Bees and Buds - Spring Window at Xi Hua Yuan

Briefly the sun shone.  I was fooled into thinking Spring was just around the corner.  Within seconds, my knees were soaked as I knelt low to capture the new buds, so perfectly fresh, stunningly regal.  A visit to the Seattle Chinese Garden at this time of year can fill you with impatience to see more growth, more blooms, more new buildings, more planned festivals.  And yet today, with the simple parting of the clouds comes joyful anticipation and memories of wise words: "Be patient with the peony, look carefully at the bee. The spirit of a place is strongest when contemplating the most simple."