Art is DEFINITELY in the eye of the beholder.

Mother Nature blows my mind.

It’s been the first weekend in I don’t know how many months that I haven’t been working or participating in a market or fair.  I’ve slept late, rambled longer, had numerous caffiene fixes and tasted temptation at a newly discovered coffee haunt.

Temptation of the Donut kind.

I’m in love with weekends like this.  

So is the hound.

I’ve watched a Tui have breakfast, a Pied Shag fishing in the waves and a Sparrow plucking seeds from a Sunflower.

Simple moments .... but beautiful.

Everyday kind of moments

My kind of moments.

.

Today I’ve seen colourful blooms in abundance, in every variation of colour, shape and size.  When Mother Nature opens her petals to the world, she does it in style. Summer is the BEST time to witness this floral proliferation of  Mother Nature so a visit to the Botanic Gardens was in order.

It was an educational visit in a way too as the Significant Other hasn’t been there before.

Time to broaden his horizons.

The hound’s been there frequently so she knew EXACTLY what to expect.

What I didn’t expect was for her to SWIM in the fountain.  

She’d already had a swim in the pond in the off-leash area of the gardens 

so was nice and cool as we ambled back up through the rose gardens.  

Obviously NOT cool enough though.

Swimming in the fountain aside, it was a magical morning.  

The Sculpture in the Gardens Exhibition is on at the moment 

with some weird and wonderful pieces.  

Art is DEFINITELY in the eye of the beholder as some of the sculptures left me baffled.

One of my favourites would have to be the steel parasols suspended between two trees

 ... seven of them.  

So fragile and dainty to look at but made of rusted steel!

Mother Nature even came to play in the exhibit titled

 “Regeneration: Oak Garden Fork and Oak Garden Spade” 

Is it neglectful gardening or magical realism?  

Whatever it is, it depicts an inability to stop Mother Nature unless we work in harmony with her laws. It’s a playful look at the false notion we have that man dominates the world. 

So clever.

Days like this .... MOMENTS like this ... are just SO necessary.

No GOMS, no Dog Wardens, no Traffic Wardens.

My kind of heaven.

“Whatever’s good for your soul ... do that.” 

~ unknown