A Walk to the Botanic Garden

On Saturday, we decided to take a long walk up to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Our decision might have been sliightly influenced by the fact that it was the end of the week and our Fitbits were angry at us for not getting any steps on Friday. But it was also a nice fall day, so we thought a long walk would be perfect! We also realized that we somehow haven't ever really visited the botanic garden except in the spring and summer. So we set off north...











We walked up through Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, over to Windsor Terrace, and then through Prospect Park, past a pretty pond and through the woods. On the way, we passed lots of cute kids in Halloween costumes - all the shops in Park Slope were handing out candy. Then we got to the botanic garden! We stopped in the bonsai greenhouse first to see one of the Noguchi sculptures currently on loan. The bonsai all looked amazing with their fall colors!













After we learned about bonsai (like how bonsai are most shaped by the trimming of their roots!) and saw the Noguchi sculpture, we walked through the rest of the garden and stopped at the Japanese pond to take a photo. All of a sudden, a huge heron came swooping across the water and landed right on the torii gate! Somehow, nobody else even seemed to notice. The heron sat up on the torii for a few minutes until it dove down into the pond and flew back up. Then it flew to the other side of the pond, so we followed and saw it dive into the pond again - this time, emerging with a bright orange koi in its mouth! After having a tasty snack, it walked around the small island in the middle of the pond for a while. It was really a special sight, because not only was this amazing dinosaur bird about ten feet away from us, but it was also right next to another Noguchi sculpture called "Strange Birds". Maybe the heron felt a certain affinity toward it, even though it's an abstract bit of bronze :)

















On our way out, we passed by the last of the roses, which were still lovely, and another Noguchi sculpture that seemed to fit the mood of the day particularly well. Even though spring and summer seem the most obvious time to visit the botanic garden, we decided that autumn is just as good! Especially if herons pay us a visit.