I alternate my daily exercise between runs and walks. While I enjoy the high-intensity cardio benefits of running, I really like my walks because I have a chance to observe and appreciate my natural surroundings. I’m fortunate to live in a part of Seattle where so many destination points are located within a 2 mile radius.
One walk day a few Tuesdays ago, I brought my Springtime Wanderer doll with me. (I made a similar Springtime Wanderer for my shop, but that one is waiting to hitch a ride in someone else’s pocket.) Before we left our front yard, we stopped to admire the shade garden by the front gate. Right now, smith’s fairybells (disporum smithii), toad trillium, bleeding hearts, and violets are growing. There was a time when nothing would grow in this portion of the yard. When I started to garden with intensity, I dug down and found masses of roots from the trees that grew prior to our arrival. Years later, that portion of the yard is one of the most abundant in foliage.
Before heading to the Volunteer Park water tower, we took a detour East to drop off some books at our local library up the hill, the Madrona-Sally Goldmark branch of Seattle Public Library. Outside the branch is a sculpture by Richard Beyer called The Peaceable Kingdom, which depicts a panther and a pig on one side, and a wolf and a sheep on the other. You may read more about the history of this statue and the Madrona neighborhood here.
After our visit to the library, the Springtime Wanderer and I walked 2 miles to the water tower in Volunteer Park. We ascended the stairs, hoping to see the glorious Mount Rainier out of one of the South windows. Instead, we saw sunny spots of greenery:
Before leaving the park, we walked by Isamu Noguchi’s Black Sun sculpture in front of the Asian Art Museum. The Springtime Wanderer hopped up to gaze out toward the Space Needle, painted orange (yes, orange!) for the anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair:
After the Springtime Wanderer and I walked home, I completed various errands, picked up my daughter from school, and took her to choir. My husband and I look forward to Tuesday choir practices because that is one time when we get to enjoy happy hour. We like to go to a restaurant nearby called Poppy. I usually get a glass of wine with an appetizer, but when the Springtime Gnome came along, he cajoled me into trying a cocktail called “Loveless,” made with green chartreuse:
We had a good day.
Farida Dowler lives with her husband and daughter in Seattle, Washington. She makes Alkelda Dolls for creative play and inspiration. Farida sews, plays guitar, runs, and is learning to swing kettlebells. Nonetheless, walking remains her favorite form of exercise.
Great post. I like how one has to search for the doll, sort of like in the where-is-Waldo books. Must try that cocktail some time. 😉
Love seeing all that green with Springtime Wanderer! Love that you included some Art & Seattle landmarks in there too. So fun to see!
Thank you for the Seattle tour! Let’s me feel like I went somewhere and visited friends!
The Springtime Wanderer is adorable!