Mendocino Botanical Gardens

I grew up in the middle of one of the world's most beautiful landscapes on the northern California coastline. There is so much beauty there that it is hard to pick one thing to rave about. But today the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens facebook fan page made it really easy by posting these amazing photographs. If you ever make the trip, you should really plan an afternoon to enjoy this amazing place. They have a store, host classes and even weddings. They are definitely a treasure on the coast. I have a particularly fond childhood memory of a warm Summer afternoon spent running around the gardens and trails through the trees with friends while our parents enjoyed an outdoor concert...ah, memory lane!

A Word About This Photograph

photograph by FrancesPhotography

And that word is "LOVE". I just love it. I have it over there in the left sidebar under my etsy favorites, and everytime I check out my blog it catches my eye. It can be purchased in sizes from 8 x 10 up to 40 x 30. I'd say the bigger the better on this beauty. I feel I could walk right into this picture. It begs contemplation and soul searching - in a calm and happy sort of way.

Anyway, I thought since I keep stopping and staring at the little picture of it in my favorites I would make sure you all had a look too. The photographer has lots of other similar abstract nature themed photos in their shop. So beautiful...

Quail treasure

Admire with me if you will, this lovely left in our backyard by one of the many quail that live in our neighborhood. No, we did no pull it from a nest, it was just left lying out in the backyard by itself at the mercy of the dog and chickens, so I'm pretty well convinced it was never destined to be a quail baby. It will join my collection of tiny beautiful eggs. It only just became a collection because now I have two.