ARCHIVE DAY

My volunteer day with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Archive is today. I leave too early for a lengthy blog, so I’ll get back to Turkey in earnest tomorrow. Above is the beautiful writing in a manuscript from the Aramada Hotel, Istanbul.

An old Roman aqueduct. Usla said, “those people are not supposed to be up there.”

Usla teasing us about his new car. (Not his, it belongs to the owner of the hotel.)

The Armada has turtles in the lobby. Reminds me of the Peabody Ducks.

And, of course, tulips everywhere. I DID tell you that tulips originated in Turkey, right? They were taken to Amsterdam many years ago.

And, thank you Virginia for answering my question about a (correct spelling) caliph, a religious leader.

DAFFODILS AND TULIPS

Let me set the stage. Jim and I were talking about going to daffodil hill, fifty miles away. Kautz Ironstone Winery does a great job with a daffodil show of their own. You walk their extensive gardens and view barrel after barrel of gorgeous flowers. Not only daffodils but tulips and pansies and hyacinths. They host a daffodil show, inside, which to me is less interesting than the gorgeous outside gardens.

It was all the more enjoyable because the weather was perfect, but the flowers speak for themselves.

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Still, Kautz advertises this as a Daffodil Show. And people every year come from miles around to show off their efforts.

In one area undercover, but out-of-doors, is a contest of daffodil bouquets. Kind of reminds me of place settings at the County Fair. They are interesting.

This particular setting won a silver bowl.  Suffice it to say, there is a lot to see if you decide to attend next year.

Again, setting the scene, this is the daffodil show room. Their placement and how they are judged is for you to see by attending. I question how anyone can choose one daffodil over another since they are all  beautiful and here you find perfection.

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For a more complete view of his lovely place, you can click on my album to view many more pictures: A full screen slide show is gorgeous.

 

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HOLED UP IN CONROE

One of the advantages of traveling with a full time rambler, like my partner Jim, is that we can stop anywhere. The solar panels keep pumping up the battery and life is good. When it rains, and days are cloudy, as they have been for many days, its time to pull into a park and hook up to electricity. The weather is still cold and cloudy. Ramblers tend to stay as close to good weather as possible, but weather is fickle. We pulled into a park and hooked up to electricity and here we stay for a few days, holed up in Conroe, Texas. Time to recharge the batteries, wash the windows, do some housekeeping, shopping and laundry. All those mundane, necessary chores while I look out at the dreary weather and think of the benefits of rain. Watching a movie, catching up on my reading and the coming spring flowers.

The woman above really got into her picture taking of a tub of spring tulips.
This was taken in the cascades, Washington state.
Tulips at Kautz Winery in Murphys, California
My neighbors pasture with baby blue eyes, Murphys.

Ocean City, Washington, Roady hanging over the boardwalk.

This salmon berry at Lake Quinault, Washington.