Vivian and I went to Anacortes and La Conner this weekend, to attend a friend’s somewhat-spur-of-the-moment wedding reception. This weekend also happened to be the opening salvo in the annual “Tulip festival” in that area of the state.

It’s where all of New England’s fall colors come back to us every year, after the end of winter. I can’t imagine the shipping arrengements; it must be horrendous.

On my left, as I took the lovely postcard view above, was a not-yet-in-bloom planting of tulips which will provide a lovely american flag, probably before the end of the week. Standing guard over this patrotic flowerbed? Naturally, Lady Liberty.

All around me?

• A five person family of subcontinental Indian cultural and physical features, speaking a language I didn’t understand and driving a giant BMW SUV.
• Three persons of East African appearance and language posing for a picture with the statue and the flowers.
• The two Middle-Eastern gentlemen who run the espresso hut conversing quietly in Arabic, while their be-chadored wives did the same.
• No other persons of clearly northern european descent or obviously native english speakers anywhere within one hundred feet (or more – I didn’t get out a tape measure)

It made me feel patriotic, in my own fashion, and happy to notice it.