The flowers might be calling it quits for the winter, but we aren't!

     Now that November is here I've decided It's probably time to bring my bike inside and put it on a trainer.  But just because my bike will soon go into hibernation doesn't mean I have to.

     Most people think of spring time when when it comes to gardens.  But these two lovely ladies, my birth mom and Joann, my second mom know otherwise.

     Joann volunteered at Shedel's Garden for many years and invited my mom and I to come see how beautiful it is even in the fall.

          So here we are on a golf cart, but not playing golf, and a trail but no bikes...

     As you can see, the Spring and Summer flowers are gone, but the mums, not unlike me are stubborn and refuse to call it quits.

     Shedel's Garden stretches out along seventeen acres, and though typically gardens are made up of flowers, this garden had many man-made sculptures that seemed unfathomable to the average Joe like me.

                                         
     The artist who created this huge vase spent many countless hours fitting random shaped rocks to fit perfectly without using mortar or cement, and amazingly it continues to hold up year after year.

     This bridge crosses over to a Japanese garden filled with some of the most unique trees I have ever seen. 

     Not a single flower here, but this garden doesn't need any.

                                          

      Joann told us this red Japanese structure is supposed to bring good luck to anyone who touches it.  I'm not actually superstitious; I believe in making my own luck, but what did I have to lose... good luck might just be around the corner:)  Of course Joann may have simply wanted to see how crazy I was and if I would buy into her line... I am and I did:)

          I could wander this estate all day (of course it would take a lot longer than a day if I used my legs).

    This is the amazing view from the visitor center...

     And these are the stairs leading up to the Shedel mansion (that sure looked like a lot of climbing...)

                                      

        Of course if you owned a place this big you could probably hire someone to carry you up those stairs:)
                                    
     I soon relized we could get to the top in a golf cart too:)

                                     

          I was surprised to see these swans swimming in this man-made lake; I thought they would have migrated south by now... (though I've never seen a flock of swans in the sky... probably not a thing...) I learned that these swans were donated to Shedels and I'm guessing they will be here long after the wild birds have left.

                                      

     True, the flowers were very scarce, but this garden was ripe for the picking; It was called the "kitchen garden" and it was overflowing with hot peppers galore; they probably also own stock in "Rolaids":)

     But you knew I wasn't leaving before I found my pink flowers; and there they were!

                                      

          And we actually spotted a lonely little Iris that never got the memo that spring was over (three months ago...).  I guess she doesn't like to give up either...

     I can't speak for the others, but I really enjoyed  this day with two of the most iconic people in my life and I'm so grateful to have them both.

           So I'm saying farewell to summer; though I have to admit Winter really isn't my season.  And I'm sure in the next few months I will have my share of balancing acts every time I step out onto the slippery ice.  But one thing I've learned over time is as challenging as things may be, if you have great friends and family nothing else matters:)

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)