Friday 25 July 2014

Halifax Public Gardens chapter one


I've been wanting to share these pictures with you since I took them last Saturday when we visited the Halifax Public Gardens for the first time. I have so many that I will have to do it in at least 2 installments. When Wally asked me later that evening what my favourite part of the day was, I knew it was this old established parkland.

 What a perfect day for it.

Although we came in the back way, I thought I'd show you the main entrance gates that appear to be closing us out but were actually open at the sides.

There were four of these folk art style painted cast iron medallions on the gate.

Fanciful grillwork cover for a lamp post.

Wally in an atypical tourist mood as we pass through the gates.

This is our view as we came in through from the back of the park.

The fountain was quite classical, almost funny in its joyful references of the past.

the starlings enjoyed it too, splashing about.

Delightful old trees. This one is a chestnut.

a huge pond that created the most tranquil setting

lilies at the ponds edge

and the ducks that didn't seem to know they were wild

Detail from the photo above

and another detail from the same photo

Ok, I may as well warn you, there will be more ducks

what is it about these gentle creatures?

I find them fascinating in every way: their plumage, their shape, the colour,
their manner, their little duckie voices

I was thrilled to get these abstracted reflections with the ducks

They were so eager for handouts that they gave me and my slow exposure camera lots of "photo op's"

There were a surprising amount of fish in the water

creating a soft edge wake. See how the water breaks before her?

The reflections really jazzed up this peaceful scene

a duck's paradise


 Eventually they tired of us and went to browse among the reeds 

Before I close this segment of our trip to the Halifax Public Gardens and this incredibly beautiful pond, I was surprised by Wally's story that this lighthouse that sits on its own little island was made by his grandfather many many years ago. It's so nice to see how well it is maintained. In fact there are other small models of buildings throughout the grounds. I'll share one with you next time.

How sweet to have a thread of continuity through all the decades-
and what a little maintenance can do.

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