Adventure at Wildwood Park

I needed peace.

I needed quiet.

I needed to be by myself.

So, I headed to my favorite place where I knew I could be alone. It's a beautiful park that for some reason very few people use and that's all right with me. It's like my own secret garden. The day I was there I saw two ladies walking their dogs, a mother pushing her baby in a stroller, and one gentleman using the trails for exercise.

I always head along the lake to the gazebo where I can sit quietly. There's a little story about the gazebo. Mrs. Gertrude Remmel Butler wanted a gazebo near the edge of Swan Lake. She recruited the help of a well known landscape gardener to design and build the structure. When she saw the completed work for the first time, she was heard to say "This doesn't look like a gazebo. It looks like a boat dock!"  And it does.  There are steps on two sides that lead right down to the water. I like to sit on the steps and imagine Victorian ladies all dressed in beautiful spring dresses, floppy hats, and matching parasols stepping from the gazebo into a rowboat with a handsomely dressed gentleman.

Sometimes I bring my lunch, sometimes a book, and always my camera. This day I sat on the steps of the gazebo and read. I was pretty absorbed in the book when I heard this "whooshing" noise. I looked up and from the other side of the lake I saw Alexander, one of the resident swans, swimming toward me at full speed. His feathers curved over his back and his neck curled back. I know swans can be aggressive, so I'm always careful around them, but honestly I was only sitting near the water reading. I don't know why he thought I was a threat, but he did. Totally clueless of his defensive form, I just sat there watching him quickly close the distance between us and snapping pictures.

When I finally realized he was coming after me he was right in front of me flapping his gigantic wings. You will never believe how fast I can scoot up steps backwards! I quickly looked around for higher ground, but thankfully he didn't try to join me in the gazebo! The picture below was snapped as I scooted up the steps. He was definitely not happy with me. Look at those waves! He was moving fast!

He swam back and forth along the gazebo edge like he was guarding his lake. Alexander is beautiful, but he's just a little overprotective! You can see the steps in the picture below. The bottom step, which is now wet, is where my feet were.

After I realized he had no intentions of joining me in the gazebo I took advantage of his closeness and took a lot of pictures.  I was even able to capture him in my crystal ball.

Finally, he became bored and swam away. While I enjoyed taking pictures and seeing him so close, I felt trapped in the gazebo. I wasn't about to leave my safe spot.

Before he left, we had quite the conversation. I tried to explain that I knew he loved his lady, Bella, and wanted to protect her, but that I was in no way a threat to them. I don't think it worked. He just kept giving me the evil eye! 

He swam slowly back across the lake to Bella. I think he might have been wanting her to acknowledge that he was her hero!

Ah, young spring love!

"In springtime, love is carried on the breeze.

Watch out for flying passion

(overprotective swans)

and kisses whizzing by your head."

~ Emma Racine Defleur

(Words in parenthesis are mine!)

If you'd like to read more about why I was at the lake and see some different pictures, drop by the Focusing On Life blog where I'm posting today.

Finding Stillness

I had things I needed to be doing. I was supposed to be dropping books off at the library and going to the post office and picking up Halloween cards for the grandsons and buying groceries, but instead I skipped all the chores and went to Wildwood Park. I blame it on the car, it just wouldn't go where it should. It somehow knew what I needed: peace, quiet, stillness, alone time. It also knew I needed some comfort food to take along and pulled right into a bakery where I found this delicious Italian Cream cupcake.

This is the one place I know I can always find quiet. Usually I'm alone at the park, but this time there were gardeners working in the rock garden, an older couple strolling by the lake, and a lady walking her black Cocker Spaniel.  We nodded, we smiled, we spoke a greeting as we passed, but mostly we were all just enjoying the cool morning and the quiet. 

I enjoyed the walk along the leaf strewn pathways where I found treasures from nature.  I enjoyed sitting in the rock garden watching the dragonflies and writing in my journal. I enjoyed the breezes blowing through the trees. I enjoyed watching the sun sparkling on the rippling water of the lake, but most of all I enjoyed the swans. As I walked alone the pathway near the lake they swam right beside me. One time when I was taking pictures of a heron across the lake I looked down and one of the swans had walked right up the bank and stood beside me. I'm a little leery of them, as I know they can be aggressive and they are really big when they stand up and reach out their neck.  These two just seemed to want some company. Maybe they were lonely or maybe it was near their feeding time. I don't know, I'm just thankful that they were near and didn't mind me taking their picture.

I spent most of the the day there. I even left, bought some lunch, and came back for a picnic. The company was nice and the time was enjoyable. So what did I find besides the cupcake? Peace, stillness, quietness, and a couple of new friends.

Linking with Kim Klassen's Friday Finds.

Not My Flowers!

 

 

I've enjoyed seeing so many pictures of flowers this summer through the blogs I follow and through Flickr. I have to admit though, that other than a few Lantana plants and a few potted annuals, I don't have flowers blooming in my yard.  I know, that's awful, but I just don't like the heat and humidity of summer. Therefore, I don't want to work in the garden to keep it nice. Instead I have three shade gardens full of Hostas, Ferns, and Azaleas that require very little care. A tiny bit of weeding, fertilizing three times a season, and that's it!  That's not to say I don't love flowers because I do. I just love everyone else's!

 

 

 

So, when I have a hankering to photography flowers, I'm off to my favorite botanical garden. My destination this day was Gertrude Remmel Butler's Gazebo Garden. The garden was breathtaking...lush green from all the recent rains and filled with touches of color.

 

 

I won't bore you with words;

just a few quotes.

Enjoy!

"Tis my faith that every flower

enjoys the air it breathes!"

~ William Wordsworth

"Just living is not enough.

One must have sunshine,

freedom,

and a little flower."

~ Hans Christian Anderson

"Consider the lilies of the field how they grow;

they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you that

even Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these." 

~ Matthew 6:28-29

Kathleen Kelly:   "I love daisies."

Joe Fox:  "You told me."

Kathleen Kelly:  "They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?"

~ from You've Got Mail

Have a bright and happy day!

Friday Finds & Randomness

 

 

I found something really exciting this week. Well, I didn't really find them, but I found out about them.  My favorite park in the whole of central Arkansas is Wildwood Park for The Arts. Their website defines the park's vision "to provide opportunities for lifelong learning, engage the imagination and celebrate the human spirit through encounters with nature and a full spectrum of the arts: visual, performing, literary, horticultural, culinary and more."  The horticultural vision is what draws me. Wildwood contains Central Arkansas’ largest botanical gardens.  That's where I was and that's a little bit about it, now, I'll share what I found.  For the longest time only one swan has made the park its home and Buster is her name. After they named Buster, they found that Buster is actually a "she" so they're working on a new name for her.  Anyway, I was thrilled when I walked up to the lake and saw two more swans. One of the park workers said they had arrived this past weekend. They've named them Elizabeth and Alexander, quite proper names for such elegant creatures. I really hope they come up with an elegant name for Buster!  I also really hope these swans stay around. They seem to be a couple and since July is their mating month...maybe there'll be little ones the next time I visit the park.

Linking with Kim's Friday Finds.

 

 

Randomness

 

#1

Have you ever seen a Bottle Brush Buckeye shrub? Me neither!  Don't they have the prettiest most unusual flowers! Those flowers are called panicles. I had to look that word up. It means "any loose, diversely branching flower cluster." The shrub has white panicles in summer and yellow panicles in fall. Each panicle is about 4 inches wide and a foot long.  I guess I'll be making another trip to the garden to see the fall panicles. (I just like throwing that word in!)

#2

This guy was just too busy satisfying his sweet tooth to notice me and my camera.  I loved these unusual flowers. Anyone know what they are?

 

#3

Another pretty flower from Wildwood gardens. This is Sweet Azalea. Sweet?  Oh, yes!  Have you ever smelled honeysuckle?  This azalea smells just like that and it even resembles honeysuckle blooms!  Amazing smell!
 

 

 

#4

Enough from Wildwood Garden today; on to other randomness. This is my new favorite salad; baby spinach leaves, walnuts, and Craisins drizzled with Raspberry Hazelnut Vinaigrette Dressing. I also like to use Blueberry Craisins and almonds for a different flavor.  Pretty yummy!

 

 

 

#5

And lastly, let's talk about the weather. This is July...this is Arkansas...this is the south and yet, this has been the best summer in a long time. As you probably know I DON'T LIKE SUMMER! My mom always told me not to use the word "hate" but I can't help it!  I HATE SUMMER! Summer heat makes me sick, literally! But, this summer the weather has been wonderful.  Take today for instance...in the 70's...no humidity...breeze blowing...YES...my kind of summer! A great time to rest in the hammock and flip through some good magazines!

 

 

 As a bonus, since it is The Fourth of July,

I'm including one more image

and wishing you all a happy 4th!

 

Looking Back Over Spring

This spring seemed to exceptionally beautiful! I don't know if it was the warmer winter we had that made the flowers extra beautiful or if maybe I was just seeing more this year!  I'm beginning my second year as a photographer, not just a picture taker!  I now see the world with different eyes. The macro world of nature has left me in awe!  There is such beauty in the details that normally our eyes would not even see.  As summer fast approaches I want to share a little of the color and beauty I've captured in the past couple of months.

 

Viewing and capturing nature fills me with gratitude. I am grateful that our God created this gorgeous world we live in for his pleasure and for ours!

"You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." (Nehemiah 9:6)

 (All of these images were taken at the botanical gardens in Wildwood Park For The Performing Arts.)

Linking with

        

{in the picture} - April 2012

I wish you could come and take a walk with me.

We'd go to Wildwood Park where

there's a lake and lovely gardens.

We could wander along the paths

through the azalea garden.

The scent of the rhododendrons permeate the air!

As we follow the Dogwood Trail

we'll have to use stepping stones

to cross several streams.

We could sit and visit for a spell.

I'm sure we'd have plenty to talk about.

Of course, we'd take our cameras

and spend hours photographing

the beautiful flowers and scenery!

When we get weary we could sit back

and relax in the gazebo by the lake...

 

 and watch the swans.

If we could walk together,

I'd be so happy I would twirl.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday ~ April 1, 2012

Another week has rolled around, this one brought beautiful sunny skies and hot temperatures; eighty degrees when we should just be in the upper sixties! One day I decided to check out what was blooming at Wildwood Park. I took my lists of prompts for this week and set about fulfilling them!  It was fun specifically look for the five items all in one morning at one place!

Our prompts this week were:

• clouds
• sun flare
• seven
• high angle
• low angle

Clouds

On the edge of a beautiful lake sits this rock gazebo with arched openings. A perfect place to look at blue skies and fluffy clouds!

Sun flare

The sun was high as I looked out the arch, creating a lovely sun flare.

Seven

Seven was harder to find. I did find a branch with seven leaves, but that just didn't work for me. Then I saw this beautiful Rhododendron with only seven flowers on this blossom were open. I wish I could put a scratch and sniff button on my blog!  With so many of these bushes blooming along a pathway, the air was filled with the most delicate and enchanting fragrance!

 Mountain Azalea Rhododendron Prinophyllium (nudiflorium) Arkansas Native

High Angle

This scripture verse is in the center of the gazebo.

 Low Angle

I'm on my knees at the bottom of a hill looking up at the sky!  This rock garden was my favorite area of the park!

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy,

if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you,

if the simple things in nature have a message you understand,

Rejoice, for your soul is alive.”

~ Elenora Duse

Wishing you a beautiful week filled with beautiful things!