A little corner of home!

Today, we headed out to the Windmill garden center in Medecine Hat. I have wanted to go there for a month now, to see the butterflies. Am I ever glad we did!

I wasn't sure what to expect when we stepped in the entrance of the garden center. You couldn't miss the place with its few windmills standing tall among the trees and power lines in one of the neighborhood of the city, some even towering the trees near by. We walked through the place filled with beautiful planters, fairy garden kits, garden benches, fountains and so on. We followed the painted flowery concrete "road" that led to the house of butterfly.

I couldn't believe the beauty that was concealed behind the plastic curtains you had to push through in order to get in the papillon's house. A tropical garden just like you would see in my home island! The garden itself was filled with a flora that was so familiar to me. It felt almost magical! It was like walking in a little corner of the home I've left so many years ago. It was like a dream but, I was wide awake and could feel the humidity that used to be my everyday. I was in love with the place and didn't want to leave. Everything was beautiful! Everything just belonged together! The main attractions, the butterflies, were flying around ignoring us and continuing on with their daily grind.

While they were without a doubt a sight to be seen, the vegetation and humidity stole the show for me. I knew most of them by names! I have planted a few of them in my teenage years to sell in the market. I have "hunted" down a few of the rare species with my parents, so that they could grow them in their big green house. I have grudgingly raked the leaves of some of them in my youth. They were everywhere in my parent's yard! I knew them! They weren't new to me! They were beautiful! I wanted it to be my garden! A "real" home away from home.

We walked around admiring every butterflies that gently flew by or rested on leaves. The boys were excited to see the koi fishes, turtles, birds, quails and caterpillar. They loved it! They were good at not touching anything, and not running. House rules! They didn't last in there as long as I did. It was too hot, too humid for them. They ventured out to the really really small petting zoo, and ate snacks while waiting for me to join them. I did eventually, for a minute or two, but back I went again. I stayed a bit, snapping photos here and there, smiling, and reminiscing every time a plant would remind me of an event, a memory from my past. I loved it there!

After a few hours, we went to the mall, ordered some food and sat at the table in the mall's food court. The magic was gone! Back to reality!

I like where our "adventures" lead us. We all had fun! The boys wanted to play with the turtles and go swim in the "lake" with them. They told us once we got home that today was a fun day, and I'm glad they felt that way.