a cage is still a cage, even if it is made of gold

The June birthstone is actually pearl.  I love pearls, but they always look kind of funny on those birthstone things. I'm adoring Kate Spade's Year of Color June ring with its Midas-kissed look! So pretty!

I took these photos on a recent excursion to the arboretum.  Funny how I lived in the U district for four years and never really explored it thoroughly.  As I prepare to move to DC, I feel sad that I'm going to miss one of the best times in Seattle- the rewarding summer times. 

 It's been three years since I took a ferry ride from the south of Spain, Algeciras, to Tangiers, Morocco.  Looking at these old photos makes me feel strange, since it was before I studied Arabic or knew anything about Arab culture. Not quite nostalgia, but just feeling older in a weary way I suppose.