Secret Garden

So one of the negatives of living in an apartment again, is having a big dog that needs room to run. Katey, our sociable collie mix has been taking the change mostly in stride, proving to us again what a terrific pooch she is. However, I know being reigned in on leash everywhere sucks for her, and she actually gained two pounds since being here! That's a lot for a dog. The woods here are not the friendly kind you can easily walk through like in New England. It's dense and jungle like. Visions of creepy crawly things dance in my head. Hell no. Not to mention any body of water that's not the ocean probably has alligators waiting to pounce.

So, we are motivated to check out all open spaces near us that we can take her to. I had spotted one of the schools nearby that had a big grassy area, so we got up early the other morning and took Katey there. That's great, but school's about to start again, and that spot won't be an option anymore. As we were headed back home, all of a sudden my husband exclaims “What's that?!” and points to an area I hadn't really noticed before or dismissed as some rich person's yard. He insists I pull over to investigate. Sure enough, he was right, it was a park almost hidden from the main road, access to the parking lot is actually on a side street.

Azalea Park, as we discovered, is a secret garden with shady winding paths across 16 acres. Around every corner is a surprise and beautiful areas to sit and reflect. There is a gazebo, with impatiens planted all around, that is apparently used for garden weddings. A little further on we came upon a reflection pond with a bronze sculpture of a crane. There are several sculptures in the park. The best part is since it was early, Katey was able to run free and chase any squirrels that unwisely crossed her path. We can't wait to see the park in full bloom come this spring. The pictures I took can not really convey the beauty and oasis like feel of walking through. Accidental discoveries like this are the best, and moments in life you really treasure.