Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is a stately heron with subtle blue-gray plumage. It often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. Although they may move slowly, Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher.

We saw this bird at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina.

Great Blue Heron

 

Gardens in Durham

While we saw and captured bonsai images, we walked around the gardens and took photos.

The Sarah P. Duke Gardens consist of approximately 55 acres of landscaped and wooded areas at Duke University located in Durham, North Carolina. There are 5 miles of allées, walks, and pathways throughout the gardens.

Here an image of a yellow lily in a small pond.

Yellow Lily at the Garden

Penjing Forest Bonsai

We continue to post some images from our July 6, 2024 visit to The Triangle Bonsai Society which displayed an amazing array of bonsai carefully pruned plants in the Doris Duke Center at Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham, North Carolina.

Although Bonsai is a Japanese word, the art of growing these miniature trees originates in China, called “Penjing” or “Penzai”. Penjing are miniature landscapes, displaying a combination of rocks, trees, and figures – though increasingly single plants are shown in China these days.

Penjing Forest Bonsai

Angels Among Us

Though late, I will be posting images from an event that our family participated in.

More than 700,000 people in the United States are living with the diagnosis of a primary brain tumor, and 69,000 more will be diagnosed this year. Approximately 4,300 children younger than age 20 will be diagnosed each year. On Saturday, April 27, 2024 thousands of people from across the country gathered on Duke’s Medical Center Campus, Durham, North Carolina to raise money for brain tumor research.

Angels Among Us Screen

Angels Among Us Display

Japanese Bridge at Duke Gardens

In Durham, North Carolina, Sarah P. Duke Gardens’ iconic red bridge has been named the Meyer Bridge. The bridge is located over the large pond in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum and is a favorite spot for visitors to pause for photos and gaze at the beauty around them. Reflection of the bridge in a moving pond creates an artistic feel.

Japanese Bridge at Duke Gardens