The Tulips of Duke Garden

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The kids and I made our yearly spring trip to Duke Gardens yesterday.  Spring isn't complete for me if I don't get to go see the tulips on the beautiful terraced area over there.  I also just love taking portraits of the kids there.

My favorite tulip beds this year had orange and yellow tulips mixed in with some a very pretty variety of narcissus (daffodil).  I focused my efforts on getting the best flower shots there.

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And, I took pics of the kids EVERYWHERE!

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And, I watched the kids roll down the hill.  Unfortunately, it was a bit wet, and they only rolled once today.

Video From two years ago...

Video The fountains also caught my eye yesterday.  I always struggle with how to shoot the one in front of the welcome center.

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SmugMug Link There were other beautiful flowers growing too, and I did stop to take a few pics like this one.

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Tulip Take One

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The boys and I went to Pullen Park yesterday.  We had set out to go canoeing at Lake Wheeler or Lake Johnson, but those parks have not opened up canoeing yet for the year...couple more weeks.  Thankfully Pullen was letting folks go out on the pedal boats.  The boys and I circled the small pond there twice as it lightly rained on us.  Then the boys went on the carousel and we all went on the train.  The park is a fantastic place to spend a few hours especially after they restored it and reopened it last year.  The playground is much nicer, and the 1911 Gustave A. Dentzel carousel is beautifully restored and protected in it's new building.

Check out this article in the News and Observer yesterday talking about the rise in popularity of this historic park.  No wonder I had trouble finding a parking space and that's after they've added more parking!

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I also got my first butterfly shot of the year!  Cabbage white?

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Today we are headed to Duke Gardens.  The tulips are blooming!

Fantastic Flamingos!

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The kids and I traveled to Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck, NC yesterday.  We've been many times before, and the kids are always asking to go back.  They have birds from all over the world, a Landing Zone where you can hand feed canaries and flamingos, a beaver blind, and a huge treehouse to relax in as well as a playground.  Since they added the Landing Zone last year, that is probably our favorite activity although playing 4 corners in the treehouse and visiting with Matilda the Great Barren Goose, along with the Victoria Crowned Pigeons, and the Tucon rank right up there too.

In the Landing Zone, we spent a lot of time with Roger the Pink Flamingo.  Upper left in the collage below, you can see Joey feeding him.  Most of the pics in the collage are of him although there are a few of other flamingos.  They have about 10 in the Landing Zone area.  Roger is just smart and knows how to isolate himself and soak up the food and attention.

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Here are some of the other bird shots I got that I really enjoyed.  The swans upper left were mating while we were there, so there will probably be babies later this year.  The swans upper right already have a baby in the water with them.  The beautiful owl is a Eurasian Eagle Owl.  I am always fascinated by their eyes.  I also enjoyed the hooded merganser, mandarin, and wood ducks for their color and beauty.

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Mallard and Friend

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Taken today at Crowder Park.  The kids and I went there for a little scooter mania.

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I also had the kids over to Yates Mill each with camera in hand taking prospective photos for next year's photo contest.  And, we went to the monthly Lego Mini Build too.

Play Ball!

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Big Leaguers aren't the only ones who got to play ball yesterday!  Look at how much fun Patches was having at the NC Zoo.

The kids and I enjoyed a lovely spring day walking around the zoo yesterday.  It was sunny and 75 and it finally felt like spring had arrived.  When we first arrived, Patches the polar bear was sleeping, but near the end of our visit, we stopped by back her habitat and found her frolicking in the water with her ball.  We hauled you know what to get ourselves quickly down below to watch through the underwater glass.  That's always where the best pics are.  She continued to play long enough for us to get this shot which I was thrilled about and then she quit.  We pleaded with her through the glass to come back, but of course she didn't hear us and didn't respond.  But, hey, we did get to see her swim! and with her ball!

Here's a collage of some of my favorite shots of the day.

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The NC Zoo also opened their Bugs and Epic Adventure exhibit yesterday for the first time and for the summer season.  Some of you will remember the moving dinosaurs from last summer.  This is similar only this time it's bugs.  The kids begged me to pay the $5 a head to go in, and we did.  It ended up being worth it.  We enjoyed the huge moving bugs (animatronic).  I recommend you do this extra activity if you go.   

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It's a wrap until our next visit which will probably be July track-out although it sure is hot to go that time of year even with all the forest shade.

Wet Tulip

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What do you do when you drive past a bed of tulips?  Well, you make safe u-turn, find a place to park, and take photos while onlookers pass by honking or at least wondering what the heck you are doing:-)  GUILTY!  And oh so worth it!  First tulips of the 2014 spring season.  I cannot wait for them to bloom at Duke Gardens too!

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K

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Taken a while back and pp'ed today.  K was hard, and I had hoped to find something else but didn't.

The color version is warm but to me has too many other distracting elements.

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