Royal Botanical Gardens, Part I

[vaneramos]

We had other possible plans for the day, but as it was pouring rain, we made an impromptu visit to the Mediterranean greenhouse at Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. It's a nice place to visit in February or March when the permanent exhibit is in bloom, augmented by thousands of flowering bulbs.

Normally it isn't a terribly busy place, but today an orchid show was going on. Hundreds of people swarmed through the RBG Centre. We had to park far from the building and walk through drizzle. To get to the greenhouse we had to pass through the show. I would have liked to take a closer look at the orchids, but was not prepared to pay the $18 combined admission for the privilege of shopping for an expensive plant. So we had to be escorted through by a member of the Orchid Society. They were not too strict, however, to drop us off at the gift shop on the way out.

More pics will follow; of my daughters and the main attraction: flowers. But it was also an interesting day for people watching. Here are a couple shots I liked.



P.S. Brenna, looking over my shoulder, says she wonders why I take pictures of things sometimes. I guess she hasn't experienced enough of life to see just how beautiful these two women are. She doesn't see the stories in their faces.

Comments

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

This doesn't have anything to do with your post, so I apologize...

But I think that user icon (you in the blue shirt laughing with Marian and Brenna) is my favorite one of yours. It barely beats out the B&W shot of you and Danny (taken by Bill, right?). First of all, it shows off your dazzling smile and also captures the playful nature your girls seem to bring out in you. It shows your real joy in being a dad, something which is reflected in your posts.

Anyway...

You may now return to your regularly scheduled post. :)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thanks for saying this. I like the icon because that weekend in May was a dazzling memory. I was in unusually good spirits, and we had a series of very special experiences together. To be honest I am pretty serious most of the time, and have tended to be a stern father, a habit I am slowly breaking. The times I have really let down my hair and been silly with my daughters have been few, but they're increasing.

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

I love the picture you posted once of you holding um, Marian?, when she was a newborn. You looked so full of joy.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That was Brenna (I posted a series of old photos of her not long ago because of a triggered memory). I have baby photos of Marian, too, but none equivalent to that one. I was certainly happy to have another healthy daughter, and felt a bond with Brenna immediately. In other ways that was a difficult time of my life.

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I blush to admit that I'm still having trouble remembering which name goes with which girl. :) But it is a very nice photo. I can tell that you were a very different person back then.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes, the differences bewilder me, and I'm happy with some of them.

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

hear! hear! and you
hardly ever use it!~paul

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I try to remember to use it in posts relating to the girls, but I'm absent-minded about my alternate icons. The plumbago is still my favourite.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Mine, too, although I'm very fond of most of the others too. It has a haunting quality that I can't put into words.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It expresses some essential things about me.

[kwangjse.livejournal.com]

"Beautiful" was the word I was thinking when I viewed that photo. You captured them at a great, expressive moment.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

In the brief time I stood near them, I got the feeling those two have many such moments.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

I expect you're right. It is a truly wonderful picture. It puts me in mind of a photograph that jwg took many years ago of four old men on a bench in a town square somewhere in France (that's a hint, John).

[jwg.livejournal.com]

Oh great - it's one of ~6000 slides waiting to be processed and selected one scanned.

woof back :-)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank for saying hello, and welcome. Pics of my daughters and other people is a bit of a change of pace for my journal. The majority are nature photos, but judging by the content of your web site you might enjoy that! I ended up posting the pics of my daughters as friends only, so you might want to look at my journal again.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

I also love those two dowagers. The one on the right seems a bit more "spunky" and appears to be trying to get her friend to liven up a bit.

The portraits of your daughters are gorgeous, as always.

Hope you had a loving and fun visit with Danny.

xo Shimmer