I am guessing a few of you are wondering what on earth my title has to do with all the pretty flowers below it...well let me tell you a story....
My husband is a stone mason and work is slow due to the recession and economic woes, that contrary to what the local politicians are pedaling, has not gone anywhere in our area for folks who are in construction or the trade industries. So back to my story, hubby got a call to do an estimate in a place he wouldn't normally consider as it is a long ways travelling to and from our home each day but as work is scarce, he went to do it and invited me along for the ride.
On our way home, we ran across a Costco that we have never visited before and could see they also had an outdoor garden center at this location. I have never been to a Costco with an outdoor garden center so we went in to eat at the snack bar there and for me to have a look around. While we were eating our lunch, folks were going by with lots of pretty flowers and plants in their carts. I spied one lady with a banana plant in her cart and I know the plant well as we grew them when we lived in Hawaii many years ago. Then I spotted a lady go by with bougainvillea in her cart...another tropical memory for me as we grew this also.....so the draw to go visit the garden center became even more intense.
After my lunch, I found the entry point and went out to the garden center and saw all these gorgeous plants. Everywhere I looked were pretty flowers and bushes. Our weather hasn't been great of late but seeing all these lovely things took me back to memories of long ago and how pretty it will soon be if the weather cooperates. I walked all the way to the back of the garden center and finally found the banana trees...I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures to show my Mom at some point. When we lived in Hawaii, my Mom's Uncle brought us 3 apple banana plants from the University of Hawaii. My Mom planted them and babied them and next thing we knew, we had fresh bananas. What my Uncle forgot to mention was that after bearing fruit, you cut down the tree...but while the tree is growing, it is throwing off shoots for more trees....as many or more than 7 shoots for 7 more trees from each one. I am sure you know where I am going with this...before long my Mom's adventure in banana growing became a plantation of bananas....they spread and the entire back of our property was full of bananas. We gave away bag after bag of bananas to friends and neighbors. Finally the yard man had to start pulling out the new tree shoots as our little plantation was threatening to take over the neighbors yards as well as our own...lol So when I saw these trees, I just had to take a picture for old time sake. Then I wandered to the back and took some pictures of the gorgeous bougainvillea. In so many pretty colors. I was totally enjoying myself and having a nice time when this woman's voice boomed "YOU can't take pictures in the store"....I jumped and was startled as I had been deeply immersed in my own little world... so I asked her to repeat it...and she again said "You can't take pictures in the store" I had my blank face on by then and managed to say...."but I am not in the store"....to which she replied "well you can't take pictures in the store or out of the store in the garden center"....I explained I just wanted a picture of the banana trees and she just kind of said "No" and wobbled off in her three inch heals while brushing her long, sculpted mane from her face....sheesh.... There was another customer standing there, an older European lady judging by her accent and she looked at me and I looked at her and she said "When we immigrated many years ago, no one cared where you took pictures".....that about sums it up...who would believe some big shot supervisor in Costco could make such a big deal out of nothing??? Pictures of a few flowers...big deal...the world had gone totally nuts. I might have gone back to buy some of these plants one day as they were beautiful, but I think perhaps I will patronize more friendly garden centers for my plant shopping...and to think I actually pay membership to belong to this store!!
As I was going back to our car, I looked across the street and saw this totally pink car in front of the Home Depot store...the picture doesn't do it justice...it is totally pink...quite pretty for pink fans like me!! I quickly snapped the picture then I speedily put my camera away in my purse in case there were camera police out in the parking lot patrolling Costco's perimeter.....
On our way home, we ran across a Costco that we have never visited before and could see they also had an outdoor garden center at this location. I have never been to a Costco with an outdoor garden center so we went in to eat at the snack bar there and for me to have a look around. While we were eating our lunch, folks were going by with lots of pretty flowers and plants in their carts. I spied one lady with a banana plant in her cart and I know the plant well as we grew them when we lived in Hawaii many years ago. Then I spotted a lady go by with bougainvillea in her cart...another tropical memory for me as we grew this also.....so the draw to go visit the garden center became even more intense.
After my lunch, I found the entry point and went out to the garden center and saw all these gorgeous plants. Everywhere I looked were pretty flowers and bushes. Our weather hasn't been great of late but seeing all these lovely things took me back to memories of long ago and how pretty it will soon be if the weather cooperates. I walked all the way to the back of the garden center and finally found the banana trees...I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures to show my Mom at some point. When we lived in Hawaii, my Mom's Uncle brought us 3 apple banana plants from the University of Hawaii. My Mom planted them and babied them and next thing we knew, we had fresh bananas. What my Uncle forgot to mention was that after bearing fruit, you cut down the tree...but while the tree is growing, it is throwing off shoots for more trees....as many or more than 7 shoots for 7 more trees from each one. I am sure you know where I am going with this...before long my Mom's adventure in banana growing became a plantation of bananas....they spread and the entire back of our property was full of bananas. We gave away bag after bag of bananas to friends and neighbors. Finally the yard man had to start pulling out the new tree shoots as our little plantation was threatening to take over the neighbors yards as well as our own...lol So when I saw these trees, I just had to take a picture for old time sake. Then I wandered to the back and took some pictures of the gorgeous bougainvillea. In so many pretty colors. I was totally enjoying myself and having a nice time when this woman's voice boomed "YOU can't take pictures in the store"....I jumped and was startled as I had been deeply immersed in my own little world... so I asked her to repeat it...and she again said "You can't take pictures in the store" I had my blank face on by then and managed to say...."but I am not in the store"....to which she replied "well you can't take pictures in the store or out of the store in the garden center"....I explained I just wanted a picture of the banana trees and she just kind of said "No" and wobbled off in her three inch heals while brushing her long, sculpted mane from her face....sheesh.... There was another customer standing there, an older European lady judging by her accent and she looked at me and I looked at her and she said "When we immigrated many years ago, no one cared where you took pictures".....that about sums it up...who would believe some big shot supervisor in Costco could make such a big deal out of nothing??? Pictures of a few flowers...big deal...the world had gone totally nuts. I might have gone back to buy some of these plants one day as they were beautiful, but I think perhaps I will patronize more friendly garden centers for my plant shopping...and to think I actually pay membership to belong to this store!!
As I was going back to our car, I looked across the street and saw this totally pink car in front of the Home Depot store...the picture doesn't do it justice...it is totally pink...quite pretty for pink fans like me!! I quickly snapped the picture then I speedily put my camera away in my purse in case there were camera police out in the parking lot patrolling Costco's perimeter.....
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