Visitors, visiting around and modern bridal sensibilities

Recently I was asked to compose a list of thirty things that I wanted to live for.

The first thing that sprung to mind was that I wanted to live so I could continue to sit in our kitchen breakfast nook and watch the birds feeding outside the window.

(Most women my age say "My grandchildren are what I want to live for." I don't have grands yet, so I usually ask "if you didn't have grands, then what would you live for?" Most of the women fall silent after that. I find that vaguely troubling...don't they want to watch the birds feed too?)

Lately our dinners have been eaten while watching Mr. California Quail perched on the tree outside our window, while he watches over Mrs. California Quail down below.

He is a dutiful little guy...and after he keeps watch for a bit he flies down to the ground and then he and the Missus stroll around our yard, he with his funny little top notch bobbing away, and she always within a few feet of him.

The above photos is rather blurry. That's because we were so excited to see a peacock blue bird with a rust colored neck, gray chest and black wings with bars.

A Lazuli Bunting was feeding at our feeder! They are pretty rare, and absolutely beautiful. You can see a better photo of a Lazuli Bunting here.

Humming birds are now zooming by too. It is time we start putting out a feeder for them too.

In addition to the feathered friends, we also view deer walking up the seasonal stream behind our house. Hart was out once when one deer came through. He hunkered down and watched, but then when a second deer joined the first, Hart cleared the yard in three bounds, raced upstairs to the deck and threw himself at the kitchen door.

We about fell off our kitchen chairs laughing at him!

And then there is another regular visitor to our garden: Larry the Cable Squirrel. Larry races back and forth on the telephone cable line that stretches across our yard. When we are relaxing we like to note how many trips back and forth he makes.

Yeah, we are definitely rusticating here in the lap of the Mt. Olympus.

Rusticating, and liking it just fine.

Now the lizards in our yard are spectacular too....

(Just kidding...these lizards are in the children's area of Red Butte Garden. Pretty cool, huh? They are in an area that every Grammie should be required to visit to see great giggle inspiring ideas for their own home gardens. Oh to be three feet tall again...the little ones especially have a ball exploring this part of Red Butte garden!)

Two weekends ago we were at Red Butte gardens for a Bonsai show. I left B. inside amongst the table top sized trees and went outside to see the giant sized trees instead. The tall skinny pine tree caught my eye. Very Seuss-like, and it would look great in the snow, without hogging a lot of room in the garden like most fir trees tend to do.

Then I noticed the fir tree pictured above. (B.'s was inside the building in the background.)

I had never seen a tree with pink pine cones before. Aren't they wonderful?



Naturally I want one for our yard, and naturally I will need to make another trip to RBG because I forgot to write down the name of this fir tree.

While I was standing around enjoying the sunshine, a Princess wearing her tiara raced by. Isn't that the way it always is with visiting royalty? Royalty always seem on their way to somewhere else.

I wanted to study the flower bed combinations, hoping for inspiration and guidance for when I plant my own flower beds in a week or so.

While I was snooping about the flower beds, a bridesmaid and groomsman strolled by. I thought black satin was a bit heavy choice for a morning garden wedding, but I did admire the pretty turquoise green sash on the girl and the matching vest on the guy.

Moments later the bride came down the pathway. She looked so fresh and happy...and I thought her turquoise shoes and matching webby lace turquoise stockings were quite innovative and fun.

Who says a bride has to wear white shoes anyway?

The blue flowers scattered about seemed to be saying "Let me be the something blue in your wedding today!

The wedding party was headed towards the glass atrium where the wedding reception luncheon was being held. I discreetly walked nearby, hoping to get a glimpse of the inside decor.

Most of the wedding party had not yet gone into the reception, taking a smoking break before heading inside. As I walked around, it dawned on me how and why the wedding colors were chosen.

The bride, the groom, the bridesmaids and the groomsmen all had extensive ink work done on various places on their bodies. The backless dresses frames elaborate mostly turquoise tattoo designs, the bride's feet, now in turquoise flip-flop sandals now revealed that the webby lace design was merely an overlay of her turquoise colored foot, ankle and leg tattoo

The men all had hands tattooed with names and numbers and designs as well...

Maybe this ah-HA! moment for me has already been covered in Tips for the Bride in magazines and websites:

"Before deciding on colors for your wedding, first survey the guys and gals that you plan to ask to be in your wedding to determine the predominate color of their tattoos. Use that information to assure that the colors you select later will compliment their tattoos appropriately."

Bernie was done with his bonsai show about that time so we decided to take a walk around the garden to see what else we could see.

Spring time undergrowth....

A daffodil that looked like more like a rose...

Bees a-buzzing in the forest floral spangled glade (which we skipped because of the bees.)

Another daffodil that had a white cup and a band of white at the base of the yellow petals.

That created quite an interesting halo effect.

Speckled violets...

And striped violets as well.

There were lots and lots and LOTS of flowers and scenes well worth photographing...but we actually were trying to get a brisk walk in as we went. Laura gave me a year's pass to the garden so I will be back for camera play another day.

Later in the same day we visited another garden:

Where the tulips were rioting...

Strange and interestingly shaped tulips...

Frizzled tulips is what I decided they should be called.

As they were blooming in the garden of the absentee honeymooners, I wondered if the frizzled look was the result of growing amidst the hectic pace in which the gardener had gone about planning his wedding.

I felt bad that they bloomed while he was gone...at least he'll be able to see my pictures.

Don't you think the pictures are almost as good as being there to see them in person?

Almost...but not quite.

But I think he will think his Maui honeymoon was well worth missing the chance to see the tulips blooming in his yard this year.