Graduation, Family Visits and Spring Flowers

Monday, June 4, 2018

Where oh where did the month of May go?  It seems that you wait with such longing and anticipation for spring to arrive, and then when it finally does, the days seem to pass in fleeting moments.  Spring's blooms finally arrived, my parents arrived for a visit, we had a graduation to celebrate, the garden has been calling, and so the month of May passed rather swiftly, but not without its beautiful and precious moments. 

My parents arrived to celebrate our children graduating, and spring was celebrating too.  These gorgeous cherry blooms greeted my parents on their arrival. 

We went down to see the roaring spring run-off river in downtown Spokane.

It is incredible to see the force and power of the water!


Spring had arrived with all of its bright and beautiful blooms in my garden!  

I loved the deep rich purple color of the hyacinths

One of the first stops my parents made after their arrival was a local restaurant that makes the best
huckleberry sundaes.  We enjoyed a lovely sweet treat! 

One day we took a trip across the border and our first stop there was at Tim Horton's, of course! 

Since our children were both working and couldn't come, we used that as an excuse to stock up on some donuts for the day
trip and to take some home with us. 

It was a beautiful day with stunning views like this one as we drove. 

We stopped at a little harbor and watched this man fly fish.  He said he wasn't having any luck...

But the views were magnificent!
We took the ferry across the Kootenai Lake and enjoyed the beautiful views of the mountains as we crossed. 

The ripples of the ferry on the otherwise still lake...

The gentle breeze blowing the flags.

The serene town of Nelson with its iconic red bridge. 

On our way back home we took the Salmo pass where the rushing waterfalls along the highway were a crescendo of cold rushing water.  This particular waterfall was so powerful that the falling water created its own wind storm.  The trees around it were blowing like there was a storm, but as you moved away from it, there was no wind.  We tried to get closer to it, but I had to turn my back to the falls because I didn't want to drench myself or my camera.  It was incredible to see... and COLD!  Ooh, it was cold, and there was still snow close to the falls.  It was amazing to see the temperature change with just a few feet.  I was ready for a cup of hot tea after that visit, lol 

The little town of Salmo was delightfully quaint, set back in the mountains. 

We knew that at the summit of Salmo pass there was a darling cabin sitting at the edge of a lake, and we had packed a lunch hoping to enjoy a picnic here.  However, there was no such picnic to be had, as there was still 12 feet of snow around most of the summit! 

We climbed over the deep snowbanks to reach the cabin, and this was the view from one of the windows! 

The wood stove looked like it had been in use over the winter, and we considered building a fire too, but
my father wasn't able to climb over the snowbanks so we had our picnic in the car instead :) 

It was rather surprising to see this amount of snow on the mountain in May! 
As evening fell, the skies were filled with glorious colors of promise for another beautiful day. 

The day after we returned from our trip to Canada, we celebrated the graduation from college of both our children. Good food was in abundance, as my mother and I cooked up quite a spread for the guests who had come to celebrate with us. 

Texas-style brisket was the star of the show. I used Pioneer Woman's recipe  for Braised Beef Brisket.  Normally we like to smoke the brisket but due to time constraints, we put it in the oven overnight instead, and it turned out amazing! There were little leftovers to speak of.... 

My tulips continued to bloom profusely... 

Loving the bright splashes of color along my garden border!



I added to my garden's fabric banner after my Mom and I were at a thrift store, and we found strips of fabric already cut in the perfect size for $2.00!  Talk about excited :) Mom tied them on for me, and we enjoyed the charm they add to my little garden area. 

Much too soon my parents' visit came to an end.  My Dad had planned to stay longer, but he was having some health issues and needed to get back home to see his doctors.  It has been a rough time for him as the doctors have struggled to pinpoint what is causing his shortness of breath and dizziness. We continue to pray that the cause of all of these issues gets resolved. So thankful for the wonderfully sweet and blessed time that we had with my parents!  It passed far too quickly, as it always seems to do! 

The weather has been lovely here the last few weeks with lots of sunshine mixed with rain, a perfect mix for the garden.  Late spring is here, with wildflowers blooming, and summer is just around the corner... amazing how fast the seasons pass!  I am still wondering how we are already into June, but here we are! 

Knowing how quickly the seasons pass, my dear friend Jen who is the editor of Rural Magazine, has put together another stunning issue showcasing the delights of spring.  She asked me to be a contributor to this issue.

This issue is available to purchase a print copy at www.ruralmag.com. The online digital copy will be available soon, and I will update the link when it becomes available. 

So as the beautiful days pass by, oh so quickly, my time inside is quite limited... we wait all winter for this warm weather and when it arrives, we must take advantage of it... :) 






37 comments

  1. Incredible how much snow was on the mountain in May. Guess that’s normal.

    Congratulations to your children. You must be very proud of them!

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  2. Hi Marilyn! Congratulations to your kids! Woo hoo! How nice that your parents could come for the graduation. Oh my, that cabin looks like just my cup of tea. Montana is so pretty AND Canada is always pretty, too.
    I have to make new flag/banners for the garden this year. I have too many projects so I haven't done it yet. You're inspiring me. Take care and God be with you, dear one. Your photos are absolutely stunning!

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  3. Congratulations on the graduation of both of your children Marilyn. Sometime when you come to Spokane we really need to try to get together. We, too, went down and wandered around Riverfront Park when the Falls were roaring. I think there was a lot of snow on the mountain tops in May this year. I remember the first year after we moved here from Nebraska, we wandered around by the ski lodge at Mount Spokane on Mother’s Day. We walked down the cross country skiing trails by the lodge and the snow towered 12 to 15 feet on either side of us! I had never seen anything like it since we had never been around mountains before in the winter time. I’m so happy your parents were able to visit and I will keep your dad in my prayers that they soon find out what’s wrong with him and are able to fix it.
    Many blessings my friend,
    Betsy

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  4. WOW! What an adventure filled post! I love the mountain scenes, but then I just thoroughly enjoyed the whole post.

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  5. Enjoyed seeing your celebrations spread and all the places you visited, too. How nice that your parents came to celebrate graduation. We crossed that pedestrian bridge over the Spokane river for the Lilac parade May 19th ish. The force of that water was amazing. I enjoyed seeing Nelson and will see about doing a roadtrip there once we move to Colville. Selling and buying and moving are going slow.

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  6. You've had a very busy month of May!! Small wonder it flew by. Congratulations to your graduated children. It's so great your parents could come and share some time with your family. Hopefully your dad's health problems will be resolved quickly.

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  7. Great post! Great your parents were there. Graduations are fun! Like always your photos are beautiful!

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  8. I probably say this with every comment, your pictures are wonderful.
    You know how to throw a party. You must of learned from you mom, by the looks of that spreads!
    Love the fabric banner!

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  9. How wonderful you were able to celebrate your two kids' graduation with your parents. It looks as if you fitted in a lot of fun and precious memories travelling around to see all those gorgeous sights. There is nothing like sharing these moments with your loved ones. My goodness that is a lot of water gushing past and that snow.....a most amazing sight from the window. As always your sublime photos have brought sunshine to my day.

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  10. Thank you for sharing these amazing photos, Marilyn, and for catching us up on all the delightful adventures your family has been up to. Do hope the doctors can pinpoint your father's health issues - that's so frustrating not to know what's wrong and the best way to treat it.
    Congrats to the grads, and blessings to all!

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  11. May was a blur for us too. Congrats to your children. I am glad you had a visit with your parents. What a beautiful trip to Canada.

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  12. What lovely photos in your post today, such amazing scenery. We have fond memories of Tim Hortons coffee houses on our visits to Canada!

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  13. What beautiful photos, and more special memories!

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  14. Congratulations to the kids! Oh my! What beautiful pictures. I love them all. And I really would like some of that brisket! LOL! WOW, Canada is stunning beautiful. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

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  15. Wow!!! That's some gorgeous scenery there! I love the Hyacinths and your pretty garden paradise with the banner!

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  16. WOW...so much to comment on! I didn't realize you had two in college...congratulations to both of them! What beautiful photos...all of the gorgeous scenery and your garden flowers are just amazing. And that wonderful food made me hungry all over again and I just got done eating supper...that brisket, of my goodness! I sure hope that your father feels better soon and that he gets the answers he needs. A fabulous post, Marilyn!

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  17. Congratulations to your children! As always, your photos are stunning. Love the combination of mountains and water, blue skies and cotton ball clouds. The food looks so yummy and I can see why there were few leftovers of that brisket. I like your fabric banner. Very cute. Congratulations on the magazine feature. Very cool. Hugs.

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  18. Beautiful photos.
    Delicious looking food.
    Happy memories made.
    Milestones celebrated.
    A perfect post!!!

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  19. Ah, the celebrations, the beauty, the love ... and donuts and brisket, too!

    Yummy.

    ;-}

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  20. So many lovely moments in May! Thank you for sharing them all with us. The ferry ride looks magical, I would love to hop on that boat. I wish your dad good health and am glad that you were able to visit. Hugs...

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  21. Your pictures are amazing! All that snow still piled high made me feel cold. That cabin was probably freezing, but it is so pretty. Your flowers gardens are really pretty...and weed free, something I've never been able to accomplish. :) Glad your parents could be there, even if they had to leave earlier than planned.

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  22. Beautiful photos of your outings with your parents. I will get to that side of the country someday to see it all in person!

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  23. Hi my friend, congrats on being featured in Rural. I got my copy and really enjoyed it! You have been one busy gal. It's been crazy around here as well. Spring blossoms are one of my favorite things and yes, May did fly by! Your spring flowers are lovely, and what a feast you and your mom prepared! Congrats to your kids on graduating!!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  24. Such a lovely post. You have been leading a very active life, company, trips and graduation parties :) I love that sunset photo, the colors are gorgeous, leave it to God to paint such an awesome picture :) Your banner is delightful and so colorful, too . . . you know me, I love color, LOL. It just makes things more cheerful.
    Thank you for being a sweet blogging sister and for always leaving such kind comments on my blog.
    Have a sweet weekend.
    Connie :)

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  25. A wonderful post and your photographs are a joy, those views are marvellous.
    So pleased you spent time with your parents and enjoyed their visit, special thoughts for your dad hope his health improves.
    Congratulations on the magazine feature, and on the graduation too.
    Quite a busy time but special too.

    My good wishes.

    All the best Jan

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  26. Hello Marilyn,
    The gushing waters of the Spring in Spokane is so pretty. Your garden is coming along nicely, and I really like those hyacinths. The color is gorgeous. I smiled BIG when I saw the huckleberry sundaes...YUMMY. You see, the word "huckleberry" reminds me of my dear dad who passed away many years ago. That picture of the clouds and the mountains looks like a post card. It is beautiful, Marilyn. The Texas-style brisket looks amazing, and I watch the Pioneer Woman on tv every now and then. So happy for you to be a contributor in Rural Magazine. I hope you are enjoying the Spring days, and we are coming into Summer here in California. Our Summers can be hot, but there is beauty to be found in all the seasons. : )

    ~Sheri

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  27. Such an amazing trip you've had! I love seeing all the place you were, and such lovely treats!

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  28. No wonder May went by so quickly, you've been busy dear Marilyn. The photos are great and I especially liked the fabric banner, so pretty.
    Amalia
    xo

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  29. Hi Marilyn! What a wonderful time you had with your parents. I know you were so thankful to have them there to celebrate the graduations. You and your Mom sure made a lovely spread of food! The banner of pr-cut strips of fabric looks so festive in your garden area. I hope the doctor's figure out the causes of your dad's health issues. A friend of mine's hubby has recently been on a breathing device for when he sleeps and it has made a world of difference. Congratulations to you on being a contributor to the magazine!
    p.s. Thank you for visiting my blog. I do hope that Blogger will get these issues solved with comments not being emailed.

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  30. What a wonderful trip to and from, and then the marvelous graduation lunch and glorious flowers...everything so beautiful...loved every single picture. Amazing scenery! Thank you for sharing your visit with us. Praying your father is feeling better and has gotten to see his Doctor by now. Enjoy your warmer weather while you can. It looks absolutely gorgeous.

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  31. Congrats Marilyn on your Rural Magazine venture! I used to get that magazine and always loved it. Are you having a story or photos or? Loved this post and all of your beautiful photos of the water. Your flowers are so pretty and love your garden area and the tails of fabric blowing in the wind. Glad you had a good time with your family and the graduation party.. and that cabin with all the snow is amazing! Wow. Reminds me of a time I went up to NE Washington to the little town of Colville.. I think it was in April and the cabin I went to had many feet of snow around it still. The town had no snow, but that cabin very much! I think I need to visit the towns of Salmo and Nelson! It looks beautiful in that area. (am I using the word "beautiful" too much?? hee hee)... oh and that food looked absolutely wonderful for the graduation party! Have a good weekend.. I'm heading over to the Oregon coast to visit my sister for a few days. I need a break from all the yard work! Hugs.. Marilyn

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  32. Hi,
    I just love your photos and your sharing of your family time.
    Congratulations to all!!
    How is your garden season coming along? We have a bug that hit our cukes, I have to re plant today. Otherwise everything is coming along well.
    Love, Carla

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  33. Beautiful place. I love to see all these gorgeous photos! The food looks delicious! Congratulations!

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  34. I somehow missed this post last week. I love looking at your flowers. They give me ideas for colors to use for my coloring books.

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  35. As always your post was a pleasure to read and view. So many wonderful photos. The photo of Spokane was pretty awesome. You've had lovely spring flowers and your ties on the fence are so charming. All that food made me hungry.

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  36. Congrats on the graduation of both of your children! There was some yummy looking food that made me hungry. And your tulips were pretty. I've got lots of roses in bloom now and enjoy the blessing of every sweet scented blossom. Happy summer!

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  37. http://anna-historias.blogspot.com/2018/06/jesus.html?m=1 Me ha gustado tu blog mas amenudo lo visitare.
    Besos

    ReplyDelete

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