{"id":3446,"date":"2015-03-29T05:00:31","date_gmt":"2015-03-29T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/?p=3446"},"modified":"2016-03-27T21:49:54","modified_gmt":"2016-03-28T04:49:54","slug":"daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/","title":{"rendered":"Daffodil Fields and Tulip Mania"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_3440\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0944-e1427157780829.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3440\" data-attachment-id=\"3440\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0944\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0944-e1427157780829.jpg?fit=750%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"750,500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426867491&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;160&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tulips at Roozengaarde\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;tulips at RoozenGaarde, March 20, 2015 &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0944-e1427157780829.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3440\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0944.jpg?resize=610%2C407\" alt=\"tulips at RoozenGaarde, March 20, 2015 \" width=\"610\" height=\"407\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3440\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">tulips at RoozenGaarde, March 20, 2015<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>Tulip Mania in Seventeenth Century Holland.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re an investor, you may have heard of \u201ctulip mania,\u201d sometimes referred to as the world\u2019s first recorded speculative bubble. Speculative bubbles always sound crazy after the fact, this one especially so.<\/p>\n<p>Tulips were the new big thing in Holland in the early seventeen century. They were originally cultivated by the Turks, but now Dutch farmers were growing them. The country was in the midst of their Golden Age, and its upper classes were feeling exceptionally prosperous, and tulips were the luxury they coveted above all else, especially the flamboyant multi-hued tulips with streaks of white or yellow.<\/p>\n<p>Soon speculators entered the market, buying on margin. At some point ordinary people began to dabble in tulips. And since ordinary people always come late to investment opportunities, their entrance into the market was a clear sign that tulips were ripe for a fall. By then, the price of a single bulb had climbed so high that the most prized variety sold for more than the value of an Amsterdam house.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, in 1637, the inevitable happened. The tulip bubble burst.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3442\" style=\"width: 471px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0932-e1427157718804.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3442\" data-attachment-id=\"3442\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0932\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0932-e1427157718804.jpg?fit=461%2C307&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"461,307\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426866620&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;21.553&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.008&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tulips meet daffodils\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Tulips meet daffodils at RoozenGaarde.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0932-e1427157718804.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3442\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0932-e1427157718804.jpg?resize=461%2C307\" alt=\"Tulips meet daffodils at RoozenGaarde.\" width=\"461\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3442\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tulips meet daffodils at RoozenGaarde.<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><strong>The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Holland is still known for its tulips, but the bulb farmers in the Skagit Valley in Washington State give them a run for their money. In fact, the largest single business in the world for growing tulips, daffodils, and irises is the <a title=\"Roozen family\" href=\"http:\/\/mynorthwest.com\/108\/2485101\/Behind-the-scenes-at-the-Skagit-Valley-Tulip-Festival\">Roozen family\u2019s Washington Bulb Company<\/a> located in Skagit Valley.<\/p>\n<p>The <a title=\"skagit valley tulip festival\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tulipfestival.org\/\">Skagit Valley Tulip Festival<\/a> doesn\u2019t officially start until April 1, but this year our winter was warmer than usual, so my sister and I took a little day trip on the first day of spring, March 20, to see what we could see.<\/p>\n<p>Daffodils are always a little earlier than tulips, so it was no surprise that we saw fields bright with daffodils. We also saw fields of early blooming daffodils that had already wilted.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3436\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0917-e1427157917938.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3436\" data-attachment-id=\"3436\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0917\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0917-e1427157917938.jpg?fit=675%2C450&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"675,450\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426865443&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;8.187&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.005&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Sue and daffodils\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Sue and a field of daffodils&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0917-e1427157917938.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-large wp-image-3436\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0917.jpg?resize=610%2C407\" alt=\"Sue and a field of daffodils\" width=\"610\" height=\"407\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3436\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sue and a field of daffodils<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0919-e1427157961571.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3435\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0919\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0919-e1427157961571.jpg?fit=750%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"750,500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426865566&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;13.633&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"daffodil field\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0919-e1427157961571.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3435\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0919-e1427157961571.jpg?resize=750%2C500\" alt=\"daffodil field\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0913-e1427157885504.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3437\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0913\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0913-e1427157885504.jpg?fit=307%2C460&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"307,460\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.9&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426865333&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;77.194&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;250&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0913\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0913-e1427157885504.jpg?fit=683%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3437\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0913-e1427157885504.jpg?resize=307%2C460\" alt=\"IMG_0913\" width=\"307\" height=\"460\" \/><\/a>After some amateur photography from the side of the road, we headed for the display garden at <a title=\"tulips\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tulips.com\/\">RoozenGaarde<\/a>. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, the vast majority of them making a stop at RoozenGaarde. Even on March 20, the garden had crossing guards to help us cross the country road from their event-sized parking lot.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0938-e1427157838842.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3438\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0938\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0938-e1427157838842.jpg?fit=675%2C450&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"675,450\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426866916&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Nicki Chen at RoozenGaarde\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0938-e1427157838842.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3438\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0938-e1427157838842.jpg?resize=675%2C450\" alt=\"Nicki Chen at RoozenGaarde\" width=\"675\" height=\"450\" \/><\/a>It was windy and cool. I&#8217;m glad I brought my hat.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0945-e1427157755344.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3441\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0945\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0945-e1427157755344.jpg?fit=461%2C307&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"461,307\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426867544&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"RoozenGaarde and daffodil field\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0945-e1427157755344.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3441\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0945-e1427157755344.jpg?resize=461%2C307\" alt=\"RoozenGaarde and daffodil field\" width=\"461\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0939-e1427157674265.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3444\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0939\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0939-e1427157674265.jpg?fit=461%2C307&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"461,307\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426867007&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Roozengaarde\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0939-e1427157674265.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3444\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0939-e1427157674265.jpg?resize=461%2C307\" alt=\"Roozengaarde\" width=\"461\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a>Each year three hundred thousand bulbs are planted by hand in RoozenGaarde. Not all the tulips were in bloom by the first day of spring, but there were more than enough for a beautiful display.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3439\" style=\"width: 760px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0947-e1427157803433.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3439\" data-attachment-id=\"3439\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0947\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0947-e1427157803433.jpg?fit=750%2C500&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"750,500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426867592&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;125&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"tulips and hyacinths\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;tulips and hyacinths&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0947-e1427157803433.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-image-3439 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0947-e1427157803433.jpg?resize=750%2C500\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3439\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">tulips and hyacinths<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We topped the day off with some fun shopping in nearby <a title=\"LaConner, WA\" href=\"http:\/\/www.lovelaconner.com\/\">LaConner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0963-e1427157695493.jpg\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3443\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/daffodil-fields-and-tulip-mania\/attachment\/img_0963\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0963-e1427157695493.jpg?fit=461%2C307&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"461,307\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon PowerShot SX170 IS&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1426873346&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.004&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"LaConner\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0963-e1427157695493.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3443\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/IMG_0963-e1427157695493.jpg?resize=461%2C307\" alt=\"LaConner\" width=\"461\" height=\"307\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/my-signature.png\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"443\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/writing\/187\/attachment\/my-signature\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/my-signature.png?fit=189%2C62&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"189,62\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"my signature\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;my signature&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/my-signature.png?fit=189%2C62&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-443\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/my-signature.png?resize=189%2C62\" alt=\"my signature\" width=\"189\" height=\"62\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tulip Mania in Seventeenth Century Holland. If you\u2019re an investor, you may have heard of \u201ctulip mania,\u201d sometimes referred to as the world\u2019s first recorded speculative bubble. Speculative bubbles always sound crazy after the fact, this one especially so. Tulips were the new big thing in Holland in the early seventeen century. They were originally [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[862,318],"tags":[740,742,739,741,735,736,738,737],"class_list":["post-3446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gardens","category-photography","tag-daffodill-fields-in-skagit-valley","tag-laconner-wa","tag-roozen-family","tag-roozengaarde","tag-the-2015-skagit-valley-tulip-festival","tag-tulip-mania-in-seventeeth-century-holland","tag-washington-bulb-company","tag-worlds-first-speculative-bubble"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3Kn1e-TA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10200,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/travel\/crowds-at-the-tulip-fields\/","url_meta":{"origin":3446,"position":0},"title":"Crowds at the Tulip Fields","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"April 30, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Oh, no! I thought. The closer we got to RoozenGaarde the more the traffic on the narrow country road began to back up. I\u2019d been warned not to attempt to see the tulip fields on a weekend. But I wanted to go with my family, and they had to work\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Gardens&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Gardens","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/gardens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/IMG_3883-e1682539070895.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12242,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/gardens\/the-serenity-of-kubota-garden-in-spring\/","url_meta":{"origin":3446,"position":1},"title":"The Serenity of Kubota Garden in Spring","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"April 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"On the first day of spring, two of my daughters, my son-in-law, grandson and I visited Kubota Garden in Rainier Beach, Seattle. It\u2019s a big garden, 20 acres, so we had a nice walk. Japanese gardens have their own style and philosophy. You shouldn\u2019t expect them to wow you with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;beauty&quot;","block_context":{"text":"beauty","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/beauty\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kubota Garden, Japanese garden","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5410-e1776384498426.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12201,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/letters\/fragments-from-the-past-dads-wwii-letters\/","url_meta":{"origin":3446,"position":2},"title":"Fragments from the Past: Dad&#8217;s WWII Letters","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"March 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Photo by Brandie Robbins on Pexels.com My sister has been the keeper of Dad\u2019s WWII letters. I didn't read them until a few weeks ago when we were driving north through Skagit Valley on our way to Chuckanut Manor for lunch. On a straight stretch along I-5, Sue reached behind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;ancestors&quot;","block_context":{"text":"ancestors","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/ancestors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"tulips field under blue sky","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pexels-photo-7419804.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pexels-photo-7419804.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pexels-photo-7419804.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pexels-photo-7419804.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pexels-photo-7419804.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pexels-photo-7419804.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10206,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/photography\/stopping-time-saving-beauty\/","url_meta":{"origin":3446,"position":3},"title":"Stopping Time &#038; Saving Beauty","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"May 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The nursery school my daughters attended had a large grassy playground with a kalachuchi tree as big as a large house on one end of it. Every day when I dropped my daughter off, there were tens of dozens of kalachuchi blossoms on the grass, and the gardener was sweeping\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Gardens&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Gardens","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/gardens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/IMG_3853-e1682537890615.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4129,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/china\/4129\/","url_meta":{"origin":3446,"position":4},"title":"Second Anniversary of my Blog","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Okay. I admit, I missed it. I should have celebrated the anniversary of my blog on August 7. But the occasion totally slipped my mind until one day I clicked on Timo\u2019s post, \u201cSecond Blogaversary.\u201d You see, Timo started his blog Crazy Chinese Family a few days after I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;blogging&quot;","block_context":{"text":"blogging","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/blogging\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Celebration","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/celebrate.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11784,"url":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/sedro-woolley\/september-drive\/","url_meta":{"origin":3446,"position":5},"title":"September Drive","author":"Nicki Chen","date":"September 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"It was a beautiful day in early September, the day after Labor Day. We were keeping up with the traffic in my sister\u2019s favorite lane\u2014the far right. (I prefer to stick in the center lane, but \u2026 Sue was driving.) You might think traffic on I-5 would be heavy on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Sedro-Woolley&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Sedro-Woolley","link":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/category\/sedro-woolley\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/546473534_10161551464107791_1232153610109263766_n-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/546473534_10161551464107791_1232153610109263766_n-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/546473534_10161551464107791_1232153610109263766_n-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/546473534_10161551464107791_1232153610109263766_n-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3446"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3470,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3446\/revisions\/3470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nickichenwrites.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}