When my local BJD group was contemplating a location
for our next meet-up, I suggested my favorite place!
The Botanic Gardens!
We sat around in the front, chatting and waiting
for a late member.
Ella and Amaya are among the tiniest in the group,
but there are a few who are even smaller!
Is it time to start exploring?
We started out by exploring the children's garden,
which has an over-sized garden theme,
like "Honey I Shrunk the Kids!"
There were also beautiful real flowers!
We enjoyed wandering around and stopping to photograph our doll friends.
Next, we passed by the model train exhibit.
There were more beautiful flowers in the planters near the pond.
Amaya turned down the invitation to pose inside the flower petals,
but there were a few others who accepted the offer!
Then, we visited the Mediterranean greenhouse.
A rock around the corner provided the space for a group
photo opportunity!
We finally arrived at my favorite place!
Sasebo Japanese Garden!
Hey, how did you get up there?
We started to discover how exciting and adventurous
our friends are!
One member went out onto the bridge.
I didn't know we could do that!
Owner Photos from the Bridge:
As we started another group set up,
another member went out onto the rocks on the pond!
Here we all are on the deck with the waterfall in the background!
Hanging out with others can be fun!
I was no longer a solitary individual with my dolls.
We were a group of women with dolls...
and one man joining us with his woman!
We headed back toward the other side of the waterfall and
the entrance of Sasebo Japanese Garden.
We waited patiently while our friends had their turn
at photographing their dolls.
Just a few more photos before we leave the area...
The aquarium is on the same property at the Botanic Garden
and is included in the same admission price,
so we ended our visit with a walk through the aquarium.
Divers were cleaning the tank in the shark tank.
The residents didn't seem to mind!
A few of the slower fish were easier to photograph
than the faster sharks!
Ella ended up making friends with a GIANT sting ray!
Is it waving or flirting?
It was a few minutes before the sting ray went on its way.
Well, the group hung out and chatted awhile longer, but it had already been a long day.
We were done with photos, and finally said "good bye!"
Hope to see everyone again soon!
