The Butterfly Garden

Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, NJ is host to beautiful gardens, sculptures, and as you can see here, butterflies. I first learned of the arboretum in July of 2008, when I asked friends for suggestions for things to do during my mother’s weekend visit with us. It was what would have been my parents’ 51st wedding anniversary, and I thought the gardens would be an enjoyable way for her to spend some time. My father was a gardener and photographer, so I hope being at the arboretum helped her feel close to him during that time.

I was probably also a living reminder of my father that day, as I made the visit to the arboretum even longer by spending lots of time taking pictures. I always feel sorry for the person who accompanies me during a trip that involves taking photographs. I inevitably look up from my camera when I’m ready to move on and see my companion, staring off into the distance, wondering when I’ll be done. I do this to my husband on every vacation. On our recent trip to Wyoming, we came across moose that I just HAD to photograph. After about 100 shots, he asked, “Do you think you have enough moose pictures?” The answer in my head, of course, was, “No, I could never have enough!” But truthfully, I already got more shots than anyone would “need” and so we continued on our journey.

This picture of the butterfly at the arboretum was taken in July 2009. I took a day off from work with no plans in the works, and thought it would be a nice day for a stroll. This time, I went by myself, which was probably for the best…I was there for a while.

Related photos: Rose,   Daisy,   Purple Flower