Spring into Summer- Daegu

In May, the plum trees were blooming and everything was getting greener in Daegu...

...Now it's June, and the plants have grown so much, it's hard to believe that 
these two pics were taken in the same place.
Now I know why Korea is considered a subtropical climate... 
check out the muggier summer atmosphere :)

I hike a lot around our local lake and have recently started 
venturing farther, to the 7-mile hike up the big mountain.
Here's a view from the top with our lake, Dansanji, in the background.

The view on the other side of the summit...

... and, another angle with Mt. Palgonsan (the end of the Taebaek mountain range) in the background.  Breathtaking!

At the summit, there is a traditional Korean workout area and 
a sacred pine tree with nine trunks.

Pine trees are important symbols to Korean culture; 
they have been used in much Korean life of the past.
It's also really peaceful to walk under them and just listen to the wind blow through.

We celebrated Mother's Day May 12 by going to E-World, 
an amusement park in Daegu.  
What a fun place!

On May 20 I traveled to Jeonju University with my Art students and 
the DIS Music dept. and students, for the SKAC Fine Arts Festival.
My students' artwork was a hit. ☺

Levi played viola in his first ensemble concert at the SKAC Fine Arts Festival 
with the DIS 7th grade Orchestra, here with their marvelous director, Mr. Hutchings.

In May we also went to Seoul for a co-worker's wedding.
On the bus ride there we passed miles of flooded rice fields- getting ready for the summer crop.

Doyle's wedding was at Myeongdong Cathedral, built in 1897.

The cathedral was beautiful, and it was a lovely ceremony with a full mass.  

A nice day for hanging around with our friends and seeing new things. :)

The beautiful bride and handsome groom greeted guests at the dinner reception 
in their traditional Korean clothing.
Marly looked a little silly, too much plum soda I think!

Back in Daegu, here is the view from our living room May-June... 
Roses and daisies on the hillside in full bloom!

The fences around DIS were all covered with roses May-June.  Just Beautiful!

The neighborhood is also showing lots of signs of growth... some of the high-rise apartments are finished, many more are under construction, and new stores and restaurants are being built in the neighborhood all the time.  The development is astonishing.

The kids both played in a couple of final soccer tournaments- some home, some away.
Here's Marly in action in a home game.
Levi's 6 on 6 middle school team won at an away tournament, he even scored a couple of goals!

The DIS Elementary Spring Concert and Art show was May 23rd.  Marly sang her heart out.

Here she is with her self-portrait (on bottom) and her loving brother. ♥

The DIS High School/Middle School Spring Art & Music Show was May 30th
and my students' artwork looked amazing!!

Levi did a wonderful job playing viola again for three songs with 7th grade orchestra at the concert.

On May 3, all 4th graders presented a Biography fair where they dressed up and acted like a famous person.  Marly chose Galileo Galilee.
Here she is explaining astronomy to a younger student. 

June 4th, DIS had a fun carnival day to wrap up the end of the school year. The day ended with a huge water fight.  Everyone was out to soak and get soaked... See Levi in front in his teal shirt... 

Mr. Hinkle came prepared. Those cups are not for drinking,
they are for filling and dumping on people.

It was all-out war on Mr. Jolly!

The kids had a soaking good time.
Great way to end the school year.

School's out for summer and I'm enjoying walks in the park,
especially since Bongmu park has a big garden with a profusion of flowers!

Lilies, poppies, bachelor's buttons- the view is intoxicating.

The coffeeshop at the park is displaying my students's artwork for a month.  ☺

Happy Summer from Daegu! Love the black-eyed susans.