Monday, March 16, 2009

I'm pretty good friends with the school nurse...she's a divorcee.

I went to the neatest garden today! It's about an hour west of my house, in Weatherford, called Clark Gardens.



The best part was that while it was chilly and cloudy while I was driving, by the time I got there the sun was out and it was fairly warm.





Dwarf Flowering Almond...



There are lots of places like this for sitting and reading...



And there are at least two huge decks...



...with little kitchen areas!







This one was on the other side of the park, but its lake had about 30 or so ducks.



There were lots of halls like this, many of which weren't green yet. Their Spring Festival thing is the first weekend in April, and knowing Texas weather, it should be fully green by then!



The place is HUGE. I'm sure I may have missed at least some of it. This was especially pretty...



The downside is that every time I go now, I'm going to want it to be like it was today: deserted. I think I saw maybe 10 people? I have a feeling it is rarely that way.

Also, a little odd bonus to the gardens: they have this area called Clark Station for miniature trains. Just on the other side of the rainbow...thing.



And they're really cool! They are, as my friend Nella might say, "cute as fuckin' buttons." I saw at least three; this one has a little red caboose (just for you, mom)...



But the little coal train was my absolute favorite. So cute.





So I highly recommend going! I was there for nearly two hours and I didn't even have food or books!

7 comments:

Mob said...

Hey, glad you could enjoy the great outdoors the day we had to leave and return home. This trip was weird; the weather fought us every step of the way.

The gardens are lovely.

Glad we got to see you guys!

Ellen Aim said...

I do NOT envy you that drive!

Glad we got to see you guys, sad I couldn't see everyone at the party, though! Next time...but sooner!

Veloute said...

I am green with envy! ;)

That is gorgeous! I must go there as soon as possible. Drooling over the kitchen areas. I could sit there all day long.

Trains are cool. Nice detail.

And nice pictures!

Triana said...

Wow, what a treasure to find! Excellent! I have a feeling I could get happily lost there for quite some time.

What lens are you using on your XS?

Ellen Aim said...

Vel: Thanks! How cool are the kitchen areas? Unreal. I smell a big-ass picnic with wine.

Tri: My friend says it's deserted ALL the time because no one knows about it. It was once some millionaire's backyard who died and now it's maintained (by...?).

For now just the lens it came with, the 55-80 standard. I wanted to see how it performed, but my 300mm I originally got for my film Canon is (thank god) compatible. I've had it for years but it was an expensive sucker.

Triana said...

I think that's the same lens mine came with. It's an ok lens, I've found it pretty versatile and while I'd like something a smidgen sharper, I really can't complain. Though honestly I look at some of these superior lenses and can't quite tell the difference on how they're suppose to be "better" (and at $1200+ I expect "Oh wow!" differences, not "Oh, well I guess it's sharper...")

I can't believe it's deserted all the time. I'm so going there next trip to Dad's.

Ellen Aim said...

Yeah, I'd better see something revolutionary for that price!

Supposedly it's deserted...but it's so big I almost believe it!!