Friday, July 23, 2010

Taking time to smell the roses

In case you were wondering, the Utah story is not over, but I wanted to do an easy post today.
As in, mostly photos, not much writing.
Writing taxes my brain.
So here are photos from last Friday, when Mark, Grace, Mum, Kenzie, Thomy and I went up to the International Rose Test Garden in Portland. The roses are phenomenal this time of year and mine have been quite pitiful due to the rainy spring and my lack of diligence on the spraying end of things. So, my soul needed to see some gorgeous roses, to remind me of why I dedicate most of my flowerbeds to the dratted things.
Here is a picture of Mark and Grace, because I know you were curious.

Don't you love how the pink is reflected in Thomy's face?
Kids love to smell the roses.
So do Great-Nanas.
And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant posies.
Christopher Marlowe


You can complain because roses have thorns
or rejoice because thorns have roses.
Ziggy



When Robert Frost learned how many different species were in the rose family was he was moved to write a poem, which is one of my favourites of his because of its dry humour:


The Rose Family


The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
and the pear is, and so's 
The plum , I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose-
But were always a rose.

4 comments:

  1. Breathtaking. I do love me a rose garden. Haven't the patience to grow them, although I am thinking of getting some breakouts and seeing if I could keep them alive. Your pics are gorgeous.

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  2. Lovely!! Did the roses have a scent? As I recall, I've never found one there that smelled, although they are always gorgeous. On a sad note, I had to take out 2 of my bushes for our deck remodel. But they were struggling anyway.

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  3. The roses are beautiful. As is your blog. No wonder you feel a little tired, you always come up with such great, interesting and funny things to say. I always find it a joy to read your blog.

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  4. Thank you friends. Brenda, some of the roses smelled, so I was happy. I need to go back when I have more time, we only had about 15 minutes to spare by the time we got there.

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