Duo En at the Seattle Japanese Garden

Memories of playing at the garden....

2009-06-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

DUO EN performed Japanese music for two years (2007-2008) on Sunday afternoons at the Seattle Japanese Garden. This is a blog of the second year.... Enjoy!

A Beautiful Day for Viewing Maple Leaves!

2008-10-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful, fulfilling day. The leaves turning, people strolling, families and friends enjoying the special weather. Seattle Parks and Recreation provided Japanese dance, arts, and of course our music to celebrate Maple Viewing Day. As we played, our hands became chilled - even in the sun - and we realized that the season of outdoor playing is ending...what a wonderful time we had this year! Thanks to so many of you for your wonderful support and feedback!

A gorgeous day....!

2008-09-28T09:38:00.001-07:00

What a beautiful autumn day -- people seemed to stream through the garden, enjoying the wonderful warmth of the sun and the beautiful leaves. We sold several CDs that were going to be used as gifts....organized people are already starting to think about the upcoming gift-giving season. A happy couple also got engaged at the garden today, witnessed by their friends and family. An auspicious day all around!

John's shadow as he plays shakuhachi....

The trees and and pond....

Our friend Bruce got this shot, or a crayfish in the pond. Look closely!

The leaves are just beginning to turn.

Still, there is a lot of green that will be here all year.

A maple tree laden with leaves at the edge of the pond.

Some berries, near the outside wall.

This hydrangea bush has been offering a blue accent for months!

Another beautiful day!

2008-09-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

How long can it last? The weather was beautiful, with just a gentle breeze over the pond. With fewer tourists, the garden had more local strollers, including a woman who lives nearby and has walked in the arboretum for 15 years and made her first visit to the garden. She was - of course! - amazed at the beauty. It really is a hidden treasure.

The Great Blue Heron visited today -- and spent the whole afternoon fishing, first on one side of the pond, then the other. He must have been quite hungry, because he persisted in spite of quite a few people watching and walking nearby. As far as we saw, he didn't catch anything....even as we left, he stood, patiently waiting.

John took a picture of The Visitor behind me, intent on fishing and ignoring everyone....

The beautiful tree is called "Winged Spindle-Tree" according to its tag. What beautiful autumn foliage!

A close-up shot of the Winged Spindle-Tree.

The branches of other trees become dramatic as they lose their leaves.

Looking up over the teahouse, the trees.

Shrub with berries adds another texture next to a mossy rock.

A few pink waterlilies blossom among the turning leaves.

Trees line the pond.

The air was so calm, reflections in the water had just the hint of a ripple.

Still waiting and watching as we left...

EN - Like the "En" of Encounter....

2008-09-07T20:05:00.001-07:00

A refreshingly sunny day - just a soft breeze and lots of people quietly taking in the changing leaves. We talked to a visitor from Chile, a woman from Chicago, and several local families. John watched a Green Heron walk sprightly across some lilypads and catch a fish in its beak! It was the first time for us to see this bird here -- he stayed for quite a while, landing on the top of a stone pagoda to survey the pond (see below). It was a great day to appreciate Seattle, the garden, and nature.

Sometimes, a gift is so thoughtful and meaningful it is hard to believe. Today, we received a gift like that from our Garden Friend Bruce..two exquisite sake cups, with the kanji for "EN" written on them, created by artist Akiko Graham of Seattle. (You can see more of her wares at her website, www.akikospottery.com.) The cups are below...we will be toasting friendship with them tonight!

EN: Affinity. Unity. Destiny. Interconnectedness.

A Green Heron looks for more lunch....

Behind John, the trees are turning.

A beautiful blue sky, through the pine brances.

Outside the garden, these red berries and turning leaves made me think of winter approaching.

Next to the pond, the leaves and shadow create their own statement.

Autumn is in the air, everywhere....

Autumn even in the colors of the carp.

Photos from Bruce!

2008-09-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well, it was POURING down rain when we were supposed to be packing up to go to the garden, and when we called, it was raining there as well. So we cancelled.....

This morning, our friend Bruce Yeager, a regular garden visitor, sent us pictures he took yesterday, and it turns out it was a beautiful afternoon at the garden. Even the Great Blue Heron made a visit. FANTASTIC PICTURES, BRUCE!! Thank you for sharing them. Here they are:

Between Thunderstorms: HEAT!

2008-08-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

We had a huge thunderstorm on Saturday night, then it cleared for the afternoon.....later Sunday night, we had rain and thunder again. The mugginess of the weather is much more like a midwest summer than a Seattle weekend!

There were quite a few visitors to the garden, and many of them enjoyed our music sitting under trees or laying on the goza mats on the ground. We talked to a gentleman who has an old koto in his home in Holland, and a family who was based in northern Japan for three years. The garden is beginning to take on fall colors in the trees, while there are some bright spring-like lilypads in the pond.

A striking dandelion was one of the first things that caught my eye...

Layering of changing leaves above the pond and teahouse....

John snapped a couple of pictures from the platform while I played...

Listeners, blissed out....and a very curious young listener who sat for a long time.

Reeds near the pond have an autumn look....

....while the waterlilies offer a refreshing pink.

The late afternoon sky shows the mugginess.

The moss on the rock reminded me of a river.

Back at the garden!

2008-08-10T22:16:00.001-07:00

The biggest change in the garden is the NEW, TEMPORARY ENTRY. It is being used while a new gatehouse is being built. It is actually an older, unused entryway that faces Lake Washington Blvd, located about 500 feet from the parking lot. Unless you are trying to load in lots of equipment such as a quick shade and speaker system (like we are) it doesn 't present any problem at all. We had trouble navigating, first through the narrow doorway and then finding a trail that we could use. It made us realize how convenient our nice, wide trail along the back of the garden from the past entryway had been! This week we are trying to think creatively about how we can better pack and load our things into the garden.

The weather was in the 50's in the morning, and warmed a bit in the afternoon. But perhap because of the chilly air and the start of the summer Olympics there were not very many visitors. We did talk to an acupuncturist that we've met in the past and his extended family, who were greatly enjoying the music and garden. Several people commented that they could hear the music as they walked in the new entrance.

The temporary entrance is very authentic...like being in Japan.

Because of our chilly weather that keeps coming back every few days, the edges of the leaves are already starting to turn....

The shapes of the trees, lilypads,and the pond seem to complement each other.....

The cloudy sky of the early afternoon made thoughtful reflections in the pond.

A turtle enjoys his rock.

Two stout figures, the tree and the stone lantern.

Our son Brian helped with the moving of equipment.

Right outside the gate, this hydrangea.

We'll see what next week's weather brings.....

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-07-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here it is, another birthday already! Hint to my (Elizabeth's) age: I turned 13 the day we landed on the moon. YIKES! It was a wonderful afternoon in the garden: we visited with Bob and Jan Scott from Bend (and Tuscon, depending on the season), who we met last year at the garden. Jan plays koto and Bob loves music...they sat under the tree for our whole two-hour set. A lot of people sat and sprawled on the grass to soak up the wonderuful sun; it was mid-70's so the weather was very comfortable. We also talked to some visitors from California. The most noticeable difference from last week was the number of dragonflies; they were everywhere, flitting across the pond and through the air. Other than the lilypads, most of the blooms are gone, leaving the garden in shades of green.

NOTE: NEXT WEEK WE WILL BE GONE. NO MUSIC AT THE GARDEN.

A froggy enjoys the concert from his refreshing spot amist the lilypads.....

The paulownia tree offers a roof of large green leaves now.

The creek near the entrance...

Running water is very refreshing today.....

A touch of purple among the many ferns that line the pathways.

A dragonfly lands on the pathway rope....

Bob and Jan enjoy the music in the shade of the cherry tree.

Looking up, the blue sky and the maple leaves...

Overhead, planes like to remind us of modern life, deadlines, and NOISY technology.

(ah, well.....)

Our first evening show.....

2008-07-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

The weather was so lovely this evening - after a warm day, a cool breeze welcomed us at the garden. We talked to a couple from Gig Harbor and saw our friend Deborah who had come to hear us. The fish were more active than in the daytime....and a Great Blue Heron was present for the whole two hours, patiently, patiently looking for an evening meal. We didn't see him catch anything, as he flew on silent wings and stared at the water in different parts of the pond. It was refreshing to play on the platform without the quick shade overhead; the garden had a different feel than the daytime, with the twilight adding a noticeable end-of-the-day, serene atmosphere.

A Great Blue Heron waits so patiently for dinner, motionlessly studying the water.

The bird flew silently above the pond to try a different spot...

And stood some more in the water.....

And stood on a rock....

A loyal fan, Deborah, meditates as she listens under the cherry trees.

John plays "Call of the Cranes".

Carp were jumping and splashing, looking for bugs in the evening....

The lilypads all closed up in the evening light.

On the way home, the nearly full moon was beautiful.

TANABATA - Star Festival Celebration at the Garden

2008-07-06T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Tanabata festival (the seventh day of the seventh month) is a romantic festival, with wishes tied to tree branches and love poems written and read...all in the hopes that the star lovers will have clear skies and be able to meet in the sky tonight. Visitors wrote poems and wishes and painted sumie-pictures of bamboo, and Duo En played with poet Michael Welch's presentation of his translations of love tanka. It was a wonderful day, with the sun breaking through periodically from between the clouds....which might break up just in time tomorrow evening so that the two sky lovers can meet.

This is one of the last days the garden entryway will look like this, because it is going to be rebuilt this summer....

Tanabata poems hang from branches near the front of the garden....
Wishes blow in the breeze...

Visitors of all ages wrote tanabta poems....

Thomas Hargrave, from Seattle Parks and Recreation, talks with haiku poet Michael Welch.

Midori Kono Thiel shows guests the fine art of Japanese sumie painting techniqes.

The teahouse garden is starting to take on an autumn tinge....

A lilypad bud floats among leaves in the pond.

Reflectons of trees in the lilypad-full pond.

A turtle enjoys the summery tanabata afternoon.

At last...HOT WEATHER!

2008-06-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Finally - some summerlike weather this week. It has been quite warm all week, and most of the azalea blossoms have fallen in the garden. So many shades of green filled the garden, and all the plants were patiently soaking in the sun and holding out for rain. We talked to an 87-year old man who lived in Japan for 40 years, starting in 1949. He was visiting the garden from Portland, with his wife and extended family, some of whom live in Seattle and all of whom have spent time in Japan. The Haiku Society Northwest was hosting a Haiku Day in the garden, and were just finishing sharing and discussing the haiku they composed today when we arrived. It was the hottest it has been this year, and we are so glad we have a shaded area to play under.

The haiku group was reading and discussing haiku when we arrived.

The willow branches reach into the pond for a drink....

Two turtles, one wet and one dry, enjoy the sun and water.

The lilypads are plentiful in the pond, and a few irises are still in bloom.

Shady steps, near the teahouse.

The edge of the bridge, and the pond and trees....everywhere you look in this garden, the colors, forms, and textures delight.

Jesse pulled the cart today....as he says, "One hundred and forty-two pounds of PURE MUSCLE."

Brian carried the koto.

So nice to have helpers.

Clouds turn to sun!

2008-06-22T22:06:00.001-07:00

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.

John got a picture during my solo, with listeners relaxing in the grass.

Our instruments on the platform with the lilypads on the pond beyond.

The lilypads make a wonderful, carefree covering on the pond.

Irises along the pond...

3:00...YES, YES, THAT IS BLUE SKY!

A SHADOW.......really, we hope the upcoming summer is full of them!

SUNNY SKIES ON FATHER'S DAY!

2008-06-15T21:49:00.001-07:00

We were so happy to be greeted with sunshine today. The warmth brought out smiles all around, and we really enjoyed playing for so many people who were appreciating being outside in the sun. Lots of folks lay down on the grass -- dry at last - and listened and relaxed in a horizontal position. We talked to a saxophone player from Chicago who hopes to make his own recording soon, and a Korean family who listened to us playing our own arrangement of "Arirang."

The three fantastic BULL FROG great pictures below were sent to us by our friend Bruce, who artfully captured the frog...perhaps the very one who sits under the dock and croaks on occasion. Thank you Bruce!

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

Today's garden theme is PURPLE. PURPLE irises, next to the stream and near the pond...so refreshing and elegant.

The paulownia tree is done blooming -- the end of just a short few weeks of blossoms.

The turtles enjoyed the warmth of the sun, and watched the carp from their rocks.

The waterlilies furthest out in the pond bloom first, it looks like.....

The reflection of the pine tree, in the pond near our platform....

John, heading out with our gear. IT IS SO GREAT TO BE WEARING T-SHIRTS INSTEAD OF WOOL COATS!

June 8th...

2008-06-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

JUNEUARY!! That's what someone called this chilly weather....we looked at the ready-to-rain sky and saw that the temperature was in the 40's and decided to not even attempt to play outside today. Not like us to wimp out....but this cold weather is just so hard to make your fingers move and the wind blows in the mics and we get chilled to the bone. Maybe we're getting old??...NO! We'll play next week no matter what!

THE AMAZING SKY PICTURE BELOW was taken at 8:30 in the evening from our house: the weather cleared up around 5:00 -- leaving us hopeful about the upcoming week.

A chilly June First....

2008-06-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

The temperature is right around 50 degrees -- with the wind keeping a chill in the air. The garden was understandably quiet. When they stopped to listen, one of the guides pointed out to her tour group that a small maple tree next to the pond is called a "Koto no Ito" - "Koto String Tree" -- which we hadn't noticed before. A picture of the tree is below. Regular visitors Bruce, with his friend Rebecca, and Tim, stopped by to listen. Such sturdy souls!

The rhodedendrons are in full bloom. some reaching high into the sky.
Bamboo stalks at the entryway.
More irises in bloom along the pond.
Tim, Bruce and Rebecca stopped by to enjoy the garden and listened to our music.
The "Koto to Ito" (Koto String Tree) near the pond. The leaves are very narrow - like the strings of a koto.
The blossoms reflect the pond....the pond reflects the blossoms....which is which? Something to reflect upon....

The water lilies are beginning to bloom....

Sunny warmth on a day that rain was predicted....

2008-05-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

A gentle warmth greeted us today! We arrived early and stayed late, it felt so great to play in this weather. We talked to a couple from Hawaii who had been visiting Japanese gardens on the west coast, and visitors from San Francisco and Florida. Blossoms are everywhere and the wisteria arbor is incredible. All the animals are forming couples...spring is definitely here!
Irises bloom around the pond...elegant and graceful

Kathleen Blanchard, head gardener, was getting things ready for Children's Day celebration tomorrow.
The paulownia tree (the kind the koto is made from) finally has purple blossoms that can be seen clearly.

The wisteria arbor at the far end of the garden was astounding.

FINALLY! Warm enough to lay in the grass...
John heads out with the cart after our afternoon of playing.....

Bonsai Exhibition at the Garden!

2008-05-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

THE PUGET SOUND BONSAI EXHIBITION FILLED THE MEADOW WITH WONDERFUL PLANTS.
The paulownia tree (the tree that the koto is made from) towers over the garden entrance....Paulownia blossoms have bloomed since last week.

The garden was full of visitors fascinated with the bonsai plants...what a change from last year, when it poured so hard we had to stop playing because the water was splashing over the tent shade and onto our instruments. It was wonderful to to play under blue skies, in warm weather! We talked to a woman from China who told us that "Sukiyaki Song" (Ue o Muite) is also a popular song in China, which we didn't know. We also met some visitors from California and finally met in person Jonathan Lawson, who has played our music on KBCS. There were lots of kids enjoying the fish and turtles today, and people were sitting and laying on the grass and soaking in the warmth.

Our sons Jesse and Brian enjoy the garden Emma and her dad Mike.

Six-month old twins enjoy the music from under the cherry trees.

Yellow azaleas adorn the little teahouse storage room.

As always, the Puget Sound Bonsai Exhibition is breathtaking....

Mother's Day....

2008-05-11T19:57:00.001-07:00

THE PAULOWNIA TREE outside the garden has a few purple buds showing! (Click on the picture below to see them.)

It has been threatening to rain, with heavy clouds for three days. During the course of the afternoon we had clouds, sprinkles of rain, and a bit of sun now and then, with small gusts of wind. We talked to our friend Eric (who also plays shakuhachi) and his girlfriend, and her parents who are visiting from Germany. There were quite a few families walking through, and with the help of all the kids, the carp and ducks had a lot to eat today.

A new color this week: YELLOW!

A single magnolia, ready to bloom, on a magnolia tree.

Some of the rhodidendrons are blooming; this one is full of buds.

MORE YELLOW!

The cherry trees in the upper part of the orchard are full of blossoms. The lower ones are still at the bud stage...

A crow strolls through the garden.
Beautiful blossoms reflected in the pond.

We couldn't go today...

2008-05-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

in spite of the sunshine......three out of four people in our family is sick.

We'll be back next week!

Spring is in the air!

2008-04-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

"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!

SNOW!!

2008-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

SNOW....ON APRIL 20th! A record-breaker.....

Hopefully it will be warmer next week!!

April 13th, 2008

2008-04-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

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.

April 6th 2008

2008-04-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

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!

John wore a wool cap and fingerless gloves - the wind was brisk at times. I wore gloves too - a couple of times my fingers grew numb but we kept playing. Another great "think on your feet" performance experience! The show must go on, of course.

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....