Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, Rain or Shine
We first discovered the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, Oregon, during covid. It was our first road trip in 2021, after we’d (mostly) been released from our quarantine and social distancing. Even though we were outside, we still wore masks.
Fortunately, it was a beautiful, sunshiny day.
We made the same trip the following year but weren’t quite as lucky with the weather.
We tiptoed through the tulips with our hoods up and under umbrellas,
and stayed clear of the benches.
We plan to swing by again this year, hopefully under blue skies and sunshine.
I’ll let you know how it goes!
Sharing with #Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Where’s Benji?
In a box, of course!
Happy Caturday from Susanne and Benji!
Ruby Beach – One of the World’s Best?
Don’t take my word for it, listen to Lonely Planet, which included Washington State’s Ruby Beach on their 2025 list of the world’s best beaches, the only one from the United States to make the list!
No, it’s not a white sand beach, with warm turquoise water for swimming. Nevertheless, it’s a beauty, and I have pictures to prove it from various visits over the last few years.
Here’s what Lonely Planet had to say about it:
“Two miles south of the Hoh River and bordered by a rainforest, Ruby is a great introduction to Washington State and the United States’ Pacific Northwest. It looks like waters have lashed wildly against the shoreline here until trees have toppled and the sea are stacks found with a swirling froth crashing at their feet. It’s great for beachcombers – agates, garnets and sea glass all glitter in the sand – but there is treasure inside its tide pools, too. Anemones, sea urchins, purple starfish and skittering crabs, make it a wonderland for children and adults alike.”
I like the word “introduction” in the description above, because though I love Ruby Beach, I don’t think it’s more deserving than other Washington Coast beaches. Let’s compare to two others further north: Second Beach and Rialto Beach.
Second Beach – yes, that’s really the name – is also wild and scenic and requires a hike through the woods to get to it.
The reward at the end of the trail is worth it – smooth sand and sea stacks!
Rialto Beach, perhaps my favorite, is literally at the end of the road, primeval with its ghost logs and sea stacks, and hike to Hole-in-the-Wall.
There you have it: three marvelous wild Washington beaches that provide nature’s therapy and solitude. I’m glad Ruby made the list, if only as representative of the others.
~ Susanne
Dinner and a Ferry View
My husband took me out for dinner last weekend to one of our favorite restaurants, Anthony’s, but to a new location (to us,) in Tacoma at Point Defiance.
They don’t take reservations, so you walk in, put your name on the list, then they notify you when your table’s ready. While waiting we discovered a walkway along the water, and it wasn’t long till we got the call.
We enjoyed the good food as always and the views as well, including the arrival of the Vashon Ferry.
I’ve taken ferries across Puget Sound my whole life, but I never get tired of seeing them plying the waters.
Next time, we’ll take the trip across to Vashon Island. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll see some killer whales.
~ Susanne
Take a Walk in the Park – at Gene Coulon Memorial Park
Did you know March 30th is #National Take a Walk in the Park Day? Well now you do! I myself only learned it today from #Sunday Stills which inspired me to create this post!
Firstly, I pondered. Shall I pick a national park? We have 3 in Washington State: Mt. Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades, and I have taken too many walks in them to possibly count.
Instead, I decided to share pictures of my favorite local park: Gene Coulon Memorial Park in Renton, where I walk regularly, and no matter the season, always find something new to enjoy.
I love carrying my camera as I walk the paved trail, and probably take more pictures of birds, than anything else, wouldn’t you?
Well, that and the Coulon Walkers, properly called Interface, a sculpture by Phillip Levine, who are always ready to take a walk in the park,
sometimes dressed for the holidays.
“Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park consists of 57 acres along the southeast shoreline of Lake Washington. The park offers unique opportunities for both land and water-related recreational activities.”
So there you have it. My favorite place to take a walk in the park.
~ Susanne
Still the Cute Sleeper
From any angle.
Happy Caturday from Susanne and Benji. 😺😺
The Birds and the Bees and the Flowers and the Trees
It’s been a stormy and rainy first week of spring, but the azaleas are blooming,
attracting bumblebees
and mason bees.
The snag out front is a hit with the birds;
flickers are excavating and will likely move in soon,
juncos sing their hearts out on top.
Meanwhile in the backyard, house finches are busily courting, the handsome male in a rust-colored tuxedo.
The towhee, not quite as red, but perhaps more handsome, is also looking to attract a mate.
Just another week in the spring garden.
~ Susanne
Rainy Days and Gardening
We’ve had a soggy start to spring, but my garden beds are in need of serious renovation. So despite the rain, I headed to the garden center yesterday and found water pooled in the parking lot, forming interesting designs,
including a giant cockroach! (Not to worry, just the reflection of a shopping cart.)
I bought an assortment of plants to replace the overgrown, woody ones, including catmint that didn’t come up this year. Not only do the cats love it, but it’s an attractive herb in the garden.
I also got catnip – a smaller, less attractive plant but more potent – and hoped I could get it into the ground before it was eaten.
The boys were happy to be outside while I worked, and I was happy to have them.
Today, I woke to sunshine and clear skies (hooray!) and went outside to survey yesterday’s handiwork.
Tiger came with me and found the catnip.
There’s still much to be done but I’ve learned the best way is a little at a time. Spring isn’t going anywhere.
Sharing with Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Supervised Visits – Benji and Tiger in the Garden
Spring has arrived and the boys are getting restless, begging to go outside every morning.
We are cautious, since a bobcat was spotted in the neighborhood.
This morning, I went outside and surveyed the land, while making lots of noise. Then I let the boys outside, enjoying signs of spring while they wandered.
The azalea is blooming,
and birds are looking their best, serenading potential partners.
Tiger is old and cautious and never leaves the fenced backyard.
Benji knows the way of escape and disappears for a time.
I see him in the distance, outside the confines of both front and backyard.
I call his name; he’s startled but comes running
looking every bit as wild as the bobcat we seek to protect him from.
Still fast, but with only 3 legs, he’s at a serious disadvantage. And the bobcat is twice his size, probably bigger.
It’s a dilemma.
Benji’s spirit would be crushed if he could never go out again. He’s a born hunter and explorer, so we do what we can to indulge him.
After a morning constitution, we all come back inside.
Perhaps that will do for today.
~ Susanne
What’s For Dinner? Inquiring Minds Want to Know
I’m really not a bad cat parent.
We were gone a few days and the boy must have taken liberties in our absence. I’ll whip him back into shape.
After dinner, that is.
~ Susanne and Benji
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 