Is it just me or is this week traveling faster than I can keep up with it?  I know that the days are getting shorter but this seems ridiculous.  I don’t usually rant…perhaps I figure that if I mix that with my morning coffee it would blow up more than I want it too LOL!  But here it goes anyway:  I’ve strived to remain above and beyond politics and such on my blog because God knows the Internet is filled with enough of that crap as it is.  I guess if I wanted to include a late rant it would be that I wish that the closet activists if they’re going to go active on political things on their blog wouldn’t throw a fit if people don’t comment…if it’s your right to go active politically then surely it’s another’s right to not get involved for their own reasons and not be called stupid or have it suggested that they’re ignorant.  Freedom of expression and speech isn’t dead yet and therefore I feel everyone has their right to do as they please in this regard…there, I pray that wasn’t too painful!  Exit rant left…. 

Today I walked and was thrilled to see a herd of 20 antelope out in the field staring at me benignly.  I think that they are done mating now so they aren’t busy chasing each other and they are settling in waiting for the weather to get bad.  I just love watching them…even if they do eat our flowers on occasion….there are times when I wish I could have a taste of the peace they have…not getting too ruffled over anything and being happy if I could just sit out there and enjoy the sun and some greens while I watched the world go by.  Our scenery isn’t very nice apart from the antelope unfortunately because the terrible cold shocked the leaves on the trees so we have sickly, decaying greens and greys for fall this year.  It’s really saddens me to see the because the one nice consolation for it getting colder is the beauty of the fall colors…well, not this year.  This has had one positive effect however, it makes me enjoy looking over the pictures from Ireland and Scotland all the more.  Today I am pleasantly surprised to present the pictures I have of a very large botanical garden we visited in Edinburgh, Scotland.  I hope this provides a bright spot to your day today!

I’ve seen lots of lowers in my day some that struck me as quite exotic looking (I’m not expert on such things you know).  These greeted us as we entered the garden  …do you suppose those would work as a toilet brush?  Some flowers are standard even to an amateur like me but these seemed to be begging for a picture so I went ahead and took the picture   …I have no regrets about that!  Daisies…don’t you just have to love them  ?  Word has it the queen likes to visit on occasion…do you suppose she’s the queen of roses?  There was a little hut you could stop and sit in…the walls were covered with sea shells  and various pine cones …I’ve never seen anything quite like it.  The path had species of flowers from all over the world…trees too but here I am captured by the beauty of a lilly LOL!  There was a massive hedge wall that divided the flower part of the garden from the part that had more shrubs and trees…you could walk right through a square tunnel…I kept wondering when Alice would run by chasing the white rabbit !  There were little nooks with wonderfully fanciful benches you could sit at everywhere .  Why even think about the dead leaves outside when I can look at this ?  I have no idea what the heck this is…my first thought was perhaps chestnut but I don’t think so…anyone have a clue  ?  This picture seems red and green enough to be sort of Christmassy but I don’t quite like the shot that much .  The sun could be quite bright at times…in fact it was the brightest and warmest this day of all days…I thought this shot would never turn out but I liked how it ended up …weird aren’t they?  We actually got separated from the rest of the team and came to this huge green house…it reminded me out of something from the old version of The Time Machine …as long as the “Morlocks” don’t come out and eat us!  There were many stately trees in this area .  Some parts felt just like home while others were far more exotic.  Mike and Danielle got ahead of us and were looking around at this crossroads…the picture touches me somehow .  Other trees were far more exotic like this one .  It looks like something from a lego set but it could get quite large .  From far away it looks like a pine of sorts but closer you can see how really magnificent it really is …no it’s not a pineapple tree LOL!  It’s called “Monkey Puzzle”  and it’s got to be one of the coolest trees I’ve ever seen!  Of course there were butterflies !  There were some large fungal growths on some trees…I had to reach up as high as I could to get this shot…later we examined it and saw what looks like a stash that was likely from one of the large squirrels that abounded in that area .  These berries are actually quite poisonous…the person there warned us to be careful to keep the kids from eating them .  Not all the beauty was in the tree tops.  I looked down and observed these little gems .  This shot actually reminded me of something we’d see in Japan so I took it…I miss Japan too .  Wandering down the path I saw these little beauties peeking out and looking at us .  They had a wonderful waterfall in one area of the garden .  It makes me wish we were standing there right now!  It was hard to get off the path because there was a thick shrub that was along the path much of the way near the waterfall .  This area looked like surely Alice must be there playing croquet with the Queen of Hearts …but I just couldn’t find them.  Have you ever had an “oh wow” moment?  I think I just did !  Over the hill past the waterfall you could see the roof tops of Edinburgh .  These flowers seemed perfectly dried and spectacular though they were brown .  Some trees have real character…this is one of those trees .  This tree stood next to the exit…I think it’s got character too .  We were walking along and I saw more of the doors I like so much (yes, not only Dublin has doors LOL!)  The tree framed these well I thought .  God is everywhere…not just in churches or quiet meadows…He’s in cities too.  It might take some effort these days but of all the things He’s created people are the greatest creation of all.  We don’t always live up to what we were meant to be but He loves us no less and never stops having faith in us.  I hope this brightened a day or two out there.  God bless you, have a great day!