Butterflies and Blooms

What a day it’s been! I started the day with a shared waffle breakfast my host made and then we set out for the day! I was dropped off at a bus stop and rode the muni(bus) to Golden Gate Park for the free admission day at the Conservatory of Flowers. Luckily for me, they extended their exhibit of Butterflies and Blooms, otherwise, I would have missed it. The conservatory of Flowers is a remarkable place, with wonderful air to breathe and plants to admire. There were rooms dedicated to Rainforest plants, Aquatic plants, Potted plants, highland and lowland tropics, and the butterfly room. There were at least 5-6 different species of butterflies freely fluttering about the room, blocked off by mesh curtains. I talked with one of the employees inside about the room and she said it was like a singles cruise for the butterflies. They have an amazing assortment of plants to visit, fresh food all the time, and plenty of other butterflies to mingle with.

I walked from room to room, admiring what each one had to offer. As I walked along the final room a smell struck my nose. It was strong and delightful, but I couldn’t place its location. Not only was the origin a mystery, but this smell was definitely linked to a memory I have buried in my brain somewhere. I know it was familiar, but in relation to what, I can’t quite remember. Maybe it’ll come to me eventually, but it was pleasant both for the smell and for whatever mystery memory shared this connection. (Eventually, I found the flower it came from, and I took a picture of the flower and the name tag, but still have yet to determine what the memory is.)

“Look at this!” An older man, and who I believe to be his adult son, said to me. “Look at these strange dots under this leaf, we can’t figure out what they are or why they’re there.” “Those are sori!” I exclaimed, excited to teach someone about this strange plant feature. “This is how the plant is able to reproduce. Some plants have seeds, but ferns, like fungi, mosses/bryophytes, have spores that they release. Water and air help to spread these along too.” They thought this was amazing, and I was glad to pass some knowledge along. I think my botany teacher would have been pleased.

I love science.

The man then turned to the flower next to me and handed me his glasses. “You know what I like to do?” He said to me. “I like to put these on and look closely; I feel like I’m inside the flower. Give it a try!” I took the glasses from his hand and peered through the magnifying glass. He was right. It really brought the plant to life on a whole different level. You’ve got to appreciate the power of up close detail; it makes a world of a difference.

When I was done soaking in the plants, I went outside to have a picnic lunch on the grass. Just across the field there was a group of live jazz musicians playing, which set a lovely lunch atmosphere.

I walked along some of the nearby trails in the park and caught sight of a large bird sunning its wings, and a blue heron catch a fish. I watched the birds for a while with another woman, who was quickly taking as many pictures of them as she could.

As I walked along, I paused to take out my notebook to write a list of the cool things that had happened so far when I heard a yell and looked up to see a coyote dart across my path 15 feet in front of me. I stood there a bit awe struck for a moment, then tried to look after where it had gone, but it was too quick and had already vanished into the trees.

1:45 was approaching, so I moved on so I could get to my free private dance lesson before 2:30! I signed up at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio and it was absolutely incredible! The people were wonderfully nice and excited, had great energy, and made the whole experience very enjoyable! We focused mostly on swing, per my request, and they helped me solidify what I had practiced before. If I had a bunch of extra money that I needed to spend, I would definitely invest in them. I learned too, that there are about 300 of their studios worldwide. Maybe I’ll find another one along my travels. But I think for now, I’ll stick with Lindy In The Park on Sundays for while I’m here. ;)

After my lesson, I walked up the street a little bit to see the Painted Ladies - a row of old Victorian and Edwardian style houses - and ended up in a dog park to get there. There were dogs EVERYWHERE! It was great! They chased each other, ran up to me and happily asked for pats, collided into me while chasing other dogs, rolled in the grass, and had the time of their lives.

Finally, after making it back to the house here, I enjoyed a lovely, almost 2 hour phone call with a friend from college. It’s always good to stay connected with home, no matter where you go.