Spring Garden

You see the flowers before you even enter the garden.

The sound of water greets you near the welcome center.

As you leave the visitor center and enter the garden

you pause, you breath, and you relax.

Some of the earliest spring flowers to bloom are the daffodils

which celebrate the end of winter with their bright yellow trumpets.

In addition to the daffodils

there are crocuses, hyacinths, and wildflowers.

A nice breeze blowing off the nearby lake stirred the flowers,

filling  the air with sweet scents.

Have you every stood near a field of hyacinths?

The smell is amazing!

The flowers weren't the only gorgeous thing in the garden. 

Now, to the reason I went to this beautiful botanical garden

"the tulip extravaganza."

Thousands of breathtaking tulips line the pathways

and are scattered on the hillsides;

every color, size, and variety you can imagine.

I took hundreds of pictures of the tulips. I couldn't share them all here, but if you'd like to see a few more I'm posting today at Focusing On Life. I'd love to have you drop over and see them.

If you're ever in Arkansas you must visit the beautiful Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs. Every season is spectacular.

Having Fun

I take so many pictures each day that sometimes I get in a rut. I can't begin to count how many pictures I have of trees and mushrooms. Sometimes I need a new activity to spice up my photography. Today, over at Focusing on Life I shared a new way I'm seeing my world. Come see what I've been playing with.

Snow Day

It began as sleet peppering against the windows.

Around midnight it turned to big fluffy flakes of snow.

By morning we had at least six inches.

It didn't take me long to bundle up and head outside.

It's a different world out in the woods with everything covered in snow.

The usual browns of winter had turned to almost black and white.

The pine trees were gorgeous, their branches holding layers of snow.

There is nothing like the quiet in the woods on a snowy day.

All I could hear was the sound of water,

a few birds, and my own footsteps.

It was the perfect snow.

The snow fell.

Children got a snow day from school.

Snowmen were built.

Snowballs were thrown.

The sun popped out mid-morning.

The roads began to clear.

By mid-afternoon life around the city was pretty much back to normal.

Perfect!

I want to thank my friend, Katie Austin, for showing me the beautify of the world through a crystal ball. I love snow globes and now I feel like I can make my own!