A Dinosaur Egg in the Fall Garden
Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 5:30AM A long time ago when my son Josh was four years old, dinosaurs roamed our home. They were made of rubber, but that was beside the point. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brontosaurus, Triceratops and many others engaged in mighty hunts and battles across the bedroom, down the hallway, and even into the far corners of the kitchen.
One day Josh came into the house, his sweet round faced flushed and his blue eyes shining.
"Look! It's a dinosaur egg!"
He held up his hands. In his palms rested a great, egg shaped rock. It was smooth, and it did look like a dinosaur egg, even to me.
"I'm going to let it hatch!"
I thought about that.
"Well, Josh," I said, "I think dinosaurs take a very, very long time to hatch. Why don't you put it back out in the yard, and you can check on it from time to time. But I think I read somewhere that dinosaurs can take years to hatch."
Josh was satisfied with that, and he returned his prize to the woodlands. I don't know how often he checked his egg, but eventually he grew up. Dinosaurs were forgotten, and guitars and girls and the price of gasoline became more important.
But it all came back to me when I found a great, egg shaped rock in the woodlands. It hasn't hatched yet, and I decided to put it on a chunk of wood, to make a rustic pillar, marking the back entrance to the woodland garden. I just hope it's not Velociraptor that eventually comes out!
The egg isn't the only thing that's making me smile recently. After our droughty September, I was afraid all the leaves would turn brown and fall off the trees, without going through the usual color changes that bring so much pleasure to me this time of year. It's true; the colors are more subdued this year, and many leaves do have brown edges. But when the light shines through a certain way, the colors still take my breath away.
Here are some scenes from the fall garden:
Some pretty fall leaves:
Top: Dogwood, cornus florida. Bottom: Japanese maple leaves beginning to turn; River birch leaves against the sky.
The 'Waterfall' Japanese maple in the woodland garden is amazing. Below, the top photo shows this tree as its leaves began to turn at the end of September. The bottom photo shows the same tree this past week.
More colors in the fall garden:
And finally, here are scenes from the woodland garden:
As fall turns toward a busy holiday season, my hope is for every day to hold a blessing for you, and may you be content enough to receive it! Deborah
Reader Comments (26)
Sweet story Deb! I love how you have found another (or the same) dinosaur egg and put it on a pedestal. Beautiful fall photos from around your gardens! ;>)
That's great that you found the dinosaur egg again. When I was a kid I was fascinated with dinosaurs too.
Your fall garden is looking gorgeous. I love the color of the 'Waterfall' Japanese maple.
I would watch out, as it appears to be pecking its way out of the egg already, and a stone dinosaur might be even more terrifying than one made of flesh and blood.
There is lots of lovely colour in your fall garden, especially on the wooded hillside.. That Japanese maple had outstanding foliage, including great leaf colour and shape. I keep waiting for them to develop a hardier version of Japanese maple.
Fall can be sweetly melancholy, and I loved the tender story of the dinosaur egg and childhood past. Your woodland photos intensified the dreamy state of memory and I thoroughly enjoyed this post.
Hey Debs,
Lovely post, I'm also loving the Dinosaur egg, how magical for a child! I do hope you remind your son at the most embarrassing times! :)
The trees here have suddenly decided to turn too, I think it's the slight rise in temperature, there are some wonderful colours around right now... Such a pleasure and I'll try my hardest not to think about the bareness which will soon follow.
My, oh my, what a darling story. Right now I hear my own 18yo Josh talking in the other room to goodness-knows-who. But I can remember that sweet 4yo with big blue eyes who loved stacking his plastic dinosaurs in battle scenes all over the house. Yes, your writing has struck a poignant chord with me today. How lucky that you have found that great big dinosaur egg to remind you of days gone by, and how clever of you to make a display of it!
Deb, The dinosaur egg story is charming, and the colors of your fall garden and woodlands are delightful. I'm particularly mesmerized by the colors of your 'Waterfall' Japanese maple.
A lovely story of time passing which catches the gentle mood of your autmn garden., peaceful and beautiful.
Do keep us updated when the egg hatches. Love all your photos. As I scroll down, I find myself, saying wow, Wow, WOW!!!
Good Morning!
I ran across your blog while I was researching the possibility of Marguerite sweet potato vine tubers to be edible. I have a bumper crop the majority of which I will serve to my family.
I wonder, how would I store them so that I could plant starts again next year?
Any ideas?
Alina
You have a stunning woodland garden - I have to go out for a walk to see that many trees, and not many acers even then! Glorious colours despite the drought earlier in the year. Very glad to have found your blog through Helen's End of Month View.
Oh Deb, I love the fall coloring on that Japanese Maple, it's fabulous! And when the dinosaur egg hatches, be sure to let us know!
Oh! I hope it's a Stegosaurus that hatches, I was always rather fond of those...of course, since I studied paleontology I think they've renamed half the dinosaurs! Your fall garden is looking lovely. I wish I could plant a Japanese maple here, but first I'd need to find a spot where the deer can't get to it, which is easier said than done!
Deborah my boys always collected rocks and cobbles and each one was added to the surrounding area of our pond - and one of the lovely round ones sits on a pillar just like that to the entrance to our back garden. That waterfall Japanese maple just looks so amazing. I'm so glad that you've got some autumn colour in the garden. I was out in a very established woodland garden yesterday and thought as I was walking through it that it was probably quite similar to yours :)
Awesome photos Deb!
A lovely story and fine fall photos, Deb.
The pictures are beautiful and soothing!! Thanks!! I really love the Waterfall maple. Here's a cheer for moms who know how to gently convince their sons that rocks won't hatch!! HOORAY!
The dino egg story was so cute, and to find it again, priceless. Loved the colorful fall images too.
Dear Deborah, One could really be forgiven for thinking that what you have found is a Dinosaur egg after all. Just the right size I should imagine and certainly with the type of rugged surface that I should imagine a Dinosaur egg to have. Certainly, it deserves its pride of place on a pedestal amidst that glorious show of autumn colour in your garden. Eggsiting!!
Thanks for sharing your story, it made me smile and that can't ever be a bad thing. The autumn colour in your garden is amazing! I love it! Here in Italy we get very little real autumn colour. A few things turn yellow but not the wonderous red, oranges and purples that you get; thats for letting me enjoy your colour.
Christina
Wow...mega gorgeous post..such beautiful shots of nature..as always..you dazzle me!
and yay..such abeautiful egg...I find them too ha ha!! sweet story!
Have a beautiful day
Kiki
Deb, the autumn colors are still awesome even if to people like you they are not as usual. The waterfall maple colors are for me very beatiful among those you showed. But the wonderful presence of the dinosaur egg is the most awesome, haha! Be careful with that, as a stone dinosaurling might be more dangerous!
You tell the BEST stories!!!! Keep that egg -- VERY fun!
beautiful garden photos too- as always!
I can easily imagine spending time on the bench in your garden contemplating the beauty of your garden. Lovely.
What a treat! Your woodland garden is lovely and the dinosaur story is precious! gail
Deb, are you sure you didn't spill some paint on the rainbow Japanese maple? What dramatic colors! Jan H.