We got out of the house and had a fun adventure yesterday. Ever since I got a coupon for
Butterfly Magic at the Botanical Gardens, I have been waiting to go see the butterflies and the gardens. I put it off until Mom and Dad's visit so we got to discover this little gem together, and it was indeed a gem after all! We were slightly pressed for time because we had Nicco's swim class to get to afterwards, so we went directly to the butterfly house.
Nicco, appropriately, a monarch.
One of many blue morpho butterflies. They were truly brilliant.
There were laminated cheat sheets and magnifying glasses to find and identify all the butterflies in the greenhouse. Nicco loved it.
There was a little fish pond in the greenhouse, and Nicco had his lucky day, he got to feed the fish!
It was actually refreshing to get out of the tropical greenhouse into the desert air. As one might expect, the gardens were mostly varieties of cactus. They are surprisingly beautiful. Or not surprising, I guess that depends on your point of view. Anyway, they were quite lovely and delightful.
Organ pipe and cholla cactus. There was one that looked like it had a furry head of hair called the "Mexican Old Man" and one that looked like a bunch of cotton balls. I had to snatch Nicco's hand away, because contrary to their fuzzy appearance, they remain cacti.
Nicco and Grandpa digging in the Zen garden.
The Tucson Railway Society built a small electric train and a little town for it to travel around. It was Nicco's second favorite thing about the gardens.
In October, the fall festival at the gardens invited local artists and groups to design and build scarecrows to be placed throughout the gardens. Some were more creative than others, and it was fun to see the different groups who contributed and their creations.
Nicco loves water and fountains. He always wants to make a wish. If he doesn't have a coin, he fishes one out of the bottom. I am not sure the wish-granting-fairies (or whatever) appreciate the double dipping. I know this because Dad's double-dip wish did not come true. He wished for a certain wide-receiver to break his leg and not be able to play the Monday night football game. Maybe it was the mean-ness of the wish. The wish-granting-fairies don't like double-dipping haters and don't grant their wishes.
There were unique scarecrows, fountains, and benches scattered throughout the gardens. These benches were tile mosaics of desert critters. A road-runner, quail, desert tortoise, and javelina. Very cute!
There was also a kids discovery garden. This is a water wall that shows the inside and outside of different fruits and seed pods.
Nicco liked hearing the bamboo creak when he moved it back and forth.
He also liked digging for worms with Grandpa. Unfortunately, the worms were not to be found this day.
Nicco and his grandparents relaxing at the gardens. A happy, blissful day in the Arizona winter sun!
Nicco, appropriately, a monarch.
One of many blue morpho butterflies. They were truly brilliant.
There were laminated cheat sheets and magnifying glasses to find and identify all the butterflies in the greenhouse. Nicco loved it.
There was a little fish pond in the greenhouse, and Nicco had his lucky day, he got to feed the fish!
It was actually refreshing to get out of the tropical greenhouse into the desert air. As one might expect, the gardens were mostly varieties of cactus. They are surprisingly beautiful. Or not surprising, I guess that depends on your point of view. Anyway, they were quite lovely and delightful.
Organ pipe and cholla cactus. There was one that looked like it had a furry head of hair called the "Mexican Old Man" and one that looked like a bunch of cotton balls. I had to snatch Nicco's hand away, because contrary to their fuzzy appearance, they remain cacti.
Nicco and Grandpa digging in the Zen garden.
The Tucson Railway Society built a small electric train and a little town for it to travel around. It was Nicco's second favorite thing about the gardens.
In October, the fall festival at the gardens invited local artists and groups to design and build scarecrows to be placed throughout the gardens. Some were more creative than others, and it was fun to see the different groups who contributed and their creations.
Nicco loves water and fountains. He always wants to make a wish. If he doesn't have a coin, he fishes one out of the bottom. I am not sure the wish-granting-fairies (or whatever) appreciate the double dipping. I know this because Dad's double-dip wish did not come true. He wished for a certain wide-receiver to break his leg and not be able to play the Monday night football game. Maybe it was the mean-ness of the wish. The wish-granting-fairies don't like double-dipping haters and don't grant their wishes.
There were unique scarecrows, fountains, and benches scattered throughout the gardens. These benches were tile mosaics of desert critters. A road-runner, quail, desert tortoise, and javelina. Very cute!
There was also a kids discovery garden. This is a water wall that shows the inside and outside of different fruits and seed pods.
Nicco liked hearing the bamboo creak when he moved it back and forth.
He also liked digging for worms with Grandpa. Unfortunately, the worms were not to be found this day.
Nicco and his grandparents relaxing at the gardens. A happy, blissful day in the Arizona winter sun! 
1 comment:
My dad's a double-dipping hater. Looks like a fun excursion! I noticed Nicco's cute pants . . . :).
Post a Comment