Serenity at the Morikami Gardens



Trip to the garden
Flee Miami's tourist crowds
Sets tone for New Year.












Gently falling down
Water receptive and cool
Down stream leaf swims.












Quiet, placid pond
Is paradise to many
Cicadas, shut up!










Wind whispers sweetly
Creaking songs through bamboo grove
Softly leaves rustle.






 

Shadows glide in lake
Image of carp teases eyes
Is that really fish?







Flat river stones meet
Small gravel designed by rake
Simplicity rocks!










Water gliding on rocks
Wearing down while caressing
Just like a marriage.






Photos by DJ Nevah L8 ( 4 dinnah!) Haiku by La Diva

For more information on the Morikami Japanese Gardens click HERE.


(Don't despair, darlings, this is still a foodie blog.  I'll be back shortly with some fabulous dishes!)

19 comments:

  1. No despair!
    Beautiful scenery. Thanks!!

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  2. Truly beautiful.

    Thank you for sharing that.

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  3. I bet the air smelled wonderful too? I love this intermission from a Food Blog to see a part of Florida I didn't know existed. I'm also glad you took some time to spend New Year Day with your husband, in a place that encourages serenity.

    Now.... how do you feel about the new cooking show "Worst Cook in America"?

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  4. Thanks, FC, this has Florida Cracker written all over it, doesn't it?

    Roses, thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to seeing more of you this year, bella!

    We made a point of doing something we would find peaceful for the New Year. Boxer, the air smelled so good! Funny you should say that as several times I stopped and made a point of smelling the fresh air too. One spot, I smelled pine, another, the sweet smell of acacia blossoms I remember from the Australian wattle trees.

    As for the Worst cook in America, I saw it one time before and it just ticks me off and frustrates me. You KNOW I just wanna slap the sh*t outta them! Some people are soooo stupid. Now, not only do mediocre people get on TV but fools and idiots too! Hooray! Me and Hubby predict the return of talent this year...(please, PLEASE?!)

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  5. What a lovely way to start off the year! The DJ's photos are spectacular - thanks so much for sharing!

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  6. I guess all of your snow melted too. I really liked the pond. It reminds me of how little fishing I did this year.

    I commented on Worst Chef and Iron Chef over at Boxer's.

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  7. Lovely tour! Such a contrast to what I'm looking at outside my office window :o)

    Those are some beautiful haikus. The last one about marriage is my favorite, although "Cicadas, shut up!" is pretty darn inspired :o)

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  8. Thanks, Eggy! DJ is getting better and better! (although I direct him as to what I want too! haha!)

    Yeah, Buzz, snow all gone! haha! Maybe you should move to Michigan, my family has plenty of ice shanties they'd be happy to let you fish on in the winter!

    Moi, I'm glad you enjoyed the haikus! You know I have to add my special Diva humor. The funny thing was there were a few artists in the park doing pastels and I told them I was doing haiku. I read them the two you liked and they got a kick out of it! DJ, not so much! haha!

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  9. Fabulous pics luvvy :) Feeling a little serene now...., nice to get away from it all isn't it & there's nothing like beautiful Japanese gardens to do that for a gal. :)

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  10. With the sometimes hectic life that I lead...I search out places like these to re-energize my soul and sanity.

    What stunning captures you've managed to share through your view of natural beauty.
    We are what we seek ;o)

    Laura, here's wishing you the very, very best my dear. Happy New Year.

    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

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  11. Because I am a big ol' plant nerd, I am fascinated and stunned to see these pictures. It never would have occurred to me that a traditional looking Japanese garden could exist in a climate like Floridas...much less that it could be pulled off so successfully by using equivalent plant forms. I am in AWE. How fortunate you are to have something like this; for me, I would go so far as to plan a vacation entirely around seeing this place and what they've managed to pull off here. What a tour de force!!!!!!! *nerd circuitry overloads, nerd swoons*

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  12. Beautiful and serene, even in photos. Good work to DJ and to you as well. A serene new year to you!

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  13. I misread that as "Canadians, shut up!" but tried not to take it personally.

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  14. beautiful and so interesting in a tropical setting. Good thing you can rock conifers down there! Did you get to rake the zen garden? I love cicadas! thats the best sound ever. i liked the photo of you holding the golden leaf and i especially live that you wrote HAIKU! you better get in the game on mondays. Im hosting this week on K9's blog so stop by.

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  15. Thanks, Anna! I NEEDED to get out of toursity Miami, even just for a day!

    Dear Claudia, your comments are always so thoughtful, thank you! Happy New Year to you too!

    First Nations, you are NOT a nerd! I love plants and flowers and everywhere I've resided, I've lived in a completely different growing zone so am always learning new plants that are indigenous to the area. Because we ARE tropical here in Southern Florida, we can't really grow cherry trees for spring blossoms and as you can see, we had a few stray azalea blooms here and there, but that's it! And the Japanese do not list the botanical names of plants like they do in our gardens, so it was a good guessing game for me! Congrats on the quitting of smoking! woo hoo!

    Thanks MS, can't wait to skype you next week!!!!

    MJ, being a Michigander, Canadians are my buds! I love Canadians, in spite of you eating those crazy cheese curds with gravy.

    Hi Chickory! No, I could not rake the garden. And I decided to write the haiku while the dj photographed everything. It allowed me to STOP and enjoy the garden peacefully, to consider what I was seeing and hearing and smelling, instead of briskly walking through without really taking it all in like so many people were. I wrote the haiku about the cicadas because it was so peaceful and quiet and then they'd start with their racket!!!! I'll be out of town Monday but will stop by later in the week to check out the haiku, congrats on the win!

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  16. how gorgeous! Never heard of it afore now--wow.

    Good way to begin the eyar, in a garden--of course!!

    Happy New Year!

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  17. Every time I pop by and see these pictures, I take this deep breath. I realised I'm trying to breath in the scents of the garden.

    PS. Loved Foodessa's quote 'we are what we seek'.

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  18. I remember Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto, does that count???

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  19. Great photos and you look like the sexy diva you are!!

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Tell La Diva ALL about it!