“Blue thou art, intensely blue; From whence came thy dazzling hue?” ~James Montgomery
Blue cornflower
spring
Going on a safari
While our granddaughter was here visiting during Spring break, we decided to go on an adventure and explore the Tennessee Safari Park, located in Alamo, Tennessee. According to their website, Hillcrest is a farm that has been owned by the Conley Family since 1858. A number of crops are still grown there, but presently it is best known for the large collection of animals that they have assembled and are sheltering from around the world.
When you enter the park, you are given the option of purchasing tubs of feed that can be fed to the animals, some rare and endangered, while driving around 3.5 miles of winding farm roads. Just roll down your window and the animals, which roam freely around the farm, will come to you. Be ready for up close and personal interaction.
After the driving tour, we parked our car and strolled around the Walk Thru area of the farm.
Our granddaughter really enjoyed seeing and petting the animals, and it was a nice way to spend the day with family.
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” ~Stephen Covey
Pearl Crescent
This Pearl crescent butterfly danced with the wind all around the backyard and eventually landed on a wooden board to soak up some afternoon sun.
“Flowers and butterflies drift in color, illuminating spring.” ~Unknown
Flowering trees
Many of the flowering trees are in bloom right now in West Tennessee, adding striking color to the landscape and heralding the coming of spring.
“Blossom by blossom the spring begins.” ~A. C. Swinburne
Wild Daffodils
No flower means spring to me more than the daffodil. I look forward to the time of year when the wild daffodils spring up in the fields and along the roadside. Oftentimes, they mark the spot where a house once stood but is now long gone. Over the years, the bulbs reproduce and leave bright yellow clusters for all to enjoy.
… When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of golden daffodils
Beside the lake beneath the trees
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze …”
― William Wordsworth
Joyful
“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.” ~Charles H. Spurgeon
Munching on the spring grass
“Enough is as good as a feast.” ~Joshua Sylvester
Busy bees
“Difficult doesn’t mean impossible. It simply means that you have to work hard.” ~Unknown
Diligence
“Little by little, the bird builds its nest.” ~Haitian Proverb
Bearded Iris
The town of Dresden, in Northwest Tennessee, has an Iris Festival on the first weekend in May. Part of the festival includes a flower show. Below are some photos from this year’s flower show as well as some of my favorite iris from around the area.
“A flower’s appeal is in its contradictions — so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect.” ~Terri Guillemets
walking on a country road 