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This weekend, Jeff and I hit the annual Flower and Garden Show at the Cow Palace. We have come to really look forward to this event. The creative exhibition gardens seem to feed our desire to get outside and make changes in our own garden. Unfortunately, this year was a bit of a disappointment. Unlike last year (photos here), we found the exhibition gardens to be a bit lacking in creativity. (Hence the flowery pooch to the left!)

Nevertheless, we really did enjoy the show. We each found a favorite garden. Jeff’s was an “undersea” theme, with succulents of all shapes and sizes to represent coral and anemones and other ocean floor sculptures.

My favorite was a simple “urban meadow”, that made seemingly unruly plants look beautiful and effortless.

One thing that didn’t change was our annual chat with the obsidian wind chime artists…Richard and Deborah from Portland. We’ve seen them each year, and always have a fantastic time talking about their latest creations.

Versailles is definitely the height of grand excess. The main Chateau is enormous, the grounds are expansive, and even the secondary buildings are opulent.

But in the winter, Versailles is quieter and more personal. In contrast to the throngs of visitors we encountered last June, February tourists seem more reverent…or perhaps just muffled by heavy coats and wool hats. This Versailles is still glittering inside, but the rooms are more accessible, allowing us to spend more time envisioning the life of the occupants.

Outside, the ornamental gardens sit awaiting spring plantings. The famous fountains and Grand Canal are still. The sculptures stand covered–protected from the elements.

I love the hustle and bustle of city streets, but my favorite time of day is dusk. At this time, shop windows really jump out against the faintly lit buildings. The windows become living dioramas, busting with color.

One of my favorite views was watching this young baker at work. I will probably cross-post this on Strangers, but I like the image so much that I had to post it here as well.

It is Friday. It is sunny. And Jeff is home from almost two weeks in China. 🙂

For those of you who haven’t checked out Jeff’s blog this week, today is the day. Jeff has posted some of his pictures from Beijing, including three fascinating shots of his walk through a local market. For me, these shots are just so foreign, particularly when you compare them with my shots of Paris. I just have no reference for everyday life in China.

(By the way…just a hint. If you COMMENT on Jeff’s blog, he may be more motivated to post more pictures 🙂