Before the Tulips

The Skagit Flats are a broad alluvial plain where the Skagit River has washed sediments down from the North Cascade and Northwest Cascade Ranges out into the Puget lowland to create a nearly level, rich agricultural plain in northwest Washington. Skagit County. Near LaConner there are numerous fields planted in bulbs that bloom in April. One has to be aware that on an April weekend, one could be in a traffic jam as people come from miles around to look at the brilliant colored tulip fields during the tulip festival. If one is lucky there is the classic scene of bright red bands of tulips with the heavily snow covered cone of Mount baker rising 10,000 feet above the fields.

Last week I passed through the flower growing area on the way to a project. A dark wet day before the tulips have opened, but I had a nice view of brilliant yellow from a daffodil field in an otherwise brown and gray scene.