![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHsGFMm9XKltU9PN31jD3H4QrLFl1AlMk7AHhyphenhyphenOxPBKL1ZHafPfE4yVeyr57pcnmer3jO6lYRYT-NYOe2CDRG4wyB9AR3IGla3DOtbzOoSUezSZpkY_J4fNAX3CT4hFrxHqo_lHy0YtQ/s400/IMG_0040.JPG)
About an hour north of Seattle is the Skagit Valley, which is North America's largest grower of tulips, iris and daffodils.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qYEtU29LIiYZD_wkGT3_w5cPLD4rRRsLdI-5UdTLq7RjA4dnKUiOiVt0OW2oArs5M2F7gBuAzOR2rfNkkJ6rNhzACStNzfc9NgI5deduv-HItdUEA1dHkPgK2vo-ytHyFtEeZ96jf-Q/s400/IMG_5003.jpg)
The tulips are in full bloom right now, and we spent the afternoon oohing and aahing at their beauty.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3wu-USOSFHkHdvgIXZlSBcec7T-dOfXKzkW8kK2i1-afnKCXm4qqVdr4L3ZM-KpVQXh3wWkIk7jTv53YeoFKd8YewSPumDsNLippTHRwy10it0spsgO_UDsF9Do_0yzeLsIrLN6Vu3k/s400/IMG_5009.jpg)
It's hard to capture the enormous scale in a photo. There are 1,000 acres altogether. This is just one of many large fields.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGLuQz1xW9ypBDmfRdr_lZ6svf27uEWffKhM0oJsooXo91U2zeJ5FF4jQSTfqlyZhplk_ulpJWI5Kmk51clQY9Gvq8Hj1v2hNj7IloEz3s3ac7TYjbbfGBq6gqXpePynH3440VIS6cbM/s400/IMG_4947.jpg)
Every once in awhile you find a rebel tulip,
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6ow1noTWsRpDAnup2EoZrh9YrknB8jPp62U0cXTHaYTgYDlO2pPK3L3yataxzFWmdYZfF5XyNPVC-gBIZiJz5bXVOd4pbqVEbro2wDjswKGt2s3pozPP5928Jt2xPL3ZtnPrhrb6-sM/s400/IMG_0048.JPG)
Or a patchwork one.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMhQ6K8MzF6GIeXEJJg2k10ktkXcdgOENq32MrpooJcX9XYV_gvG7CcZNDWsnh9UlAhEGfeeFnRDztRjEs6uJUgQZ_8jGlfQdcAuIedvBJ73kH5jwbG0rh1xG1s-9VcdiXqeEXiVFpHe8/s400/IMG_4986.jpg)
How would you like your garden to look like this?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8cpcU2MdF3r8nqH6cJU0wu7b2Vov4m_C8PwohUMnzCFY2wUbmZM3NYN9lAmumv-DkFKo4vWGZKe7NM6pKe8pr_6fsvrzuA93A0bDZnAOuAuxVT0ZhBLFefUCt-o1u0cfDEO3V3dwbTxg/s400/IMG_0028.JPG)
These tulips are grown for their bulbs, which are sold all over the world. The flowers, short-lived, are picked and tossed away.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfelKMSvN5-G9d5byzBxrygLYoNMoxOFcVwAQklrR7LNYr8mCC1t-f51Y6TZHiBkWbqDTIZr3L1LGdag9ZJCFDum7Sb9yDFHoio9Y6Qa-6fhBLCAavYcyToZug1ODzSPsMr67edJro3E/s400/IMG_0023.JPG)
A good reminder that what's important is often deep down inside and can't be seen.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOhSg_Nq-Da2CngeCE88L9C3xgiCA1Cw-mir_hXAgwJkjIewNlXMdiMcIvi-Pd9yaNjCwCjHxvMgYPB29Zhoq2js3QJwl-AlpHlI5VrGhlCLlNUdFobzZfoImwJbaweJAR6j-jkP93Fo/s400/IMG_0011.JPG)
Which brings me to my all-time favorite virtue.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNP1MHTtLQigmv0ru05cCVSNygWleJFLsZxd3S_K07BZcEymsBCG1D_zo9Is3nt5ej5A-ggcZdBPPCgLq7rrdj0FzHKHlNevliwmODqdDikAdsH3wyB9NAx3PkrM-WR4fS3H9N9zs8ow/s400/IMG_0051.JPG)
Happy holiday weekend, everyone!