Day Tripping

We took a day trip - our first road trip in a while - to the Japanese Gardens at Cowra. In anticipation of a forecast hot day we set off early.

It was an easy 2 and a bit hour drive through country NSW, and we were rewarded with a great big summer sky and glorious vistas . . .

With construction started 35 years ago in 1978, the Japanese Gardens are set on 12.5 acres and are really beautiful. The feel like they've always been there. The overwhelming sense while there was one of tranquility and peace.

We came away with our heads filled with ideas we'd like to incorporate into our own garden. While we've already got some Japanese Maple trees to get started with, we're going to have to get creative in our thinking, though, since our block of land is like the size of a postage stamp in comparison to the Japanese Garden!!

We're looking forward to going back in the autumn to see the stunning Japanese Maples as they change colour . . . and then again in spring to see the Cherry Blossoms . . .

And to creating a little piece of that tranquility of our very own!

There's change in the air

It's been a tough year . . . with some very grey and bleak moments.

But there's hope and brightness creeping back in . . .

And this picture taken today in our front garden represents that hope and light.

How beautiful is that blue sky? Clear and strong and vibrant.

And the glorious pink blossoms . . . beautiful and fragile. Their presence fleeting but the memory lasting much longer.

The new leaves, the new life of the tree - hardly visible but there none the less - about to explode into life. The hope and promise of renewal.

I suppose that's how life is, isn't it? Fleeting and precious. And filled with the promise of greatness . . .

Spring has sprung

Or has Winter returned??

These blossoms found there way into our house recently, being beautiful debris from the birds that love to feast on the ornamental plum tree in our front garden. The blossom's on the trees for such a short time - it seems we just notice it and then some wild weather or a storm and the blooms are gone for another year and the leaves start peeking through. We've been loving the glorious spring days, right up until a couple of days ago when we had snow!!!

Good old Mother Nature - it seems she loves to maintain an air of mystery . . .