I've just returned from a simply lovely jaunt in the Skagit Valley! April 1 marks the beginning of the tulip festival, when tens of thousands of cityfolk descend on the peaceful fields surrounding the towns of La Conner and Mt. Vernon. We came a few weeks early, and were treated to empty fields, and scores of just-born tulips just beginning to open their eyes. The daffodils were in full swing, however, and will probably be gone by the time the festival begins.