Happy Autumn friends!!! Today Jude had the day off school so we decided to go on an adventure.
We drove just about 20 minutes east to the Quarryhill Botanical Gardens. It is such a gorgeous place! It is full of endangered and unusual plants from Asia and it is wonderfully maintained. All of the trails are short and easy to manage, making it a great spot to "hike" with kiddos or in our case stroll and stop and stroll and stop. In addition to many gorgeous flowers and trees we also saw a bunch of wildlife. There were wild turkeys, frogs, and butterflies. We ate a picnic lunch beside a babbling brook, found lily pads bigger than our heads, and made wishes on top of the hill. If you're ever looking for a cool outdoor activity for families in Sonoma County, I highly recommend this place. The staff is wonderfully friendly, it's very beautiful and low key, and kids under twelve visit for free!
Finding frogs, tadpoles, and fish.
Do you see the waterfall? We were thrilled to see fall colors emerging already.
Giant fallen leave, children for scale.
Their meditation styles say a lot about their personalities.
HUGE lotus leaves, children for scale.
Lately, and I know I'm far from alone, I've been struggling with the weight of the world. I worry about the earth and it's people. I fret and rage and stress and cry. I write letters and make calls and often feel quite limited in my power to make a real difference. But today I shared the beauty and wonder of this place we call home with the children I am so fiercely fighting for and I wished with all my might that moments like these are enough. It was a beautiful start to fall and for the first time in a many months, I felt what can only be described as hope.
Wishing you and yours a happy fall.
