A Good Day

I had a great birthday!

Tom and I had tickets for free brunch at Ivar's Salmon House, which we were given when I donated to a charity last December.  This restaurant on the north shore of Lake Union offers a full seafood buffet, plus huge selections of cheeses, fruits, standard breakfast fare, and of course, the dessert bar.  Yesterday I didn't count calories.

After brunch, and for most of the rest of the day, we toured Open Gardens in the north Seattle area, starting not far from the restaurant.  Lots of photo follow.

We finished the day by meeting up with son Jake, friend Tad, and Tom's sister Jan at a pub in Ballard for dinner and a good visit.  We got home about 7:30 after a full day, and I found a message from the grand kids, so I called them for a phone visit. It was a great birthday!

These photos are mostly from small, private city gardens belonging to members o the Northwest Perennial Alliance.  We had light rain until about 2:00, but with umbrellas unfurled, we enjoyed every garden, and the cloud cover and rain drops on roses made for good photography.

 Since we were in the neighborhood, we stopped by one of our favorite nurseries, Swanson's.  I love the color combinations they use in their displays.

 While Tom got coffee in the cafe, I watched the koi.

We really like this new hydrangea, but it is pricey.  We found a bedraggled but healthy one on the half price table, and bought that.

 I like to study the pot combinations they put together here.

 And then we were back in the private gardens.

 It's amazing what city gardeners can do with their parking strips.

 And in some neighborhoods, just walking down the sidewalk is a treat.

And now it's a new day.  The sun is shining.  We'll get the last of the hedges pruned today.  And I'll be back to counting calories!