Spit N Whittle Bench In Fayetteville, Tennessee

05 Aug 2012 Leave a comment

by Sheila Clapkin in USA: Travelling Outside California Tags: , , , , ,

Many towns have a Spit and Whittle bench where old timers meet and reminisce, tell stories about what they remember from times long ago.  The bench is a place that means much to some and so little to others.  You have noticed that the bench is empty this early afternoon because the regulars are having lunch at O”Houllians. The building housing O”Houllians used to be a family owned grocery called Moore’s Grocery where all you had to do was call Mr. Sprat Moore…tell him what you needed and he would have it delivered to your house by a wonderful man called Tom. Tom would even put your order on the kitchen counter for you.  Those were the days!

The Spit and Whittle Bench is a good place to catch up on world affairs, and share different perspectives on the same events. It made a big impression on me. The Spit part comes from the fact that chewing tobacco became popular in the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Many of the old timers chewed, therefore spit. Chewing tobacco was a way to get nicotine, a drug in tobacco when processed and used makes some people feel mildly euphoric, another words, a feel good drug. So, chewing and spitting was practiced on the bench.  Now whittling is something to occupy your hands while your mind is working at great speeds or slowed down according to each whittler. The process of whittling is actually carving little by little a piece of wood into a shape you have created in your mind. So spitting and whittling are a great body and mind process men used while they occupied the Spit N Whittle Bench.

When I first saw the Spit N Whittle bench, I got the meaning right away, but kept calling it a Piss N Whittle Bench.  Why I wondered could I not get the name right during months of pondering?  I probably liked the P word best and kept it rolling around in my head as the P word and then, the S world was too far back to readily retrieve it.  Now I have it back.  The Spit and Whittle bench is the best idea ever, and if used properly could be responsible for everything from Government affairs to household and domestic affairs being solved right there on the bench.  My feeling is, if you sit with the folks on a bench, chew, spit, whittle and while away the hours you can come up with some mighty healing solutions or solve minuscule grievances, as well as adding the most complicated conclusions to age old concepts.  So, I am purporting that all households, blocks, cities, businesses, schools, and international affairs from here on be conducted on a Spit N Whittle Bench. You’ll get an appreciation of others in a non-judgmental way and perhaps proceed purposefully towards a happy ending and progress at a much more rapid pace and in a more worthwhile manner.

I have included a photograph of the Spit N Whittle Bench on the corner of the Court House Lawn in Fayetteville, Tennessee where I first made my acquaintance with this form of communication concept while visiting the lovely Higgins family.

Thank you Liz for the photo!!!

Lovely Historical Philadelphia

12 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Sheila Clapkin in travel

Yes, Colby, there are ghosts in Philadelphia, lots and lots of them. As we browsed in a quaint little curio type shop on a small street in the middle of Philly, I saw the outline of a ghostly figure fold itself up, turn into a dark shadow and swirl around as it continued to float up through the middle of a brightly lit lampshade. At the moment you are being honored and given the privilege of being engulfed, you cannot share it. It is your spiritual excursion and only after the experience can you understand that you have been an eyewitness in the spiritual world.

Murals are Philadelphia’s way to combat graffiti.

Before I continue, I want to tell you about Awfully Nice Tours and a fellow named Andy. I was worried because I have a sore knee and wanted to be able to get around and see the city of Philadelphia, so I contacted Awfully Nice Tours.  A most wonderful guide named Andy picked us up at our hotel and did not let us go until he showed us as many little nooks, crannies, as well as vital and significant places in Philadelphia.  He also showed us places no one else has ever seen or so it seemed. He made the city come alive for us, and made it seem like we were the only and first visitors ever.  How important is that?  Thank you to Andy and Awfully Nice Tours.

We began in the historical district of Philadelphia, sat in Benjamin Franklin’s pew in Christ’s Church and wondered why such an important figure as Franklin did not sit up front with Washington.  We were told that price determined your seating and Ben did not have as much money as George. Sound familiar?

Benjamin Franklin lies here.

We continued with our tour bringing us to Penn’s Landing at the base of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which spans the Delaware River. We grabbed a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich as we visited South Philly and the Italian market at closing time, a little late, but not too late to enjoy the cultural experience.  We saw the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Washington Square, Ben’s gravesite, National Constitution Center, and The Mint.

We continued to Elfreth’s Alley: A National Historic Landmark, and the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the country. It dates back to 1702 and is a beautiful sight for eyes probing the city for ancient remnants of life gone by.

Betsy Ross House was especially wonderful in concept. Was it really her house? The idea is real and a special event in American History so as you pay your entrance fee you hope for truth and take what you get. What you get is a romp through a house full of furniture from the time period and the anticipation that the Betsy Ross impersonator is in the basement as promised.  She was on her coffee break when we arrived.

Finally, towards the end of the day we were taken to the famous 72 Rocky steps, used in the last Rocky movie to symbolize that every man even the underdog can rise to the challenge.  In my opinion, these steps are a modern cultural icon to achievement and success.

We drove by the new Barnes Art Museum, but since tickets are still by invitation only, we were only able to see what we could see from the car window as well as seeing the statue “The Thinker” in front of the Rodin Museum.

The meaning of the word Philadelphia is “loving people” and thus it became known as the City of Brotherly Love. We continued to learn that Quakers who exhibited high ideals founded the city. The high ideals of this city still remain supreme. We felt great pleasure being in Philadelphia and enjoyed the spirit of being swallowed up into the beginning history of America the Beautiful.

New York City, Hershey Pennsylvania followed by Lovely Historical Philadelphia

12 Jul 2012 Leave a comment

by Sheila Clapkin in Family Activities, travel

All photos by Colby, Marci and Sheila

Experiencing traveling through the eyes of your child and your grandchild has no words to describe the visceral experience. It comes instinctual rather than thinking, or  emotional rather than mental reasoning. I have tried to explain something grand and rewarding. Something enchanting. Something we all need to strive to experience and when we have, share it. When we go out to eat, our twelve-year-old grandson orders steak and lobster, shrimp, hamburgers and chicken Caesar salads.  Our daughter swells up from bouillabaisse, enjoys chicken, deep green salads, a gourmet hamburger here and there, but mainly keeps it low fat. I can sit in a chair all day and watch them enjoy their new experiences, which is new and rewarding travel knowledge for me.

We were able to inhale most of the tourist’s sights, bask in the crowds in Times Square and shop, as well as enjoy two plays, Spiderman and War Horse. It was thrilling to see both of these performances. Spiderman flies all around the audience several times and if you have the right seats, he almost flies into your lap. The horses in War Horse were beautiful and their handlers made you feel they are real even though they are exquisitely crafted puppets. It is joyous to spend evenings in the theatre.

Visit to the Main Library and Bryant Park

Visited the Top of the Rock this day.

God Bless America!

We also enjoyed having dinner with our friends. J & A. Your apartment high above the crowds is a lovely oasis and your new parquet floors are so authentic. Keep them uncovered, and put some dazzling rugs in the right places; you’ll be happy with the look.

I was able to chat and have dinner with beautiful Joy, a former student of mine, a number of years ago.  When we first met: I asked, “ Joy, are you old enough to share a drink before dinner?” She said, “Sheila, and I can call you that now because I am thirty-three years old.”  See time flies and yes, we are having fun.  Hopefully your move to Brooklyn was gentle on you. This reminds me when we retuned home from our trip, there was an old movie I got sucked, and I mean sucked into: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I cried non-stop through nearly all of it. To our friends in Brooklyn, the next time we have the good fortune to come to New York, we are going to plan some time to STAY in Brooklyn because I feel I need to be there. There is something in Brooklyn I need to know, something that has been waiting for me for a long time.

All and all we had an “I Love New York Experience!” Skip wants to follow his dream and rent an apartment in Manhattan for a month. I will follow him, because home is anywhere he is…so all of you in the vicinity, let’s us have fun.

On to Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Look, making Smores on the lawn amidst high heat and even higher humidity, but oh so good.

In lieu of sounding like an ad for Hershey, Pennsylvania, let me tell you it is booked as “The Sweetest Place On Earth.”  Well, not for me. Remember age plays a factor in this equation.  They also advertised that they have a world-class amusement park and they do. Families would depart the hotel soon after breakfast and not return until after ten o’clock when the park closes. They have a wonderful water park associated with the theme park and certainly a relief for the hot and humid weather that greeted us. They also have a Hershey Museum and Chocolate World where you learn about how the candy is made and the day we arrived they were setting up for a huge concert that night. I wish I could be more descriptive of the park, but I can’t because I did not go there. I did experience the Pennsylvania countryside on the drive from New York City to Hershey and the charming ride into Philadelphia.  Let me tell you, driving out of NYC is a challenge, but the countryside awaiting you is a lush and green everywhere as far as the eye can see. You can travel countryside’s all over the world and not see anything prettier, greener or heartier.  I noticed that there are opportunities for “Farm Stays,” which are similar to B&B’s only located on a working farm allowing you an opportunity to be up close and personal with the workings of farm life and the people work and live there.

Days and nights of fun at Hershey Park.

You do eat chocolate during your stay in Hershey.  The hotels received a bad name in the past and were considered cheap and stingy with chocolate in various write-ups, so I noticed a lot more candy is provided for hotel guests to enjoy. I would not call it generous, but not stingy either.

We continued on to lovely, historical Philadelphia.

Olvera Street and the Hidden Treasure of the Avila Adobe.

10 Jun 2012 5 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Day Trips, Sightseeing In California Tags: , , , ,

This Pueblo was named after the first judge in Los Angeles, Judge Augustine Olvera in 1877. The street leading into the Pueblo was closed to vehicles in 1930 and became our Olvera Street or Calle Olvera. This beautiful little gem has been a place most Angelinos have enjoyed from childhood on up into their senior years.  They were taken to visit when they were children, and therefore, took their children and now their children are taking their children and so on. All of us living in the vicinity of Olvera Street became immersed in the tradition. Many of us make this our number one location to visit when we have out of town guests.  It is a bang and blast of color, drama, culture, food, fiestas, celebrations, performances, artists, history and a special community historically and culturally connected to Los Angeles.

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I must tell you, I have visited plus taken family, friends and guests to Olvera Street for many years but on the most recent visit a new treasure opened up to me.  It is called Avila Adobe. It is just steps off the street, but all of the previous times visiting Olvera Street, I have been blinded by the street’s explosion of color, goods, action and food, so I missed its presence.

This time visiting Olvera Street with our out of the country guests found us in the courtyard of the Avila Adobe.  The signage states that this Adobe is the oldest building still standing in Los Angeles. I want to believe it.  In any case, it is a beautiful historical and cultural monument.  Come inside and see some of the rooms where a few restorations have been done in keeping with the original home. It is understood that most of the original furniture came from other countries given to Avila in trade.

You can see from the small collection of photos included here, the inside the Avila Adobe gives off an aura of fresh peacefulness. Even though the day was uncomfortably warm outside in the courtyard, the moment you entered the Adobe, an omniscient presence and an encouraging calm atmosphere appeared to envelop you. A somber softness fell upon the rooms; an old lingering mellow and calm richness gradually takes over your being there. It feels like people are still living here and while viewing some rooms you feel the remnants of people who are still going about their daily lives.  If you find yourself on Olvera Street, don’t leave without stopping and visiting the interior of the historical Avila Adobe Museum.

As you leave the Adobe, you exit onto Olvera Street.

The Cross and the Glitter in the White Dove’s Eye

17 May 2012 6 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Life Events, Sightseeing In California

I keep telling myself how lucky I was yesterday coming home on the 101 Freeway from West Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley on a designated stretch leading to home.  I was gazing up and noticed that tiny wisps of clouds that had formed a perfect cross. The cross crowning the top was at the perfect distance up from the middle, the way all crosses displayed are drawn.  I was marveling at the sight in the afternoon sky and wondering how many others in our vicinity were seeing this spiritual spectacle. Off to the side of the car speeding along with us was a white dove.   I know you think I am making this up for a good story, well, you are wrong.  You say it could have been a seagull, they are white, but we were traveling so far inland I doubt it.  When I got home, I sat down to ponder this event, thinking to myself, this is truly a special sign and it was there for anyone driving by that spot. Or, was I the only one picked out to be the teller?

This insightful event is an eternal element needing no translation, but just in case, it may be a resolve, a magic charm, a blending of spirits, good luck, the truth set before me for contemplation, a message of peace, love, purity or a just a special unrelated delight to behold.

Before the cross and the white dove sighting, I had a brush with the devil’s javelin. It pierced me through the heart and shattered  something gnawing inside that I have been dealing with for years.  I don’t exactly know what it was, but now it is  crushed into little pieces and blown away by the wind. Now that I have witnessed the healing light, the cross bearing news of God’s force, and the will to feel free given swiftly in the glitter of the white dove’s eye, I have been blessed.

A short while before the cross and dove sighting, I met a lovely lady, rather angelic, now that I remember her.  She said, “Hello.”

I said, “Hello, are you having fun?”

She said, “Tons of it, how about you?”

I said, “Well, by the end of the day perhaps tons of it.”

She said, “ Let me tell you what my mother used to say,

‘If you are having a bad day, just think of not having one.’”

HAVE A NICE DAY!!!!

Come and Enjoy Orcutt Ranch and Horticultural Center

12 May 2012 8 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in Day Trips, nature, orcutt ranch, outdoors, Sightseeing In California, travel, vacation

Orcutt Ranch and Horticultural Center: Open daily from Sunrise to Sunset.

This property is a most wonderful respite quietly sequestered at 23600 Roscoe Blvd. in West Hills, California is a retreat from the teeming urban environment most of us find in our daily lives.

I am not an official recruiter for Orcutt Ranch, but I do recommend you spend some time there.  It is not a big investment of time for a huge return from nature and ancient fauna and flora.

Admission to this historic 25-acre Orcutt Ranch and residence is free and isn’t that a lovely courtesy?

Orcutt Ranch was formally called: Rancho Sombra del Roble, which means, “Ranch in the shade of the oak.” If you park your car in the parking area and begin your walk of the grounds, you will fill your senses with trees, some 600 – 900 years old; you will encounter community gardens, citrus orchards, an old Spanish style home, an old well maintained barn, beautiful rose gardens, and an especially wonderful moment is to stand in and amongst the bamboo forest. If the wind is up the sounds of the bamboo forest take on orchestral tones. Consider having your wedding or special event at Routt Ranch.

If you come to Orcutt Ranch in July you are encouraged to pick ripe Valencia oranges and white grapefruit. A slight charge will be incurred.  This is a secret. If you stand under an orange or grapefruit tree in the orchards, soon a ripe fruit will fall very close to you. No one is looking. Peel it and bite;  juice rolls down your chin and your eyes roll back with the sensations of such a pleasurable taste treat. How can you be charged for a gift the tree has dropped into your path?

There are plots of land to the side of the ranch that can and are rented for $120 per year. Many renters grow vegetables year round in the ranch’s community gardens.

Since I am in no way connected to Orcutt Ranch I am free to tell you the lessons I learned from my visits to this lovely hideaway.

First, there are lessons from the trees. If they could speak you say, what would they say?  If you listen you will hear six and nine hundred year old truths that sound as modern as today. They will tell you, “Let nature take its course.” They will tell you to become more and more adaptable and mutable. Figure out a way to survive. They will say, “Age breaks down structure.” It poses pulls of gravity and may need some holding up with braces and wires to hold parts into their places.

And then, you witness the gnarls of time, a sight you see in all walks of life on the planet. Our bodies as we age need lots of tweaks, touch ups, grips, clutches and embraces. The lessons include resilience of time. We do not have as much time to learn these lessons, as do the trees, so we must preserver and survive during the time we are permitted. Ancient plant life shows sustenance from the earth and the process, which keeps all living things alive for a prescribed parenthesis in time.  If you try and alter the time lapse, I think that would negate the lessons. Altering nature gets into Biotechnology, which takes more time to study and discuss.

Secondly, there are lessons in history on this ranch. Time has moved along and if we preserve the past we will more fully enjoy going back in time for whatever time we have allotted.  Historical visits rejuvenate and elevate our consciousness.

Visiting Orcutt Ranch and the lessons you learn will be different, from mine, but no less rewarding. They will enhance the time spent at the ranch and will make your day! Each time you visit you will learn new lessons and leave with a newly formed enlightenment.

A Day Trip to Visit Rankin Ranch

05 May 2012 1 Comment

by Sheila Clapkin in Sightseeing In California

It is springtime at the Rankin Ranch and we were invited to have a first hand glimpse of the blooming lilacs and the lush green hillsides. Our family especially enjoyed the ride up through the Greenhorn Mountains east of Bakersfield as we made our way to the ranch.  Mountain roads are always a treat to “city slickers” and hillsides that have been coated green by recent rains are a particular delight. As you travel onward and upward you experience a dotting of trees, casting shadows, telling of the early morning time, knowing that as you descend in the late afternoon the shadows cast will have changed sides noting that time has passed and the day will soon end. As you ascend further towards your destination, the narrowing of the road has added envelopment by encroaching, bending, branching trees giving you the feeling of being hugged by nature. Soon thereafter, you find yourself negotiating hairpin turns and long vistas to the sides you have passed and yet to come. The climb is captivating and finally you see the sign letting you know that Rankin Ranch at 23500 Walker Basin Rd, Caliente, CA is close at hand.

Our first experiences on the ranch included archery, horseshoe toss, swings, ping pong, and a recreation center full of games and places to rest, relax and view the ranch scenery from a giant viewing window.

Photos of us horseback riding, enjoying the hay wagon ride and meadow for our BBQ lunch will help to see what you can do here as well. Also, included are photos of one hundred year old barns, structures, vistas, equipment and the appropriate ranch animals.

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We did not have enough time for swimming and fishing, but have vowed to return to spend more time and another spring at Rankin Ranch. Being in a country environment reveals new truths by adding  new dimensions to your thinking. There is a slow quiet revelation and as it unfolds, it is unencumbered by the commotion, racket, clamor and the blasting sounds of city life. You become able to decipher your own state of reality, your own state of fact. You are able to incorporate inspirational and motivational gifts from nature’s source.

Asian Wonders #17 Ladies who wear the Conical Palm Hat

16 Feb 2012 13 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in International Travels

I became fixated with ladies who were wearing the conical palm hat as they went about their daily tasks and snapped away quite a few times. Each photo has a woman wearing the hat I admired.  I so wanted to speak with each one of them and perhaps listen to their stories. I wanted to know so much about them, but the only contact I was awarded was the ability to catch a glimpse of them in that moment of our time together. You may have seen some of these women throughout the blogs, but perhaps look again.

 

Asian Wonders # 16: Hong Kong

12 Feb 2012 3 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in International Travels

Asian Wonders #16: Hong Kong and HOME!

Masks of  Fantastic Creatures on loan from The British Museum have messages for us.

May you be healed: May you be free of the evil spirits: May you live a long life free of fear:  It’s cold here in Hong Kong and everyone has a cold, a cough and snot is everywhere. Gosh, for a germaphobic  like me this is a difficult environment.  The spitting still goes on here in the streets of this bustling New York like city, but a lot less now than when we visited in 1999.  As in most cities in China, spitting is a big “no no” and motorbikes are absolutely not allowed in the city centers. If you grew up spitting in the streets I guess it is hard to change, but if you drive a motorbike in the city there is a huge fine. We saw a motorbike crash head to tail in front of our hotel. We are in a lovely hotel, The Kowloon Hotel, right across a little street and slightly in back of the Peninsula Hotel.  We are on the Lounge Club floor with a view of Victoria Harbor, including breakfast, tea, and cocktails. They had a little anniversary party for us because when I made the reservations I told them we were celebrating our 50th. How sweet of them to remember.

Meet Joey Lee the Harbor Club Purser at the Kowloon Hotel. She will greet you and help you with everything and besides she is the nicest person. She is interested in everything.

We thought we would go for tea at the Peninsula, but the lines for tea were extensive. Instead we just gawked and enjoyed seeing such a famous old landmark.  We happily crossed the street to our lovely digs and enjoyed free tea in the Harbor Lounge.

Nighttime walking on Kowloon streets:

My new very favorite food is Glutinous Rice in a Lotus Leaf! It is very delicious. It is thick, dense and feels rich and full-bodied in your mouth. It makes you keep going back for more.   They have a Laser light show in Victoria Harbor every night at 8:00. The first night we ran with the crowd. We had to hurry along with everyone. We dashed down many, steps. Walked a little only to have to grind a climb up the steps on the other side.  We had to go under the street to cross safely.  We got to the viewing site in plenty of time.

I do not know anything about the Chinese people from this visit. I only know the sweet pleasant smiles of the service people and the beautiful, fashionably dressed people walking by.  Some of the sellers at the maretplaces want your money so badly, they hawk gruffly in your face. They negotiate in loud, clipped tones and when you have made a deal the literally grab the money, shove your item in a bag and turn their back on you.  We had an opportunity to speak for a little while with a couple from India.  He said he wondered if you ever know if you have received the best price. I told him, he will never know and none of us will.  The price you are willing to pay and the price you settle upon is the best price.  The three market places we visited and each worse than the other are: The Lady Street Market, The Stanley Market, on the way back from Victoria Peak and the Temple Street Night market.

We took the cable car up to Victoria Peak to get a shot of the view from that height. It was so foggy, and you see what we saw. Not worth the struggle. .

We rode a small sampan out into the Aberdeen a fishing neighborhood of Hong Kong.  It is where people live on their boats and you can negotiate a sampan ride from one of the ladies who run the boats out to see the sights in this area.They have preserved this area as a tourist site primarily now, but it was/is an active water village for hundreds of years.

Still in Aberdeen: The first photo is of the famous Jumbo Floating Restaurant and the second one is the back of the restaurant: See what you can see floating around.

We were told that the Chinese are not good at inventing, but can copy anything known to man. They can, indeed. I think the reason they are so far ahead of where they used to be is that they can copy and we buy. They have gone to many other countries and taken the best they have to offer and manufactured it as Made in China, which it is….  How ingenious is that?  We, at least I have been taught to create something wholly your own and in the creating that is the genius.  Well, I have seen a new light. Copy if you can and add your own genius to it. This is very financially beneficial.  I have always been fascinated by the Chinese culture and should have studied more before we made the trip, and you can be certain a study will be made and we will gladly know so much more.

Hong Kong is totally separate from China, the mainland, but many Chinese have one foot in Hong Kong for investment purposes and it has served most of them well.  They are building a new high-speed train. The train service now connecting Hong Kong with Beijing is a 28-hour train ride. The new mass construction of the new train will cut the travel time down to 8 hours. The construction sites are everywhere.

We have enjoyed the bustling streets full of people on the go. You can truly shop until you drop and you can buy anything you want, you just have to know where to go to get it.

We rode on top of an open-air bus through the city streets at night. It was an interesting new perspective and very cold.  It was almost impossible to get a good nighttime photo because of their glaring yellow streetlights, so sit back and just enjoy the hubbub.

Our last stop was the tallest building in Hong Kong called Sky 100 because you view Hong Kong at a 360-degree experience on the 100th floor. The view from the 100th floor is knowing you are very high!

Today we visited the 1881 Springtime Wonderland at the Grand Piazza and the Museum of Art.  The best gallery is the one containing old pictures and prints of Hong Kong. It is hard to believe that this spectacular city is built on what once was mountainous terrain and jungle. Actually, forgive me, but Hong Kong is still a jungle of an altered kind.  I have noticed that the jungle animals here nowadays who are in a hurry and do not mind knocking into you, and shoving you along to wherever they are going. They have no spacial boundaries. Mine are huge! Never mind, I forgot to mention seeing antiquities at the museum from the Tang Dynasty, The Sun Dynasty and The Qing.  I know there were more dynasties represented but the three mentioned are all that I can remember. For an experience and general knowledge, Google Chinese Dynasties and enjoy reading about how the various dynasties played their roles in Chinese history.   We have enjoyed our Asian Wonders trip and have enjoyed having you along. We have been blessed and are happy and lucky!  Happy and Lucky are attributes the Asian people hold to be very special and important. Do you not agree?

Asian Wonders # 14: The Art of Bonsai, Penjing or Hon Non Bo

10 Feb 2012 3 Comments

by Sheila Clapkin in International Travels

The art of Bonsai is planting in a tray (bon) low-sided pot and sai, is the planting. This is traditionally a Japanese art form.  But similar plantings exist as I have seen in China called Penjing, from which they say the art form originated.  There are also miniature living landscapes of the Vietnamese call Hon Non Bo, with accents appropriated designated for certain letters, but not available on this computer. So, since this is a collection from Thailand, Vietnam and China, can you tell which is which?  I have no idea, but I am pleased with the collection. The purpose of these beautiful plantings is contemplation for the viewer and certainly creativity and a great deal of continued effort for the grower.

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