In walking, just walk. In sitting, just sit. Above all, don't wobble.
A visit to the Garden on the rare, sharp, sunny January day last weekend, opened my eyes to the beautiful and subtle changes going on in the Garden. First of all, what a great pleasure to be able to bring my dog for the visit.
Instead of just glancing through the courtyard gates, we explored the beautiful fields and paths beyond and headed down the hill for a glimpse at the icy shards forming on Mirror Lake. It was pure joy for Homer the dog and a big surprise for me: the path looping around the fields was lush and green and soft beneath my feet.
As I headed back up the hill past Song Mei Ting, I spotted Bob Seely and Dewey Webster hard at work. Garden Manager Bob Seely has worked tirelessly to improve the landscape since he began at the garden over 5 months ago. This month, in addition to laying the rocks that surround the new peony garden, he is revitalizing the rock pond at the corner of Knowing the Spring courtyard. He and docent Dewey Webster spent the weekend scraping down rocks from the edging in order to reclaim a more pond-like look to that area.
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The tree peonies donated to the garden by the city of Luoyang have been meticulously planted on the berm flanking the courtyard - in just a few years, the blooms will be stunning. As you can see, the large carp sculpture on the right (the Dragon Seeker!) will soon be "floating" amidst those beautiful peonies. The new moon on January 30 begins the year of the Horse, a time of fast victories, unexpected adventure, and surprising romance - one quick visit to the Garden on a crisp January day, and I could feel that energy.
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