Monday, April 28, 2008

Spring is in the air!

"Pathfinder, there is no path. You must make the path as you walk." -- Antonoio Machado

We arrived under cloudy skies at the garden yesterday afternoon, and it was so full of trees and flowers getting ready to burst in to bloom. The clouds were a bit disappointing after yesterday's sunshine, but with all the cold weather recently we were happy to be able to play in the spring air.

We played to a fairly quiet garden, and talked to a Vietnamese couple, who compared Japanese koto music to the music of the similar stringed instrument in Vietnam, the Dantran: "Japanese music is pulling at ou from the inside, it is somewhat sad, with something left unsaid; Vietnamese music is cheerful, happy, and clear....". We also met a young woman who has a Chinese version of the koto, the guzheng, and a Spanish teacher who will be taking her first trip to Japan this summer.

Under today's clouds the wood and bark looked especially dark, contrasting with the verdant greens of the garden today.







A turtle contemplates the stone lantern...At about 2:45 it started to rain. Bicyclist Herb ducked under cover to get out of the rain and say hello. Brian and Jesse - our sons - helped to carry the instruments and gear.





Elegant magnolia blossoms have survived the recent cold and seem full of hope.













The cherry trees in the meadow are ready to burst into bloom....




Each branch is so full of buds!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

SNOW!!

SNOW....ON APRIL 20th! A record-breaker.....
Hopefully it will be warmer next week!!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

April 13th, 2008

Our friend and regular garden visitor Bruce just sent us this picture....Thanks, Bruce!
In the mid-40's today -- dropping from 80 degrees yesterday! The quiet calm of the cool weather made it a great day to get reacquinted with with the garden wildlife - ducks and turtles were out and about!
Camelia trees in bloom, and more blossoms at the stone lantern.

A pair of ducks looking for food under the cherry trees...
and diving for food in the water....
The cherry trees are beginning to blossom.
Turtles lined up on a rock together. Magnolias were blooming after yesterday's warmth.

John is still playing with gloves and a wool coat. After yesterday's warmth, we weren't expecting this! Mother nature really never runs out of surprises.
Our friend Bruce, a regular at the garden who always sits and listens, even if it is sprinkling with rain.

Yesterday it was 80...and today it was in the mid-40's! We couldn't believe how cool it had gotten in 24 hours.  It was a fairly quiet garden day (yesterday it was packed, we heard) and we played to the cherry trees, wandering ducks and turtles. One passerby noted that the birds and fish seemed to like the music; we met a mother and daughter from Bellevue and played "Sakura" for a woman whose granddaughter is named Sakura. We also talked with Bruce for the first time this season - a regular to the garden. We thought he must live nearby because we see him there so often, but we found out he actually walks on weekends, and it takes about an hour and a half from his home up north!  What an inspiration.
   

Monday, April 7, 2008

April 6th 2008


Our first Sunday of the spring season....only a few drops of rain!
This makes us feel optimistic about our Sundays in the Garden this year!

Coming out of a week of rain and even snow at the end of March, we arrived and loaded the cart with our hopes high that we could play during a break in the weather. We felt lucky; April 6th was our 28th wedding anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than to share our music in the beautiful Japanese garden!
We met some wonderful hardy visitors; a potter from Massachusetts, two students studying Japanese at the University of Washington, and a young professor of ecology from Cornish College who was very interested in the types of wood of our instruments as well as the trees of the garden.
We were sent the photo of koto and hands above, by the potter, Hollis Engley afterwards...thank you Hollis!




























































Signs of Spring....
















Bushes and trees are just starting to blossom...















The grey clouds made a nice lighting over the pond....












The green  moss of the garden is like a soft welcome....