Loveliness Revisited

“We forgot the fried chicken!” I cried. I had been so careful to get everything together for this picnic we decided to do after visiting Cann Gardens yesterday. I had saved several drumsticks from supper, placed them in a plastic bag and put them in the refrigerator. This morning I made deviled eggs and a quick potato salad using last night’s leftover mashed potatoes. I even made bread and butter sandwiches to eat with our chicken. Finally, had I put our iced tea into jars with lids, threw in a few cookies and an apple, remembered a tablecloth, napkins and forks, and we were off.

Well, thankfully, we had only gone a few blocks when we had to return home for the forgotten chicken legs. We would take a walk around the walking path, leaving our lunch in the car until we decided on a likely-looking spot to eat. Howard wanted to eat at a round, concrete table with curved benches where we’ve had many picnics in the past, but the morning was cool and the spot was too shady for my comfort.

“Let’s eat under an arbor,” I suggested, the vine-covered structures might be a little cool, too, but they let in sunlight and were protected from the breeze. While Howard went for the lunch, I checked one out. This one looked like a fairy cottage, with vines of huge leaves covering it and draped around the entrance. I stuck my head in and was amazed! Huge, green, speckled gourds hung randomly from the overhead mesh like so many whimsical chandeliers! A sign was hung prominently reading, “Do not pick the Swan Gourds”. I didn’t, but I could see why it was tempting. They were gorgeous, obviously named for the graceful, curved necks they had in common with swans.

By this time I was warm from walking, so we ate at a sun-dappled table under the tree with a clear view of our beautiful surroundings. This was more atmosphere than the finest restaurant, with drifts and stands of flowers of every description lining the brick path beside us. “Let’s walk again when we finish,” I suggested to my husband. Actually, I was already through, and he suggested I go ahead while he relished the last of his lunch. We would have to leave soon after for him to get ready for his afternoon job.

Oh, here was the name of the flowers I couldn’t remember yesterday! The sign said they were Esperanza “Yellow Bells”. They looked like bells, too, as they tumbled over the landscape from the overflowing branches of the bush. How beautiful! They probably smelled good, too, but I was clueless in that department. The ornamental pepper plants grew profusely, their shiny colors of red, orange, purple or yellow glistening in the sun. I should have brought a notepad to write down the botanical names of all this flora, but as the Shakespearean quote says, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. Well, maybe not to me, but they sure looked beautiful!