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

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. 

Between Thunderstorms: HEAT!

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!

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.....

Bonsai Exhibition at the Garden!

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....

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. 

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!