MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS IN LIFE...

"My two favorite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything.  The perfect day, riding a bike to the library."

~Peter Golkin~

The photo came from my archives. It was taken at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens (Virginia) way back when. I added the books for today's quote. My two favorite things in life (should say people) and goes without saying, are husband and son. But I have great memories from childhood of riding my bicycle up to the library and filling my basket to overflowing. I am still an avid book reader. I enjoy reading on my iPad, but there's nothing like the feel of turning the pages of an honest-to-goodness paper book, and I occasionally add a new one to my collection. We have built-in bookcases in our family room at home, also overflowing. Sitting in the corner reading one of those books is another favorite pastime. Gregg is also an avid reader, as is our son.  

WORD OF THE DAY AND DANDELION POEMS

"Dismiss me as a weed," it laughs, 

For it knows resilience is its craft. 

Roots delve deep, seeking hidden streams, 

Drawing sustenance from heaven's sunbeams."

Which leads me to the word of the day "resilience", which means to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.  At different times we have all had to show our resilience.

"Simple and fresh and fair from winter's close emerging,

As if no artifice of fashion, business, or politics, had ever been,

Forth from its sunny nook or shelter'd grass - 

innocent, golden, calm as the dawn,

The spring's first dandelion shows its trustful face."

~Walt Whitman~

We took a trip up to Skyline Drive the other day. A lot of people had the same idea as it was busier than we expected. This was on a weekday and not the weekend. Being retired we usually go when we think it is going to be relatively quiet, but the warmth and sunshine beckoned many, including us. 

My first poem is with a little help from AI, with prompts by me, changing words to suit my own ideas. Walt Whitman needs no introduction here in the States, but for those of you elsewhere you can click on his name and it will take you to more information.

My photos are from the first overlook. After looking at the gorgeous view, I was drawn to a few dandelions. Seeing the splash of yellow several yards away was enough for me to go check them out.

I thought how pretty! And then when I got home I saw a dandelion in the garden about to shed its seeds everywhere and I went, "Oh no!", aghast at the thought. Why do we do that? Poor old dandelion! And yet when we see a beautiful sculpture of one, we go "Oh that's beautiful!" and admire it.

The sculpture was part of an exhibit at The Norfolk Botanical Garden in 2013, a place we used to go regularly at one time, but it's been a long time since our last visit. 

Poor, maligned dandelion! A field of them looks gorgeous, but one in the garden is enough to make me run to get the weeding tool. There are a few other weeds, but I want to make sure they are not seedlings from the flowers we planted last year. A great gardener I am not by any stretch of the imagination, but I live in hope that we will be seeing a few pretties blooming soon. The hellebore is thriving beautifully.

ADDED NOTE: Saturday, April 20th, 2024.

A link that takes you to Instagram and tells you interesting information about the dandelion  Go here to see it. 

Thanks for visiting and enjoy your day!

NOVEMBER QUIZ - QUESTIONS

I will add this each month. There is no pressure and this is only for fun.  I don't always know the answers.  Some I may have known but long forgotten, and I enjoy the refresher, or learning something new.

Question 1: The unicorn is the national animal of which country?

Question 2:  Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?

Question 3: What is the only fruit that has its seeds on the outside.

Question 4: Cirque du Soleil started in what country?

Question 5:  Where is the largest volcano of the world?

I will be posting the answers tomorrow.

AN OLD VISIT TO THE NORFOLK BOTANICAL GARDEN IN VIRGINIA

My photos this week are from a trip I took to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens in Norfolk, Virginia some time ago.  It is a lovely garden and one I can highly recommend if you ever find yourself in that area. 

We started at the Japanese Garden which was a gift to commemorate the historic trip of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Paul Snyder, the first official delegate to the Sister City association with Moji, Japan.

Further along we came across these lovely lion statues....

and another pond adorned with a carpet of water lilies.

This flower below is called Melampodium.

A nice garden of flowers but I didn't make a note of what they were.

In the next photo you will see my main purpose for going to the garden.  

I had heard about this plant and the explanation next to it read: "Once in a Lifetime: You are witnessing the only flowering of this specimen of the Century Plant (Agave Americana). The Mexican native may wait between 10 to 30 years to flower, depending on climatic conditions. This plant is 15 to 25 years old. After flowering the main plant will die, but small offshoots will continue to grow around the mother plant."  

As these photos are several years old, I am not sure if those offshoots are thriving. I do hope so!

Hopefully we will be able to visit the garden again one day, but as it is some distance away, and with everything else going on, I am not sure when that will be.