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We have the best neighbors. A week ago we got to baby-sit their playful kids: a one year old girl, Zoë, and their newborn baby boy, Grover. Our reward for watching their precious little ones – 2 free tickets to the Dallas Arboretum.
It had been over a year since last I took Emily to visit the Arboretum. Back then they were exhibiting their “Giant Bug” statues (interesting). On this visit we were delighted to enjoy their annual “Dallas Blooms” display with 3 New Major Gardens.
Dallas is a lovely place to live if you can make it through the dreadful summers. I personally despise heat and I like the cold – but I love the spring and fall temperatures with their gentle breezes and changing trees. Some days are just picture perfect: sunny, but not too sunny; warm, but not too warm – the kind of days you’d find living in Mayberry. Today happened to be just such a day.
We made our way into the gardens, proudly handing over our free passes and meandered our way towards the path, weaving past seniors holding hands and moms pushing strollers. The flowers there are amazing. I am simply in awe of the way God can take a seed, sunlight, and dirt and create the most brilliant of colors in the petals of flowers. Vivid yellows, deep oranges, midnight violets, and boasting reds covered the paths and walkways that laced the rich green meadows all proudly displayed along the Arboretum’s 66 acres.
Not only were the colors amazing, but the fields of flowers made the air smell so fresh and springy. I actually turned to Emily and asked, “Why don’t we come here all the time!” I did not remember the enchanting fragrance of the flowers on our last visit (probably because it was October). Wherever we walked the air smelled of cedar trees, freshly cut grass, and fields of tulips catching the breeze.
Amazingly the Dallas Arboretum would not be satisfied simply with providing wonderful sights and smells, but they filled the air with the sounds of Italy and Eastern Europe. Wherever you walked, if you listened carefully you’d hear the stimulating sounds of the various Baroque composers, Mozart’s identifiable selections, and even authentic, live, accordion (highlighting such tunes as: “She’ll be coming around the mountain…,” “Amour-a,” and the theme from “ Sesame Street!”
The theme for this years Dallas Blooms is the Eiffel Tower, so live accordion playing is quite intentional, and it certainly added to the mood of the outdoors. They even have a displayed 15ft replica of the Eiffel Tower (sorry no pictures) – very cool though! So, we’ve decided to give this Saturday an Italian theme. We’ve finished the walk through the Arboretum, we’ve got an Italian selection for dinner tonight (pizza), and bought the 50 th anniversary special “Lady and the Tramp” which we’ll watch tonight to top off the evening (if only DTS allowed you to drink wine…).
Maybe we’ll invite the neighbor kids over to watch the movie – you’ll never know when you could use more free tickets to enjoy the best nature has to offer!
Visit the Dallas Arboretum at www.dallasarboretum.org.