Respite.

Friday night activities are hard on me. I'm usually tired from the work week and want nothing more than to collapse on the couch and read. Also, I'm done with work at the super early hour of 4:30 pm and this makes it inconvenient for me to attend gatherings which usually start at six or seven pm. Do I go home and come back? Do I hang out downtown for a few hours? It seems to much to figure. Every once in awhile, I do venture out on Friday night. Here is how one such adventure of filling time turned out.

Today, we were meeting at 7 pm. It is the end of the school year (yet school goes on and on!) and I was exhausted. I headed to the library to pick up some holds, read there until close to six and then wandered down to Pioneer Square to hang out on the steps until seven.

I had no idea what an amazing pick-me-up this would be. Each year Pioneer Courthouse Square is decorated during the Rose Festival for a Festival of Flowers. The display has a theme each year, this year's was "Parterre." After the event is over the general public can purchase the flowers and shrubbery at greatly discounted prices. The displays are usually visually striking, but this year I was in love with the Adirondack chairs. As were many other people. I sat and read and people watched and drank in the city until I felt much, much better.
I eventually switched chairs so I could have a footrest and had this view. The clouds didn't even deter me. When it started to sprinkle, I got out my umbrella and kept reading.

The view from my second seat.

As a bonus, on the way to the restaurant, I came across this great old-timey band.

Ahh. Much better.