It's Alphabe Thursday, time to run to Mrs. Matlock's class and turn in our essays. Can you believe we've reached the letter Z already? Time flies when you're having fun. Since I started playing, I mean studying, in Mrs. Matlock's class, our daughter has graduated from college, my husband lost his job and we started our own business. Good grief, I wonder what Color Summer School is going to bring!
Make sure to attend class today. Z should be a really interesting letter.
DH and I took a little photo safari this past weekend. And in honor of Jenny, we chose to go to the Zilker Gardens in Austin! The gardens are located on 30 acres in the heart of Austin. There are several themed gardens, including a beautiful rose garden, Japanese garden complete with koi pond, a butterfly garden, and the favorite of Austin children, the Hartman Prehistoric Garden.
As we entered the park, the first thing I spied was this old settler's cabin, moved from it's original location. Can you believe an entire family lived in this tiny one room cabin?
Next we can see an original one room schoolhouse. This was also moved to the gardens. Can you imagine? And these days we gripe if our kids don't have laptops!
On to the butterfly garden, my favorite. Everything was blooming and so lush and beautiful. The butterflies were everywhere, even lighting on our arms and heads as we were shooting.
Isn't this the cutest bench you've ever seen? There are several of these scattered throughout the butterfly garden grounds.
A lovely waterfall in the Japanese garden.
The Koi pond in the Japanese garden. These were the biggest Koi I've ever seen. And they followed us around like puppies, I guess they thought we were going to feed them!
This little guy made a break for it as we came down the path. Guess he's not used to such early morning visitors!
The waterfall at the entrance to the Hartman Prehistoric Garden. 
This garden is a favorite of kids, and you can see why. Do you spy what's on the "island" in the middle of the pond? Click to enlarge for a better view. This part of the garden is full of plants and fossils that would have been found in the Central Texas area during prehistoric times. Some of the stepping stones on the path have casts of dinosaur tracks found in the area in the center of them. How fun!
Now skip on over to Mrs. Matlock's room and help read essays. And wait until you see what she has planned for us next week, it's going to be fun!
34 comments:
You did very well for the last Alphabe Thursday. And I enjoyed seeing the gardens, especially the butterfly garden and those cool chairs. Your are right, the koi are big!
Can't wait to see what Jenny has planned for you guys next week!
xoxo
Jane
Wonderful gardens.I only wish I had been around longer than W...It has been so much fun. Hopefully I can find some other fun spot to connect to this wonderful group of people in blogland. Have a blessed week Debbie
This is such a beautiful place. It would be wonderful to just go, sit, and relax there. I would call the butterfly seat.
what a wonderful place to explore! and your pictures were awesome.
Wow, what a lovely garden - I will remember the name..I have never been to Austin - but this looks one to visit if I journey there...blessings...bkm
What a treat this was. I loved the little cabin and schoolhouse. Those benches are just too cute. That waterfall is gorgeous. What a wonderful Z post. Great job.
Great post, it is so sweet that you took a special trip for your Z post. I have enjoyed reading your posts and want to thank you for participating in Alphabe!
Gee, I didn't even think about Zilker Park. Great idea!
It's been fun visiting all of your Alphabet post. :-)
~ Sarah
what a neat place...thanks for the great tour! i will put it on my list for my next trip to texas
Wow! Absolutely gorgeous! It looks like a really cool place to visit!
Lovely Z post.
Did you save the best 'til last?
The park is so beautiful, I really enjoyed strolling around with you looking at all the wonderful things that it holds.
Maggie
The cabins remind of me of the Lincoln areas all over Kentucky. They're so charming and unbelievably small. This looks like a great place to wander. Thanks for taking us along.
What a beautiful place to visit! I love butterfly garden too, and always spent too much time in there.
Gorgeous pictures, Kat!
A nice day at the garden, thanks for the trip.
Very nice photos.
What a super trip through those beautiful gardens. Terrific Z post!
It’s been great meeting over the past 26 weeks! Happy Alphabe-Thursday,
LOLA:)
PS Mine this time is HERE. Hope you can join me!
What a neat place. I love the waterfalls. I'm a little afraid of the dinosaur.
Loved the tour and the beautiful photos...but I'm suspicious.....uh huh.
I'm just betting that the name of the place was something like, "Eden" and you changed it to make it fit for the letter Z.
Did I guess right? FABULOUS!!!
What a beautiful place! I think I would enjoy the butterfly garden the most, but it is all so pretty.
How beautiful! I love finding new places to visit, wish we had more lovely gardens like that around here!
I love those pictures, a place I would love to visit. Waterfalls, plants and unique outside decor always intrique me.
What a beautiful stop on our little journey through Alphabe-Thursday's letter "Z"!
That park is enchanting. That school house makes me want to write stories!
It's amazing how much can change in 26 weeks, isn't it Kathy? I guess that's part of the fun of life...
And visiting here each week has certainly been a fun part of this meme!
Thank you for linking!
A+
Lovely photos and descriptions! How lucky to have somewhere beginning with Z close by!
What wonderful gardens! I love the butterfly bench. Our climate is too cold for outdoor butterfly gardens but I have been to a butterfly house (a large glass house with tropical plants) and having the butterflies all around was amazing :)
What a fantastic garden...a photographic dream I'm sure...great post for an ending ;-) Peace and blessings
Thank you for inviting me along on your visit to these spectacular gardens. Your post was wonderful and your photos were beautiful.
Wow, those are beautiful photos of the gardens! Thanks for taking us on a tour! Would love to visit the Gardens one day.
oh wow, what a beautiful garden ... and i cant imagine how wonderful it must be to be surrounded by butterflies. lucky lucky you!!!
Oh what a fun place to visit! I love the dinasour island and that butterfly bench is magical...Christine
I love how this is just in the middle of nowhere! Some of life's greatest treasures are just like that.
:) :)
Yes. Where has the Alpha Meme gone...she flew by...sniff!
Great shots Kat :)(hugs)
Well what a wonderful place is the land of Z. The little cabin reminds me of the one my great-grandparents built her in Georgia and where all 10 of their children were born before they finally built the "big" house close by. And it was big, with two stories and a large floor plan for those days on the farm. Can you imagine what those kids thought when they finally moved in? I do know that my grandpa fell from the 2nd story window within a few days. Luck he didn't break his neck or I would be here today commenting on this wonderful post.
btw, a tornado took out the big house in 2005, but the little cabin is still standing.
Can't wait to see what next week will bring.
wow! this is amazing. i need to go there!
What a gorgeous place. That cabin looks like something out of Little House on the Prairie!
Best wishes and thanks for all of your fun Alphabe posts.
Natasha.
I love the schoolhouse! Reminds me of the stories my mom told of her one room schoolhouse. :)
Thanks so much for the tour. The gardens are beautiful! Ah, if life were only as simple as a one room school house in these days. I'll bet it was a lot easier to raise kids then.
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