6-29-17  a trip to MOBOT!

Didn't know if I was going to get a chance to go to MOBOT this trip, but when we decided we weren't leaving until Friday, I messaged Karen and asked her if she wanted to meet me there on the 29th.  She did, and we did, and it was great---although the heat and humidity had reappeared by then.  I don't know why we didn't run around together before we moved.  She has a lot of the same interests as I do---photography, sports, biking.  It's fun going to a place like the botanical gardens with another photographer and comparing photos later.  I always find it interesting how people can have different views of the same subject.  So we met there at noon and spent the first hour visiting in the cafeteria.  They make a really tasty lunch.  Mine was a quiche and salad.  Then we spent about 3 more hours wandering around the gardens taking a ton of pictures.
love all the cone flowers in full bloom.

 The Linnean house.  It was built in 1882 and is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River.

 Originally it was built to greenhouse citrus trees and palms when Shaw lived on the property.  More recently it's the place where the many camellias trees are kept.  But right now it was housing a special cacti exhibit. 

like this interesting cacti.

 It also had a piece of the glass artwork that is on special display right now mostly in the Climatron.  That was an extra $5, but by the time we were done wandering around the rest of the garden, we figured we'd better hit the road and try to avoid some of the rush hour traffic.

 another one of the cacti.

 more cacti

 don't know if this is a cactus, but I do know it's a stink plant getting ready to bloom. 

 a view of the Linnean House from the other end of it.

 Looking towards the Climatron across the reflection pools

 entering the Boxwood garden. 

 Love the maze like design in the boxwood garden

 a tropical flower outside the boxwood garden.

 walking through the woodland garden on our way to the Japanese Garden.

 I don't remember ever being here when the lotus plants were blooming!  Had to take a bunch of pictures of them!!!

 Interesting middle to the lotus flower

 even pretty as buds

 prettier opening up

 Karen shooting away

 one pretty well blown

 one more close up

 looking across them from higher ground.

 Looking over towards the lotus plants from across the pond

 heading farther into the Japanese garden

 don't often see these guys with such clean shells

 a fledgling duck --- mallard, i presume since I didn't see any other kinds there.

 from the other side of the lake looking back towards where the above fledgling was.

 A little late for the irises, but there was still one blooming.

 one of my favorite views in the Japanese garden

 brilliant yellow day lilies.

 even the shadows on the walkways were interesting.

 the home garden area.

 Who needs a kids garden (which MOBOT has) when you have fountains everywhere!?

 water lilies.

 one of the rose gardens

 love these 2 toned flowers!

 and these.

It was a fun several hours.  But had to get home to get ready to go to dinner with our neighbors, Baronowskis.  More friends we never went out with when we lived here, but now do somewhat regularly.  Went to Massa's Italian restaurant and had a great dinner and visit.  They've lived next to our house even before I had moved there (47 years ago as a teenager entering high school!)  About time we finally socialized with each other!  Even saw our neighbors on our other side this time.  Hadn't chatted with her in a few years.  I had taken her wedding pictures several years ago.  Nice to see her still there and keeping up the place---that house had quite a history.
Now---time to pack up and get ready to move on again.