Japanese garden

This morning we took Jonah to the Portland Japanese Garden for the first time. What a magical place! He loved all the stairs, moss, rocks and water. It was actually a little bit hard to keep him from crawling around in the bushes and running into the tranquil, perfectly manicured Zen rock garden. But he was easy to distract with the next enticing thing to jump or walk on: a teeny bridge here, a mossy rock there, a bamboo fountain nearby...

Whenever there, I imagine being a monk and strolling around the garden each morning and meditating. Secretly I wish I could take a morning walk there alone before they open at least a couple times a week. The place is so calming and inspirational all at the same time. It truly feeds the soul. Pics at the bottom of this page.