Thai Pavilion at Olbrich Gardens

Thai Pavilion

No nails, no screws, and no metal fasteners of any kind were used to craft the Thai pavilion that is the centerpiece of the Thai Garden in Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. It was assembled by Thai craftsmen in Thailand, then dis-assembled and shipped to Madison. The Thai artisans then re-assembled the pavilion in the Gardens.

The open-air pavilion, called a “sala” in Thailand, is 40 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 30 feet high. It was gift to the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government of Thailand through its king and bears the Royal seal of the Thai crown.

Thai Pavilion

The Gardens feature a large reflection pool and uses plants suitable for Wisconsin climate that give the feel of those found in a Thai garden. There are ornamental grasses with the feel of bamboo – tall and with cane stems. There are hardy, large leafed plants, shrubs and trees, pruned to mimic the look of tropical plants.These plantings are designed to promote a serene setting – de-emphasizing color and emphasizing texture and form.

I will post late spring pictures (in later May or June, hopefully) to show the pavilion with its gardens – the lovely pools, the decorative glazed water jars and the sculptured tree art. Without a cover of snow, it is even more spectacular, and something well worth waiting to see.

Here are photographs of the Thai Pavilion taken in June.

Brought to You by the Letter “S”

Sun Dial

Sun Dial © 2008 Bo Mackison

The calendar says spring. Who looks at calendars anyway? It’s time to rely on ancient wisdom and consult the snow dial.

Let’s see. Thursday, March 27, 2008, 10:52 am, CDT. Ah, the snow dial says it’s SNOWING. Those ancients are pretty darn smart. They are correct.

This photograph is brought to you by the letter “S”. “S” is for Spring. “S” is for Snow. “S” is for Snowy-Spring. (with my fond regards to Sesame Street – maybe I’ll go sit with Bert and Ernie for awhile and stew)

“S” is for Sigh!

But “S” is also for Smile.

No Matter How Long the Winter,

Field Sunset

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
~ Proverb

Barn and Shed, Sepia

Barns in Sepia

Barns in Sepia © 2008 Bo Mackison

Sauk County, Wisconsin

Pink Snow

Pink Snow

Pink Snow © 2008 Bo Mackison

Today is one of those days that needed a little extra color – well, not a little extra – it needed a lot of extra color. And so here is my solution.

I finally opened a Picnik account with Flickr so I could play with my photographs. And that it what I have been mostly doing – playing. I change things around until I find something that appeals to me, but I never post any of these because – well, because they seem pretty weird and very manipulated, and of course they are.

Today I decided that it is okay to play with my photographs and have fun with them and even share them some of the time. Why not? So when I discovered this above creation – why, I couldn’t pass up a teal and orange plow contrasted with pink snow. And so I am sharing, just because.

Maybe it will make you groan and shake your head, but maybe it will make you smile a bit, too. I hope it’s the latter. Anyway – now that I’ve enjoyed my pink wintry scene, I’ll be on my way. 🙂