Photo credit: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southwest Washington During Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month in September 2018, volunteers in Clark, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Wahkiakum Counties in Southwest Washington painted 1,000 rocks and left them in random places to share messages of happiness and hope to anyone who found them. The project, sponsored by … Continue reading Did you find a painted rock in Southwest Washington?
Image by RitaE from Pixabay Wiesen 2020 or Oktoberfest, the largest folk festival in the world, will not be held in Munich, Germany this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was announced today in a joint press conference with Bavaria's Minister-President Markus Söder and Munich's Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter. "It hurts, it's such … Continue reading The world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich cancels for 2020
Image by San Fermin Pamplona—Navarra from Pixabay The Guardian and several other news media outlets reported today that the famous Festival of San Fermin, also known as The Running of the Bulls, has been postponed indefinitely in Pamplona, Spain, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Spain has been fighting one of the most devastating outbreaks of … Continue reading The Running of the Bulls in Spain postponed indefinitely
Photos by Cheryl Landes The San Diego Botanic Garden is one of my accidental discoveries during a business trip to San Diego. While driving I-5 South, I saw an exit sign for the garden and stopped to explore for a few hours. The San Diego Botanic Garden opened in 1970 in Encinitas, California, a half-hour … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: San Diego Botanic Garden
Photos by Cheryl Landes A drive to the Oregon Garden takes some effort, but the fifty-minute drive south of Portland is worth it. On the way, you'll see the farmlands of the Willamette Valley and the bountiful variety of crops that grow there. The 80-acre botanical garden, located at a luxurious resort, is open to … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Spring at the Oregon Garden in Silverton
Photos by Cheryl Landes Every spring at the site of an 1880s Victorian farmhouse in Woodland, Washington, the fragrance of the blooming lilacs fills the air. Dozens of varieties of lilacs, many as tall as trees, grow at the former dairy farm of the Klager family. Hulda Klager discovered lilac propagation while recovering from an … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland
Photos by Cheryl Landes Kubota Garden, a hidden gem of beauty and history in of South Seattle, is my favorite garden in the city. It's the work of Fujitaro Kubota, a self-taught gardener who immigrated from Japan to Seattle in 1907. He dreamed of creating gardens that showcased the Northwest in a Japanese manner. In … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: Spring at Kubota Garden in Seattle
Photos by Cheryl Landes The 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum is on the shore of Lake Washington in Seattle's University District. The arboretum is managed by the University of Washington Botanic Gardens and the City of Seattle. Trails wind through seven themed gardens, from Azalea Way to the Japanese Garden. On today's tour, we'll spend the … Continue reading Armchair photo tours: A spring walk in Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle
In an arrangement with Universal, Andrew Lloyd Webber set up The Shows Must Go On!, a YouTube channel that streams his full-length showtunes adapted to screen every Friday night. Also watch backstage videos and interviews with the stars of these productions. The Shows Must Go On! started three weeks ago with Joseph and the Technicolor … Continue reading Watch Andrew Lloyd Webber’s full-length musicals for free
The campgrounds are closed because of COVID-19, but that doesn't need to stop you from camping out. "How's that possible?" you're probably asking. Well, Washington State Parks has the answer: The Great Washington Camp-In, which is tonight at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time. Here's how it works: Set up a tent in your home or yard. … Continue reading Go camping without leaving home tonight
Tabby Cat's Pawprints 