Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Long After


May has proven to be a surprising month on more than a few occasions, and it brought surprises this year as well - involving unexpected trips, new cities and airplanes. But before I leave for my unexpected trip, I thought I'd stop by to say hello and share photographs we took in Tacoma's Point Defiance Park in early May. May is also the prettiest month with the abundance of blooms in magnificent Northwest gardens. I hope you enjoy the season, wherever you are! Have a fantastic week, and I'll be back soon with news stories, pictures and comments!


Pagoda, the building behind me, was built in 1914 as a streetcar station by the local architect Luther Twitchell, with Japanese roof features and Arts and Crafts design elements. Even after streetcars were replaced with buses in 1938, the Pagoda continued serving as a terminal. But the bus route was cancelled in 1962 (due to decreasing number of passengers - I guess more and more people bought cars by that time). Since that time, the Pagoda became a place for garden shows and other events. The building was set on fire by an arsonist in 2011, but the fire was stopped quickly by the Tacoma Fire Department team. Since 2014, the restored Pagoda was named to the National Register of Historic Places.











If you remember my recent post SEARCHING FOR SAKURA (March 2018), you probably recognized this place - yes, it is the very same park where we went on a quest to find sakura blossom. And we found a beautifully blooming cherry tree, but only now we discovered almost a grove of cherry trees in bloom! The trees were a gift from Japan, and they were planted as a symbol of friendship between the two sister cities, Tacoma and Kitakyushu, Japan. Our cities will celebrate 60 years of friendship next year!








Orris Root Iris (Iris germanica florentina) caught my eye with its beautiful, complicated shape and pure white color. It was planted in the herb garden between things like fennel and thyme, and I was really surprised to see it, but I got even more surprised to read that this what legendary fleur-de-lys is! It remains the most common symbol of French heraldry since 12th century to this day.



The statue of Francis W. Cushman, Tacoma's congressmen who made it his personal project to push the bill which allowed the city of Tacoma to develop this land as a park. The land officially used to be a military reservation, though it was never used for any military purposes. The statue was funded by Mr. Cushman's mother who died in 1919 (surviving her song who died 10 years earlier at the young age of 42) and who left $20,000 for commemorating her son. The sculpture was completed by J. Massey Rhind, Scottish born artist, and opened in 1925, and hopefully will be here for centuries, so many new generations can come and thank this amazing young man for the work of his life. (More details HERE.)




I hope you enjoyed this walk in one of Tacoma's most beautiful and old parks as much as Justin and I did. It is also famous for leaving many ancient trees untouched (which is not a common thing around here, in the heart of timber industry). When we were passing some of those tall old trees with trunks as wide as a house, Justin said, "They will be here long after we are gone." I felt both fragile and eternal at that moment, and I liked the way he said it.



Photos by Justin and myself

Dress - eShakti
Shoes (by Tsubo), earrings, glasses - old, remixed from my closet




24 comments:

  1. justin is not only a fab photographer - he´s a poet too!!
    isn´t wonderful that such parks were founded and still kept for the public?! i´m always amazed about that.....
    you look gorgeous in your striped dress - the tunic style matches the asian architectural features and even your shoes have an asian vibe!
    where are you going to fly? can´t wait for that post!!!
    i wish you a safe and fine travel!!
    tons of hugs - and much love! xxxxxx

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    1. Thank you, my dear! I also thought that the outfit has a strong Asian vibe, including the shoes. You and I both are crazy about gardens! I would take you to every garden here, they are gorgeous, and each one is unique! We even have a tradition of private garden tours every July. If there is no schedule conflict this year, I'd love to repeat this - it was amazing!

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  2. Love this dress on you Natalia!!
    XO
    Joi | www.inmyjoi.blogspot.com

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  3. Point defiance park is indeed a beautiful place for a photo shoot. I’m crazy about your outfit and especially love the orange sandals. I never tire of looking at flowers and this beautiful post has me smiling from ear to ear .
    I hope you are enjoying this beautiful week.
    ❤️💖❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com

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  4. Oh yes I enjoy this trip and your stunning pictures soo much Natalia. And I am in love with your dress!❤️
    I wish you a wonderful travel and looking forward to your pictures and story.
    A very huge hug and much love, Tina

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    1. Thank you! So glad you love my new dress, dearest Tina!

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  5. I love a well laid out park, which is a joy to visit in every season. Point Defiance Park looks particularly lovely, with its abundant planting and beautiful blooms. And I learned something too, as I had no idea that the legendary fleur-de-lys was this particular type of Iris. Its blooms look so delicate, almost paper like! You're looking fabulous in your striped dress and orange sandals, too! Enjoy your unexpected trip! I can't wait to read all about it! Hugest of hugs xxx

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    1. Thank you, Ann! Who knew about fleur-de-lys, right?

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  6. Love your dress! The sister city cherry blossom tree is so wonderful!

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  7. Hello you pretty cherry blossom! :-)
    This is a very beautiful place for an outfit shoot - so flowery and impressive with the Japanese details. And your dress looks very comfortable, relaxed - and at the same time well-dressed.
    I wish you pleasant days - come back healthy and with many beautiful impressions!
    XXOXX Traude
    PS: Ha, and I see, there is already a combination of pink and orange :-)

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  8. I have a weakness for all things Asian, and you look lovely among the beautiful flowers! It all looks so peaceful. The orange sandals are fantastic, wish I could fit that brand.

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    1. Thank you, dear! I have wide feet, but these sandals surprisingly fit me.

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  9. That dress is perfection against the Japanese pagoda as it looks almost kimono-like in form.
    I loved the shots of the sculptural flowers in bloom, too.
    Your posts are both a feast for the eyes and a balm for the soul. xxx

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    1. Thank you, Vix! I thought that a kimono was the inspiration for this dress. That's what I'm trying to show on the pictures with arms wide spread - as they display artful kimonos in museums, you know? :)
      I appreciate your generous compliments, they mean a lot to me.

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  10. wowww, so much beauty!, the garden and the fantastic pagoda are really breathtakingly beautiful!, so lovely that old trees have been untouched! and so lovely that they will be here for next generations!
    You look gorgeous in your striped dress, which has some oriental vibe too!, so fabulous!. Love your orange earrings and orange sandals, lovely matchy accessorizing!
    besos

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    1. Thank you, Monica! I also appreciate the Oriental flavor of this outfit. I think it helped me to choose the park for taking pictures!

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  11. I did not know that Tacoma had such beautiful parks. Interesting to know about its sister town in Japan as well. Sakura trees are always so beautiful. I think I do remember your post about searching for a Sakura tree. I really liked the oriental garden you showed here. It is wonderful! The dress you're wearing is so pretty. You look fantastic!

    I liked what Justin said about those ancient trees. It is true. They will probably still be here even when we are gone. I always loved old trees, I always feel serene around them. We have some really old olives in Dalmatia, I think the oldest is two thousand years old or something like that. Isn't that amazing? That olive trees has seen Roman armies march by. I think that even my grandmother owns some olive trees that are at least 300 years old, if not older.

    Thank you for your sweet comment. Have a fantastic weekend!

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    1. Thank you, Ivana! And yes, it is absolutely amazing how ancient some trees are - they stories they can tell!

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  12. How did I miss this wonderful post with my favourite things, flowers , Japanese pagodas and fashion. The gardens are simply beautiful , they must be quite a sight to behold with their Spring blooms.The photos are wonderful .Your style and choice of dress was just lovely.

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