Duo En at the Seattle Japanese Garden: Clouds turn to sun!

When we arrived around noon it was in the mid-50's and the sky was so cloudy that the path lantern was still lit (see below). In the next hour, it got wamer and warmer, until - as you can see in the bottom pictutes below - we had a warm sunny day, complete with blue sky and enough light to see shadows. The garden became filled with families, couples, and single strollers, everyone happy to finally see the sun.
We talked to a family from Iran that we met last year, who brought their friends from New York, and met an eldery gentleman who plans to come next week to share his haiku. He and his wife and daughter sat under a cherry tree and listened to the music for about an hour. His daughter later commented on how the scenery seemed to connect to the music; fish jumping, ducks flying, and the wind playing across the water. Obviously a very literary family.
Our spirits lifted throughout the afternoon, as we took off our sweaters and enjoyed the wonderful feeling of playing outside in the very special setting of the garden.

It hardly seemed like midday under the dark clouds when we arrived.

The area where the trees were blessed in the groundbreaking ceremony which took place on June 16th.

Gleaming petals, and blossoms have bloomed on a dogwood tree along the path.

A goldfish makes his way amongst the waterlilies.

I noticed this for bush for the first time near the pond -- it seems like it is a variety of rhodedendron, but the flowers are very delicate, reminiscent of a plumeria.