Dawes Arboretum

Before this fall becomes a memory (too quickly, certainly), I thought I'd better post my pictures from our visit to Dawes Arboretum, 35 miles east of Columbus, OH, near Newark, on a lovely Sunday afternoon in late September as the leaves had just begun turning. At the entrance, near the reception center, were these lovely purple flowers (I'm not really a nature boy, so I will not be able to identify any of the living things in these pictures except people):

First, we went over to the east side of the arboretum property, which is considered the "adventurous" side, with hiking paths which are of "uneven terrain" and sometimes a bit mudluscious. Hikers who venture over there, through a tunnel that goes under the highway, are supposed to register at the office when they head out and sign in when they leave, I guess for safety's sake, but honestly, the trails there, though not as "polished" as the other walkways, are hardly difficult or even particularly "adventurous." It's a large plain with thickets of trees and fields of natural things (flowers, things that look like wheat--I told you I'm not a nature boy) and the paths are usually much emptier, so you feel like you are, well, out in nature.

The tunnel over:


One of those fields of living plant things that are lovely to look at:


The way in:
I wanted to call this "The road not taken," but we took it:


Injured (to say the least) tree:

The sky above:


When we returned safely to Dawes proper, we noticed a small garden with odd scupltures, seemingly made with natural materials. First, some sort of crazy animal:









Then, some paganish Wicker Man-like figure, bending in the non-existent stiff breeze:










Next, off to the Japanese gardens, with small hills, a reflecting pond, a rock garden, and a mediation shack. Very lovely, except when the impolite families felt it was OK to let their children mosey through the rock garden in a very un-Zen fashion. First, the rock garden:

My friends walking across the pond:

A gentle curve in the pond:

Background to the garden:

Finally, two more pictures on the way out of Dawes:


I imagine the leaves are now mostly gone, but they were lovely while they lasted.