Today, we visited the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. The name kind of sounds like a bottle of wine. But it was a very nice nature preserve which started out as a privately owned estate. Not really like an arboretum or a botanical garden. The plants aren't labeled but are in labeled areas such a meadow, Japanese Garden, moss garden, reflection pool, etc. This was a nice place to spend the morning. All of the pictures in this post are from the Bloedel Reserve.
It was a great place to try out the different features of the camera on the phone. The one on the right, for example, was shot using the daylight portrait mode. Essentially highlighting the foreground by blurring the background. The very last one was using the live photo feature which combines a short video with a still frame and the chosen effect is simulating a long exposure. The effect can be seen in the blurred waterfall.
After the Reserve, we tried to go to the Point No Point lighthouse but the place was packed. No parking in either their lot and the overflow lot. The lighthouse is only staffed on Saturday afternoon for four hours. Pretty limited hours during tourist season.
After giving up on the lighthouse, We went on to my brother's house in Port Townsend. His brother-in-law, Jerry, was there and I ended up talking to him quite a bit. He and his wife are now full-time RVing in their 42' fifth wheel. So far, always staying in RV parks as that is their preference. No boondocking.
While Bridget helped with the flowers, I went with my brother and nephew to the wedding venue for the rehearsal. It's a beautiful location right near the water which should help with the warm weather being forecast for tomorrow afternoon.
After the rehearsal, we headed back to my cousin's home in Port Townsend where the thousands of flowers were being put into shape. It was good to visit. We didn't make it back to the hotel until almost 10pm.
Looks very green....sounds like things are shaping up for the wedding.
ReplyDeleteEverything was really green. And, I believe, this area is in a rain shadow so it doesn't get as much precipitation as other parts of the Seattle area.
DeleteI miss the green stuff... the Black Forest has had 3 dry months and there is no end of the dry spell in sight, the trees are already losing their leaves, it looks like fall.
ReplyDeleteBloedel is a bit of a funny name. In German Blödeln means fooling around.
The Reserve is named after the family that owned the land and planted the gardens.
DeleteLooks like a beautiful place to visit! Shame about the crowds and limited hours at the lighthouse!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really nice area though its proximity of Seattle means that it is crowded. Especially during the weekends and holidays.
DeleteGorgeous pics. The waterfall turned out magnificently. It looks like the weather was quite warm. Or perhaps it's just the time of day making the light look harsh in a few pics. What's the thing that looks like a giant sandbox with lines in the sand. It's a very interesting image. Nice job on all of the captures.
ReplyDeleteThank you! The waterfall was an experiment with the using the long exposure setting on the phone. The giant sandbox is the zen garden at the japanese teahouse. Supposedly, you rake the rocks or sand making these patterns to cover your footprints.
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