Blooming Gardens

Spent all day Wednesday with 4 friends and the Wordy One touring 3 wonderful gardens and visiting with the "creators."

The first garden included field stone pillars, garden gates, a gazebo, and a stone house. All were built by hand over a 60 year time period by one man. After we'd seen most of his outside work, a very wicked looking thunderstorm hit and we dashed for the house. Now, I HATE thunderstorms, but in this house made of fieldstone, I couldn't have felt safer. The walls were massively thick! Most of the objects in the home have a wonderful story and we could have stayed all day to listen to the host and relax in the company of friends, but we had to move on.....

Our second stop was a farm in the middle of nowhere at the end of a wickedly long driveway. Paradise hidden. The gardens were in full bloom. The Maple River meandered alongside. Metal art adorned every flowerbed. An old pasture was transformed into the ceremonial grounds of a strange tribe. The tribe members were created from old machinery parts! There was a shaman, a chief, warriors, gift-bearers, mothers and children. Delightful!! Across a large expanse of lawn stood a huge horse, a rooster and hen, caterpillar, grasshopper, and metal plants all made from, you guessed it, metal machinery parts. The host and metal artist took us on the grand tour of his "gallery" and metal shop. This was recycling at its highest form....

Our last stop of the day was the 200+ acre farm of one of our garden tour companions. Rod's farm is all in conservation programs. He has woods, prairie, wetlands, and 2 lakes. Ok, they're smallish lakes, but they're deeper than a lot of the prairie potholes that pass for lakes on the Minnesota state map. The LeSeuer River passes through this property and Rod's efforts are helping to keep it cleaner. We wondered the gardens near his house, then retreated inside (near a large picture window) for coffee, conversation, and continuing views of the woods, ponds, and wildlife.

Ten hours with friends, flowers, and creators.

Life doesn't get much better.

Til later,

Take time to smell the roses