Bird Park (without the birds)

This is just a look at the area around the birds.There were ferns growing and then we saw something I have never seen before fern trees.

There were flowers growing out of the stumps of trees!

Yes this is a warning....falling bird poop.

I love the beauty all around.... I have to take pictures of flowers,

Orchids attached to and living off the trees.

Warren caught this butterfly... we saw many different colors and styles of butterflies .

This is just to show the size of the leaves.(Brother Peel)

This was a wonderful place of beauty and noise... This looks peaceful but actually the birds were really loud!!

We actually found a park that looked quite nice. It was down in the old section of town.

  Most parks are just a dirt field with a bench or two.  But they do usually have trees. And sometimes some play equipment...but seldom grass.  Ahhh. this looks nice

We don't know the significance of the Statue.  Even the Plaque didn't help much... an army hero.

I was so surprised to see  Women.  This one is titled The Mother.

I thought how nice as we came towards the women's statues... it is honoring women like at Nauvoo.  Well not quite... they could be a little more modest.... like clothes would help in the middle one!

Cool flowers I have to snap a picture of---plus a few trees and plants

New flowers always makes me smile... This has little heart shape yellow leafs and white flower on top.  Looks like a celebration of some sort..

 The flowering trees came back again in Fall.  They aren't quite a bright or as full the second time but it is fun to see them again.

I don't know what this flower is but I love it with the white red and green!!!

Here is my favorite flower growing again in the fall.  It is like a giant dandilion  puff ball, but you can't blow it away.

This plant just started growing in a crack in the cement. 

This looks a lot like a palm tree -- the trunk and the beginning of branckes.  But the leafs are smaller and more delicate. I found out that this is a date tree. This below is where the last picture took off.

This  is not the kind of date tree that produces eatable dates.  This is the different stages of the  fruit I thought this was interesting.  There are the seeds, then three sizes of growing dates and then the dried dead ones(brown) up top.

The yellow are the seeds in a pod... It opens wider and wider until the seeds drop or are blown away.

I was standing looking at this one Sunday --What is this??  I was glad Sister Crowther knew it was a variety of a date tree.

Yes, they build the house right around the tree. Check out the picture below that is the tree poking out at the top.

Another look at the Temple grounds

This is a side view of the waterfall which is straight out from the temple doors. (Temple is to the right of this picture)

This is a picture of the origanal home that the church build on to to make a church meeting house--that orange roof is the Chapel with the steeple and the gymnasium and stage are the left side of building.  The two buildings are hooked together with stairs and hall ways.  The Home part has the bathrooms, kitchen, and classrooms and the Baptism font. The top floor of the home has what looks like four bedrooms which have been made it offices.  The Pertual Education Fund is housed  in two rooms. It is quite different but is done really nice.  Land owner was an very well off widow--and she the only way she would sell her property was if the church committed or always keep the home there. So the deal was made and this  whole block has this home/and church,the temple and parking lot.

Here is a night shot of the temple from the main road.

Another peek at the temple 

Our Walk to the Temple

This is what we see as we walk across the church parking lot to the temple. There is a main front gate to the left, Ill show it next time. But we all just cross the parking lot in stead of walking around.

 This is what we see as we step onto the grounds.  We take a right turn and see the next picture!

Now this is as if I turn around and look backward to where we came in on the left where you see the gate.  And straight ahead is the main gate and the main road.

Here is the entrance to the Temple

Standing at the Temple doors this is what we see.  Oh the waterfall is not on... -The water falls from that ledge on the wall.

Now I am looking back at the temple from the Waterfall area.

Easter Morning- 2014

What a surprise the flowers and the trees are blooming for the second time in the fall.

These yellow flowers below were so unusual.  The have yellow heart shape pedals pointing upward with white deep throated flower on the top.  sorry the picture just doesn't show how amazing they were.

More of the inside at the Hostal

 Mighty rains this week and these were the two places that we saw the damage.The water leaked in and bulged the ceiling in the stair way on our floor.

 Below is the basement box that the elevator goes down in it is still has lots of water in it and look and see the line on the wall that was were the water was.

 Here is the pumping out hose fro the water... not very big and has two small leaks so the floor has two wet places.  The hose is down in the drain which is about in the middle of the hall.

 Now these next pictures are some more of the tour of the hostal.  The second floor is where the visitors stay.  There are 12 rooms for families like this, one lower bed and 4 bunks.

 The bathroom has separate rooms for shower and toilet.  With a sink and mirror here and also one

in the entry way  below.  That one has three nice closet/ cupboards on each side.

This is what it looks like from the door way.  Some groups even use floor mats for more to kids to sleep on the floor.

 Then there are two rooms like the one below with a nice queen bed and small kitchenette.  These are mostly for the newlyweds.

Here is the kitchen which is as you walk in... straight across is the bathroom. It is really nice and such a special treat for the couple.
They also have a laundry room, bathroom and open room with tables and chairs and a couple of couches.  Plus they have use of the kitchens down stairs and the dinning room.