, and clapping my hands in an "Oh goody!" kinda way
I have seen witch hazels in the Washington Park Arboretum and wondered what it was and it smelled so good and fresh! Thank you for sharing the picture and plant names with us!
I'm in love with trees. Redwood trees are my people.
I like how you think, Laura.
https://davideperry.substack.com/p/oh-geeze-not-epicormic-sprouting
https://davideperry.substack.com/p/murrelets-at-first-light
Those conifers are gorgeous too
Beautiful pictures, love the evergreens. A total contrast to here in North Texas.
Spent quite a bit of time in your neck of the woods as a kid. Different, yes. But magical in a different way. Pleasure to meet you, Geoff.
David
Even though my feet are firmly planted in NZ now, your pictures tug at my heart strings and leave little inklings of longing for my time on Vashon. The PNW is a magical place. Thank you for the glimpses into its wonders.
So, how far back was your Vashon chapter. Wonder if we know any of the same peeps. I'm so pleased that your eyes found even a bit of respite in a place that was once home. You're most welcome for the glimpses.
My Vashon days were in 2017 and 2018. I had been living in Jackson Wyoming and hoped a change of scenery would suffice to keep me in the same profession. I fell in love with Washington. Vashon was heaven as I could take the fast ferry into work some days and worked from home most days. I lived on the west side of the island on Tabor ave with my husky shadow. Patti Daughtry and her wee dog Truman were my next door neighbours. I did a bit of volunteer work with Janie Starr and Jessica Livosky with SURJ. And shadow and I loved the Burton woods for running. I had some good friends in the trial lawyers and psychodrama groups in Port Orchard too. I left in Sept 2018 after it became clear I couldn’t or shouldn’t be a trial lawyer anymore. A slower pace and different night sky were calling. The husky and I moved to Dunedin on the South Island. Five + years later I am a bit further south and still in awe of this place.
What a stunning property.
Winter allows us to admire what is often hidden from sight and out shone by summers' blooms.
It is currently summer where I live in Wanaka NZ, but in winter our town can sit under an inversion which blankets everything in cloud. I love how this is the time the lichens and mosses say "Hello look at me!" It is their time to shine. They brighten up a winter's day if we just take care to notice.
Nerds notice! 😊
"Nerd's Notice!!!"
Fifteen points to Gryffindor for the best two word sermon of the day.
Your entire note is just wonderful. I've read it through several times now. And then I needed to look up Wanaka on the map to get a bit better picture of where you're hailing from. Was close a decade or two ago whilst talking out a bunch of things with sheep (great listeners, they), tossing flies to giant rainbows and browns, and puncturing the hell out of my waders with Matagouri thorns, but not sure I actually visited your town. Love your take on 'their time to shine.'
Thank you for such a treat!
Thank you for your generous reply David. It made me smile. 😊
Is it the butterfly effect at work here in these responses to your post? Or perhaps it is just simple beautiful human connection stemming from a love of nature and reverberating out to the world, Vashon to Wanaka to Riverton.
Have a wonderful day! ( or it may be a wonderful night where you are....)
"Is it the butterfly effect at work here in these responses to your post?"
For all that nothingness in the half-empty part of the half-full glass, the fullness and substance, the generosity and community in the full part is rather magical. We get to choose which part we swim in, which part we offer our attentions, which we toss our pebbles into. I'm so glad you both are here. Thank you.
Kia ora Jo from your neighbour down in Riverton. The clouds and grey today seem more akin to winter than summer. If it hadn’t been for a few hot days last week and the tomatoes in the garden I could believe summer had passed us by this year.
Oh so much here in this wonderful conversation originating from David's post.
Kia ora Alison down in Riverton. Yay!! I should have known from your sheep photo that you were in NZ. Although one should never presume, as there are sheep in other countries! ( ok whoops just edited this as I see upon closer inspection it is an arctic dog, not a sheep on your profile! 😀)
Sounds like you have had some interesting travels in your time. I would love to visit Vashon and had not heard of it prior to this post. So many questions and not sure best way to ask without taking over the comments here. Wouldn't it be great to have a group where people from around the world share a photo of nature from where they live. I am not very technical but have lots of big ideas!
I hope the sun comes out for you. We have a beautiful rainy day here in Wanaka which is much needed. Big white cumulous clouds are sitting over the mountains with a black sky backdrop. Stunning as I write this at 6am.
Thanks so much for reaching out. Jo xx
Hello again, Alison. I'm just so delighted that you're here and so willing to toss a few pebbles into the pond. Love that you and Jo are proximal.
Just wonderful what can evolve from putting yourself out there - onto Substack, onto people's posts, into people's gardens....😀
Community and Nature - two things that have the power to heal this world of ours.
I agree, wholeheartedly, Jo.
What a delight it is to make your better acquaintance.
My garden is small and recent. My conifers are young and wee. The sheer mass of this garden is overwhelming, beautiful, gives this old man something to aspire to.
Henry, like our children, the plants in our gardens seem to double, triple, quadruple in size, almost overnight. Your young and wee ones will almost certainly surprise you. May you revel in each and every little moment of wonder along the way. Thank you for leaving such a lovely note.
Oh splendid! I'm wow-staring at your photo of clustered conifers! I've been slowly gaining a bit of conifer-knowledge, passing very slowly the very most basic "they are evergreens" kind of knowing. These pics are marvy, and so are you two!
What a combo you guys are---I love the couple books I already own. I've always admired the photos you've shared of John's fantastic garden paradise, and kinda love that he often waters plants & trees by hand, assessing & enjoying them, the extra time spent as if with friends. I tend to do that, too.
What a beautiful way to describe your day... I'm smiling, now, too, and clapping my hands in an "Oh goody!" kinda way
I love the term wow-staring. Thank you for that. I shall try to weave it in to daily conversations.
I love it when these sorts of things happen... Thanks for the smile, Alison. You too, Toni.
You are such a gift.
"I'm smiling, now, too, and clapping my hands in an "Oh goody!" kinda way."
I love this word image.
“Custer’s Locks” is a beauty.