Tip toe through the tulips...

photo credit: Lois Forde

Venturing out to the tulip fields in Skagit County, two friends and I took a chance that we could catch this annual show of beauty before the predicted rains came. Being a Monday, the morning crowd was fairly slight...a good day to go. 

Stopping for a quick cup of coffee at Ristretto's was a great way to start the day. Ristretto's is so wonderful that some folks make a special trip to Mt Vernon just for a cup of their coffee! My cappuccino was delicious!

There are basically two options for visiting the tulip fields near Mt Vernon...Tulip Town or Roozengaarde. Tulip Town has the big massive fields, with rows and rows of tulips and Roozengaarde has the lovely tulip gardens that flow around the grounds with a few large fields as well. We choose to go to Roozengarde and were not disappointed, even though the dark clouds were ominous, dimming the brightness of the fields. 

Usually the daffodils are finished by the time the tulips arrive, but our cold wet spring weather must have kept them around a little longer.

See the heart?

The color and variety and beauty is just simply stunning. I am always in awe of the artistry of our masterful creator..."not even Solomon in all his splendor was arrayed like one of these," Matt 6:29. In spite of the cold, wet spring we have had, these flowers manage to grow and bloom...giving me hope that brighter days are coming.

I love the flowers planted along this weathered old fence. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have this array in your back yard? 

Three amigos...Lois, Karen, and me

Rounding out our day, we ate lunch at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, which has a lovely little sit down restaurant inside. The food was freshly prepared and attractively plated...and delicious! I highly recommend it for lunch if you are cruising around Mt Vernon. 

We managed to beat the rain until we were driving home. What a wet and wooly spring we have had this year! The glimpses of sun have been few and short lived and I'm feeling ready for a taste of summer. How about you? Warmly, Gracia