Visiting a Garden Blogger - Blotanical

Almost a year ago I started garden blogging.  Until last year about this time, I had no idea that “out there” in the blogosphere there was a world of gardeners.  Social Networking uses the term “connect”. They say, “I am so happy to connect with you”.  At first I found that term so odd.  When you meet someone in person, you might say “I am so happy to meet you”, later “I am so happy we are friends”.  But, online, it is “connect”. I think of a link, maybe at first made of a single thread, but in time that connection might become stronger, maybe made of many threads  like the threads that weave us to friends and our families.  I started blogging as a result of an online class taught by my dear friend, customer and social networking rock star, Sabrina Gibson.  How many threads do you see there? With Sabrina’s teaching, and wow! she can teach,  homework assignments and my self-taught computer skills I jumped into the blogosphere.  About a month later I found Blotanical a network of garden bloggers. From Blotanical I met Kate, author of High Altitude Gardening who sent out a kind thread of friendship to me. Through the winter we emailed back and forth.  So, when Ted and I were to attend a work-related wellness conference in Salt Lake City, I emailed Kate to see if we could stop by on the way home and meet her and her garden. Without ever meeting us, she so graciously invited us to stay!  Normally a normal person would not invite a stranger to stay, nor would a normal person say yes.  So are we not normal?  But, remember through the winter we emailed and read each others blog and made those “connections”…..so with a leap of faith Kate asked and we said yes. We had a great time!  Kate wrote about it on her blog

In the morning we stepped out on the deck. Across the street from her home, there is a Nature Conservancy property.  Two huge sand cranes were camouflaged in the scenery. In the winter Kate might see moose, elk, foxes, coyotes and who knows what else- Wow!

There they are! 2 huge sand cranes

Beautiful!

To our delight, from the deck, we looked out in the morning and saw hot air balloons!

Before leaving we met Bella and….

Meg.  Now here comes Sweet Pete…Yes, he is sweet, but look at him, would you challenge him for his comfy chair?

As they say in the west, “a good time was had by all!”. Kate has made a beautiful oasis of a garden, nestled in a big beautiful setting of mountains and valleys.  We enjoyed dinner sitting among the flowers.  We watched hummingbirds come to feed among the hollyhocks with bad dog resting at our feet.  The air was pure and sweet and so was the company.