April 19, 2008 - Snow in Cumming

April in Georgia means dogwoods.
This is the largest one in our yard - so tall and right behind our sunroom.

Jill and I head downtown to the gorgeous Ansley Park area of Atlanta...

...to the Botanical Gardens.

Their dogwood is a bit fuller than our taller, wirier one.

Not sure.

The ABG was setting up for a sculpture exhibit, explaining some rather strange metalworks strewn throughout the grounds.

I always stop by the Japanese garen area, but I don't know why.
It always looks a bit small and sad.
You can't even walk through it...

An eagle (maybe a hawk) was playing in the updrafts on the windy day.

So cool...

Dunno. Looks sort of like a poppy.

This one I know - camelia!

Drowning water lilly.

Snazzy little metalworks that move and spin in the wind.

The bullfrog tadpoles don't seem to mind them.

A small, but full redbud.

I think we determined that we didn't have time for the conservatory this day. We'll just have to go back.

I like the trellis.

We stay downtown because we have the Radiant-sponsored 5K downtown the next morning.
As is now tradition, we crash at the Twelve Hotel so we can invite folks up for a mimosas or bloody mary afterwards.
Good incentive to make it through the 5K faster.

Our view of downtown.

The tornados that whipped through Atlanta a month or so before have still left their marks.
The Georgia Pacific building where my sister and friend Amanda (now in Seattle) used to work has several windows still out and more temporarily sealed with plywood.
The Westin looks similarly snaggle-toothed.