Home Again.

Happy Monday all. We made it back safely last night and immediately had to fall down for our regular Sunday afternoon nap. What the heck is it about Sunday that you have to take a nap?

We had a wonderful time in Ft Worth, at least I did and Kathy said she did. First of all, we got to see our daughter Alison,

which is always a treat. And a rare treat at that, since she lives in Ft Worth, is going to Seminary, this summer has accepted an internship at her home church in Honolulu that lasts from next week to two days before school starts again, and is always running around doing something. She makes me tired. We took her out to dinner and lunch a couple of times, something as a student she doesn't get to do often. And we all went out to the Ft Worth zoo and the Ft Worth Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. That's right, Ft Worth, I didn't even know that Ft Worth had an Arbotetum, much less that it was fabulous!

First on Friday night, while Alison was at a potluck dinner for the Hawaii Mission Group at the Seminary (which has nothing to do with her internship) Kathy and I went to a restaurant called Chipolte, apparently a francise outfit all over the Southwest except of course for Oklahoma. The menu is fairly limited, but what they make they do really well. Take my advice, get a burrito bowl. In the burrito itself they jam about three pounds of stuff and looking around the restaurant I couldn't see anybody that could eat it neatly. I didn't even try, I just tore mine apart. After dinner we went back to Alison's apartment and all of us stayed up and taked til after midnight. Neither Alison nor I particularly like the phone, so we end up having too much to say when we do see each other.

On Saturday morning we got up and Alison fixed us breakfast and we all packed up and went to the zoo. the zoo in Ft Worth is pretty nice but doesn't really measure up to the hype. It is small but they have the exhibits wider rather than deeper so you can see the animals well. I'm not sure the animals are all that happy about it though. Once again I have decided that evolution didn't make sense,

although I can see some family resemblence, I think this fellow seems much more cheerful than I. Do you ever think that if we could communicate with the animals that they would be offended that some people thought we were descended from them?

After we left the zoo, we went to lunch at Red, White and Blues Barbeque. A Memphis style barbeque place in the middle of cowtown. What were they thinking? Apparently this is why I'm not a restauranteur. They were making a fortune. The food was great and the service was quick and friendly. I wouldn't think that they could make it but the place was packed.

After lunch we went to the gardens. Finally, the fun stuff! Well, fun for me anyway. Kathy's knees gave out before we got to the Japanese garden and I think Alison was just humoring me. But I had a great time. I may have been the only one because when I suggested we go back the next day and see the rose gardens and perennial garden the response was underwhelming.

In the conservatory they have some of the most beautiful and well kept plants I've ever seen. And the signage was fantastic (isn't it sad how excited I get over signs?). In a lot of the public gardens the plants are mismarked or the signs are missing or out of date, but they really kept up. Sounds silly, I know, but it is really helpful from an educational standpoint, after all, most people want to know what a plant is but doesn't want to spend years taking ID courses and buying hundreds of dollars in referance books. Everything at the gardens was wonderful, I was a little diappointed in the fragrance garden. There wasn't anything in bloom and most of the plants were scented flowerers not scented foliage plants. But other than that it was an exciting and magical place.

Signage.... It's not just for plant names anymore!

Thanks to everyone who kept us in their thoughts and prayers over the weekend.

Wayne