Nature
Read MoreTranquil Bridge Fall
The Japanese Garden was built in 1973, transformed from an old gravel quarry. The Kyoto style landscape features cherry trees, Japanese maples, several bridges, a traditional tea house and summerhouse and the Japanese Garden pavilion and moon viewing deck.
A6000Botannical GardenFort WorthJapaneseSonySummerWater Garden
Oak Leaf
Oak belongs to the genus Quercus which comprises over 600 different species of trees. Most species of oak trees are deciduous with only couple of evergreen forms. Oak trees live on the Northern hemisphere. 78 species of oaks are listed as endangered because of the habitat destruction, over exploitation, diseases and introduction of invasive species.
Not a Nut
Like other nuts, an acorn is a seed, an embryonic tree-to-be wrapped in a hard shell. But only the lower end of an acorn's innards is occupied by a rudimentary root and stem; the rest is nutritive tissue loaded with protein, carbohydrates and fat. Its purpose is to sustain a sprouting seedling until the infant grows green leaves and can stock its own larder via photosynthesis. But far more often than not, a forest creature gobbles the nut and its stored nutrients first.
Upwards of 100 species of birds and animals include acorns in their diets. For many — including gray squirrels, blue jays, black bears, chipmunks, ruffed grouse and deer mice — nuts are the main food source, a critical element of day-to-day survival. For many more, acorns are a lifeline to spring and beyond. Without the benefit of the nuts' energy, those birds and animals will starve or fail to reproduce successfully.Tranquil Bridge
The Japanese Garden was built in 1973, transformed from an old gravel quarry. The Kyoto style landscape features cherry trees, Japanese maples, several bridges, a traditional tea house and summerhouse and the Japanese Garden pavilion and moon viewing deck.
A6000Botannical GardenFort WorthJapaneseSonySummerWater Garden
The Winding Path
Peaceful pathway found in the Japanese Botanical Garden in Fort Worh, TX.
Botannical GardenJapaneseSony A6000SummerWalking PathWater GardenZen
Alpine Visitor Center SouthEast View
A view looking SouthEast from the Rocky Mountain National Park Alpine Visitor Center.
Located at 11,796 feet (3,595 m) above sea level at Fall River Pass, about two miles north of the highest point on Trail Ridge Road in the U.S. state of Colorado. It is the highest facility of its kind in the United States.
The Alpine Visitor's Center includes restrooms, a restaurant and an information and gift shop. The visitor center opens around Memorial Day and closes around mid-October due to snow. In mid-summer, the visitor center is also accessible by Old Fall River Road, which is one-way going up.
The original visitor center building, constructed in 1936, remodeled in 1938 and added to in 1965. It was renovated recently in 2000 and 2001. Its rear decks face southeast and offer views of Fall River, and Estes Park and Longs Peak in the distance.