Colorful Heron

I posted a picture of this heron a few years back, but here is another view of the "Pump House Heron" statue at the International Friendship Gardens in La Crosse.  I really like the painted promise of colorful summertime flowers contrasted against the bare and chilly spring background.

Thatched Roof

An ornamental thatched roof gazebo with a goat weathervane at the International Gardens in La Crosse.  I'll have to come back in the summer to take another photo when the grass is green and the flowers are in bloom. You can see more of the real thing here.

Garden Arch

The welcoming entrance arch to the "International Friendship Gardens" in La Crosse's Riverside Park.

A Norwegian Leprechaun?

We are visiting relatives in La Crosse this weekend and during our morning walk down by the river we wandered through the "Friendship Gardens."  With the long winter coming to an end, it's still quite stark and gray this time of year - very different from the bright flowers and blue skies of summer.  This part of Wisconsin has a prominent Scandinavian heritage, and tucked among the evergreen shrubs and bare branches are several Norwegian "trolls" guarding the grounds. It's the closest I can get to an Irish Leprechaun. Happy St. Patrick's Day!