Beach Interlude

At home a new season was unfurling its riches, but the past few days I was at Orange Beach, near Gulf Shores. The weather was warm and breezy, and the sunsets were lovely. It was a great way to spend a few days in February, a pleasant interlude between winter and spring. Here are a few photos taken while I was playing hooky from gardening duties.

Some views of Ono Island taken from the condo we rented:

Late afternoon was the perfect time to relax on the beach, to view the waves, and to take walks as the sun began to set:

I came home rejuvenated and ready to get to work. The garden awaits!

Visit to Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle

I first saw Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures at the Desert Botanical Garden near Phoenix some years ago. Later I saw some of his pieces closer to home at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. These displays were only a tease to entice me to see the largest collection of Dale Chihuly work on public view, Chihuly Garden and Glass, a museum next to the Space Needle in Seattle.

Dale Chihuly, born in Tacoma, Washington in 1941, is an internationally acclaimed artist who is best known for his fantastical glass works. Last month I traveled to Oregon to spend some time with my two sons who live on the west coast, and the three of us drove up to Seattle. The Chihuly exhibits were the highlight of our visit. Here are a few images to entice you, too, if you haven't already, to visit this wonderful museum. Most of these photos were taken outside in the Glass Garden, where it was sometimes hard to distinguish living plants from the glass ones:

Here is a view inside the Glass House, which can be rented for weddings and other special occasions:

Perhaps the most stunning displays are inside the museum. I will post this one additional image, and I hope you get to experience this amazing place for yourself!