Gallivanting at the Philadelphia Flower Show

 I'll be honest here, my travels today were far from "gallivanting" and more like "ambling," but I felt lucky that Marty and I were able to make it to the Philadelphia Convention Center for the annual flower show today.   

Shortly after our previously reported Wellsboro adventure, I found myself with some sort of leg issue that resulted in a sudden trip to an orthopedic urgent care.  So, here I am, six weeks later, venturing out for the first time, with encouragement from my physical therapist who has been instrumental in helping me regain some semblance of mobility. 

He suggested that I just sit and rest when I felt it necessary. Which is really kind of a naive comment considering the crowds that flock to this show annually.  But, I was able to find some respite when 2 women from Rochester, New York, generously shared a bench with me.  We struck up a very entertaining conversation and it was delightful way to pass the time for a few minutes until I could get moving again.  

So, let me share some of the amazing floral displays that we managed to view: 

This grandiose display welcomed us as soon as we walked through the entrance door.

The lighting was a bit tricky, as you can see by the glare in the next photo, but it didn't diminish the beauty  by any means.  

Just around the corner, I spied what appeared to be a map of the United States constructed from flower petals.   When I managed to get closer, I saw that the petals extend across the ocean into Europe.  But I found it to be such a clever way to catch one's attention. 

The car  featured suitcases strapped on the back, a dog, and two people in the front seat, one holding a paper map in her hand. 

Upon closer inspection, one can see that the paper mâché figures are made using old maps.  How clever is that?  And, how great that we know exactly what a paper map looks like?  

These next three photos are part of a grouping by one designer.

 

Bluebird houses caught my eye

as well as varied scenery, uniquely displayed throughout the hall.

This display was set up by an orchid company.  What you see are vanilla pods drying on a bench.  The aroma teased my senses. 

And, around the corner were the vines still holding green vanilla pods, with a scattering of "Kenny" Cymbidium in the foreground.

There were several examples of floral dining ideas

as well as quite a number of pergolas, each unique in its own way. 

This lovely gazebo stood  in the distance of the above photo.

I found the Mad Hatter Tea party to be quite creative

Look closely and you will see the hat on the red chair, a face in that giant rose on the right, with the clock to its left and a purple tea kettle seemingly floating in the air. 

Next to it was the dinosaur display. 

which had some interesting and unusual florals interspersed throughout. 

A local horticulture society featured brightly painted bee hives

as well as another community garden display.

Here you see "Dancing Spirit" featuring Australian Wild Flowers

and the Contessa, flocked by Italian White Lilies

A couple other displays grabbed my attention with the effect of mixing different florals as well as medians resulting in beautiful landscapes. 

The Philadelphia Cactus & Succulent Society featured some entertaining "stuffies" 

as well as some unique succulents. 

And, this unusual display of "Royal Tools" was quite a surprise.  Who knew that King George VI had time for gardening?  How clever that those same tools have been saved to put on display here in Philadelphia? 

Having visited quite a number of English Gardens, I found the British Game to be quite fitting.  One must grow the best garden with the least weeds. I'm not sure we'd win at that one. 

There was even a gardening book devoted just to little girls that was mixed among the Great Britain articles. 

And finally, I'll leave you with some ideas in case you might be considering sprucing up your front door entrance way.

What a fun project that would have been to work on! 

After several hours immersed in plants and flowers, we decided that we'd seen enough and headed to the Reading Terminal Market where I enjoyed a delicious Turkish Coffee Smoothie before we headed home. 

Thanks for following along, and I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour! 

Until next time.....(I'm thinking positively)....

Gallivanting in Wellsboro

Welcome to my first blog written in 2024!  Yes...we've been busy, having traveled to Bristol and back home before the snowy weather blew in.  And, we did manage a trip to the farm show this year, but I've blogged about both in the past, so I didn't feel compelled to share either of those adventures.  

You might be wondering just what brought us to Wellsboro?  The answer to that is simple:  Ice Fishing. 

Marty has had this dream to rekindle his enthusiasm for ice fishing ever since he retired.   Last year, he drove up to this area to take a class on Ice Fishing safety so that he'd be prepared to tackle (no pun intended)  the adventure, should the opportunity arise. 

But as you might have guessed, Ice Fishing requires a relatively thick layer of ice (4 inches minimum, I've been told, although that seems rather scanty to me), and in order for that to happen, the weather has to be accommodating.  So, Marty has been scoping out the daily weather reports so that he could determine the best time to travel to this area to satisfy his longing.

He slowly collected the necessary gear:  an auger, ice picks, insulation flotation overalls, and just about anything one might need in order to get out on the ice safely to catch a fish.  And, last week, he announced that it was time, and he asked if I'd be willing to travel with him to this quaint town, so that he could fish in a nearby lake.  I agreed, and picked a charming B&B along Main Street where we could stay, since the drive is several hours long.  

There had been some question of the integrity of the ice, so Marty stopped into the local tackle shop to check, and when he came out with a huge smile on his face, I knew that his dream was soon to become reality. 

We arrived at our B&B just as the sun was setting, and some snowflakes had begun to fall. 

The place has just two rooms, and as luck would have it, we have the place to ourselves.  The room is quite cozy 

and the welcome board was certainly a nice touch! 

The house is located just across from  a Victorian mansion that holds the local free library, and a church built in 1894, that peals a lovely tune several times a day.  I don't think I could have picked a better spot!

We decided to walk into town for dinner, and we couldn't help but admire the picturesque scene, with the gas lamps aglow along the median strip, and houses dating back to the 1800's along either side. 

We passed a statue of Mary Wells, wife of one of the original settlers for whom this town was named. 

The county courthouse clock was beautifully aglow with night approaching.

We soon found ourselves at Beck's Bistro, which offered a warm cozy atmosphere, and the food was scrumptious!

Little did we know that we had stumbled into Trivia Night at the Bistro, and within short time, all of those empty tables that you see were filled with people, eager to take part in the evening's game.  How fun is that?

This morning, Marty awoke early and headed out to his intended fishing location while I relaxed in the comfort of the cozy environs here.  By mid-morning, I decided to venture out and about to check out an area called "The Green", as I had noted an unusual monument sitting in the center last evening, but couldn't quite make out what it was from a distance. 

As I got closer, and saw what appeared to be three children in a boat, I thought to myself, unless this is Wynken, Blynken and Nod, I can't make out what it would be.  I walked around to the placard, expecting to see some sad story affiliated with this unusual monument, and what did I see?

A metal inscription, "Wynken, Blynken and Nod, Dutch Lullaby"!  Now, what are the chances of that?  I recalled that the baby shower that was given for me for my first child, had this as the theme, but, honestly, it's not a lullaby that I would have expected to see in the middle of a town square!  The statue has stood in the middle of the green since 1938.

Walking along, I spotted another view with the county courthouse in the distance. 

The sailor represents a memorial to veterans of all wars.

And this soldier statue is in memory of those who died in the Civil War.

I enjoyed walking into the town and admiring the unusual architecture of the many buildings.  

Festive decorations still adorned several of the shops.

And I found myself peering into the window of the Highland Chocolate shop on Main Street. 

Note the decorated Gas Light for which this town is known.

It didn't take much to entice me to enter, and soon I was greeted by an enthusiastic woman who was eager to share the story of the chocolate shop with me.  Apparently all of the decadent chocolates behind the glass case are made by Special Needs employees.  Of course,  I couldn't resist purchasing a box of hand made truffles, 

and I also picked up a can of maple syrup, having been harvested from this woman's owned acreage. 

 Guess you could say that I'm supporting the locals, right?

Heading back out on Main, I walked to the site of the Wellsboro Diner.  Marty and I laughed when we spotted it yesterday, as the facebook page picture is obviously enhanced in comparison to the real thing.  The diner opened in 1939 and has been in continuous use since then, standing on the original location. 

By now, it was beginning to rain a bit, so I began the walk back to the B&B, but decided to pop into a small cafe and enjoy a white chocolate latte. 

It tasted even better than it looks!

By the time I got back to the B&B, I was quite damp, as I hadn't thought to take the umbrella with me on the way out.  But, I popped my things in the room, then headed down to this cozy room, to relax, and to write this blog. 

I particularly loved the stand with these home made, quilted table runners.  They offer them for sale, if one should like to take one home.  The workmanship is beautiful!

The latest ice fishing update from Marty:  no fish were caught.  But, more importantly, he did NOT fall through the ice!  And it appears that a day ice fishing in the rain is better than a day not fishing....at least for the fisherman!

Hope you enjoyed my latest travel adventure!  Who knows.....if the weather freezes up again, we just might be back! 

In the meantime....stay warm!!