100 Day Project 2021

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Spring at the Old Mill


I have so many favorite places to see in the spring that it's hard to fit them all in, especially with the spring showers we've been having. Well, more than showers . . . downpours! A must see every spring is the Old Mill, but this year I had to dodge the rain and hope the blossoms had not been destroyed. 

A little history of the Old Mill. It is a historic re-creation of an 1880's water-powered grist mill. It's pretty famous. It was used in the opening credits of the 1939 movie "Gone With The Wind."


It's such a beautiful and relaxing place to take a stroll.


No matter what angle you view the mill from, It's breathtaking!


Friends of the Old Mill and the Pulaski County Master Gardeners do an excellent job of keeping it clean and pretty.


Sometimes the water is an icky reddish color, but with all the recent rains it was flowing clear and pretty.


If you look at the foreground of the picture below you can see a concrete bench created by Senor Dionico Rodriquez, a sculptor and artist of Mexico City. There are also concrete sculptures of toadstools, tree stumps, and tree branches entwined to form bridges.



There are some very pretty pathways to stroll along.


I was surprised to see something new at the mill. An unidentified carver had been at work carving an old tree trunk. He carved an amazing replica of the Old Mill and the letters N L R, which stands for North Little Rock where the mill is located in Arkansas.




The Mill has never failed to please in the springtime.
This year it was exceptional!




"The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Song of Solomon 2:12




Saturday, April 6, 2019

Tulip Extravaganza


I love the way spring spreads itself out over several weeks. First we enjoy the early bulbs, like jonquils and crocus. Next, we enjoy the tulips. And enjoy them, I did, along with my sister. We spent several wonderful hours slowly strolling through Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, AR.



We were a little early to see the daffodils in full bloom (see post here) and a little late to see the tulips. The recent frosty mornings had damaged the delicate petals, but since there were over 150,000 tulips planted we had plenty to enjoy! This post doesn't need a lot of words, just walk along the paths with me.




The previous days hard rain had so many of the tulips bowing their heads under the weight of water drops.


You know I can't resist getting in close to see all the amazing details! The fringed tulips were breathtaking, not only unique, but such a lovely color.



Tulips weren't the only things blooming.


The Koi pond is a favorite place for visitors, especially the little ones. Sometimes you have to wait a little bit to get a picture with no one in it.


We ended the day with the peaceful sound of water cascading over rocks.

Next spring event . . . the azaleas!!