SOLO TRIP TO MEADOWLARK

I was able to go to Meadowlark Gardens on my own a few weeks ago, before learning of this awful health scare that we are all going through.  It is closed now and may not open again for a very long time. We had no idea what was coming.

  Gregg was out of town for the week and I thought it might be a good opportunity to do a bit of birding.  I went in the middle of the week, and early in the day.  There weren't too many people around and I was hopeful.

The tiny homes were still under glass in the Fairy Garden. 

As it turned out, I wasn't too successful with my birding expedition, but I enjoyed all the crocus and the pansies, plus the pretty surroundings.  

I made my way along the path that goes by the children's garden. 

The frog was patiently waiting for birdlife as he looked through his binoculars staring up at the sky.    You can just make him out as he sits atop the framework, just off center near the top right of the above photo.  The unstuffed lady rabbit topiary was patiently waiting to be stuffed again so that she could get her girlish figure back. I found another frog not in its usual spot, but lying down between two seats, reading its book looking slightly uncomfortable.  It normally sits near the lake.

As for me I found a quiet, out-of-the-way spot on one of the benches. Behind me I saw a few birds in the meadow which had been planted and left to go wild. Anticipating success I prepared my camera, patiently settling down to wait. 

I was looking for birdlife when I heard a lady's voice. I had noticed her walking at a fast pace earlier in another area, and when she saw me she started a conversation.

She was a very nice lady, very pleasant and I didn't want to be churlish as I enjoy a conversation as much as anyone else.  She started telling me about the garden, that she lived nearby and had visited often.  It was obvious she knew a lot about the birds and flowers, and also mentioned that she belonged to a garden club.  

She asked me if I had seen any of the Bluebirds in the area.  I replied I had not but was told to look out for them as they were still around.  She sat down and showed me photos on her cell phone of the flowers she had taken.  Also she told me about another wonderful garden I had never heard of.  It was somewhere in the Luray area.  I'm glad I wrote it down as I certainly can't remember it now.  It's somewhere and I will have to go on a search!  

As she told me how much she enjoyed visiting various places, I asked if she had been to Huntley Meadows.  She had not and after I described it to her she seemed very interested in my description of the park and said she would go. Another half an hour went by with her telling me all about the area, before she said she had better head for home.  She said goodbye and how much she had enjoyed our chat.  

I found this lovely American Robin not long afterwards, which you may remember if you saw it in a post I shared in early March. 

There was also a goose and mallard pair swimming in the lake...

I never tire of seeing them.

So, not too many birds but I now know of a new place to explore thanks to the unexpected conversation.  We are looking forward to going there one day, whenever that may be now.   But it will be something to look forward to.  

I strolled around the lake, past the gazebo and found another bench to wait patiently for the birds.  However, two other ladies walked by and started chatting, so I silently said to myself that today won't be my birding day, put my camera down, turned towards them and smiled.  

It was a day for conversations not birding, and this time I decided to call it a day as it was time to go home.  I admired many plants, one of which was the Witch Hazel. 

At the visitor center, I said goodbye to Sunshine...

 and walked back to the car.  Another lovely trip to the garden, not exactly the one I intended but one I enjoyed all the same.  When I left I had no idea that it would probably be a long time before I visited again. 

I hope you're all doing okay out there.

MEADOWLARK GARDENS, VIENNA, VIRGINIA

On Sunday after a few days of rain, the sky was a perfect blue and the temperature, though fresh, was quite mild compared to what it had been. We decided to drive to Meadowlark Gardens.  I was very comfortable wearing a coat.  I could have done with a scarf to wrap around my ears, but I only thought about this when we sat on one of the benches for a few minutes to look across the lake.  It was a lovely day and we both had a great time being back.  Our last visit was in October 2019.

I remembered last year at this time there was no admittance charge, and such was the case today.  We always buy an annual pass as we are here a lot during the year, but it is very nice for people with larger families especially.  There were a dozen kids using lots of their energy, and at the same time being exposed to nature.  For the amount of cars in the parking lot it was not that crowded.  Perhaps with 90 acres to explore the place just doesn't feel crowded.   

The wildlife was a bit scarce but we did see a pair of Mallard ducks, male and female, a grand total of two birds flying from tree to tree, a pair of Canada Geese in the distance being chased by a little girl, with a mother chasing her (the geese thought it prudent to take to the air and fly across the lake), and later an American Robin. The only photos we took were of the ducks as everything else didn't hang around long enough, or were just too far away.

Signs of life in the sprouting of new buds on the trees...

and new shoots growing all over the park...

pansies planted...

a few flowering plants like the Woodland Camelia shown at the beginning of today’s post, and other vegetation in their dormant stage.  The grass was still very brown.  

There were several Winter aconite, these yellow flowers.  You can read about them here.

Our main purpose was to get out and enjoy a good walk in favorite surroundings, as even in the winter we get such a sense of peace.  It is beautiful at any time of the year.

I will have more photos later.  We didn't take as many as we normally do, but there are those left to share after I get them organized.

We visited Sunshine who is kept in one of half a dozen terrariums to the left of the entrance.  You just have to go around the first pillar to see, and we never fail to stop by.  Sunshine was very active, more so than I have seen before, walking at a fast pace in the lizard way, to get from A to B.  Sunshine (my nickname for this little beauty) is a fascinating Bearded Dragon, who always seems to be smiling.  

And on that note...