Saturday--Half Marathon and Tulip Festival

The girls had planned for some time to run a half marathon that finished at the Gatefway. The weather was good and I happened to be in the vicinity when I took one of Aaron and Candice's friend and her two little boys to the airport. They had me go since they were out of town. Jenny, the guest, came down from Idaho and needed to catch a flight to New Mexico for a week or so.


Tracie and Tana after Half Marathon--I went to see them at the end of the race at Gateway


The Ks called to invite me to meet them at Thanksgiving Point for the Tulip Festival. I cannot believe I had never been there or known much about it. It was all so beautiful and I took lots of pictures. Even though it was a little windy, we saw the grounds and would love to go again and again.




There were a fair amount of tulips of all colors. There were pansies, and lots of varieties of daffodils, hyacinths, jonquils, and shrubbery. One of the most fascinating place was the carousel with live flowers growing on them. I took a picture. I imagine that when the flowers are in full bloom come summer they will be breathtaking. I took a lot of pictures of daffodils, my favorite.



Another attraction that caught my attention was a young adult playing the bagpipes. I was surprised, and had never before seen a female bagpiper. She was playing the familiar tune, Scotland's National Anthem. It is also the music known as "Praise to the Man," words written by Eliza R. Snow put to the Scottish tune.



The tulips originated back in Persia in the 1600s according to the brochure from the festival. European explorers brought them from Persia to the Netherlands. The tulips were grown later in The Netherlands, and made them famous from then on.