Desert Botanical Garden

The Desert Botanical Garden is located smack dab in the middle of Phoenix

and from the moment you enter you are captivated by the beauty, serenity and sounds that follow you as you make your way along the many winding trails.
It's almost overwhelming at times.

This time I experienced the Garden with my friend Anna

and together we spoke quiet words of encouragement and spiritual truths while capturing images that caught our eye. Anna would point out various birds singing, delightful sounds that I had never noticed before. I am forever awaken to those sounds. Thank you Anna.

We were also blessed with an overcast day. Perfect for photographers. I took 720 photos :)

I also experienced the Butterfly Exhibit for the first time. What a thrill! I even had two butterflies land on my shoulder and were perfectly content to sit there for what seemed an unusually long time. We would see them land on hats and jeans and camera straps, but never actual skin... so you can imagine my surprise!

I was like a little kid. Think about it ~ thousands of beautiful butterflies in this peacefully contained, environmentally controlled structure. True paradise.

Hope you enjoy viewing these intricate creatures. I don't have a fancy zoom lens, other than what came with my camera, so I was delighted they let me get this close and sat so still. They're not camera shy, that's for sure. ha!

I had hoped to post these by Mother's Day, so my dear Mother-in-law could enjoy them. She loves butterflies. God has used them over the years to comfort her during many painful losses. I will always think of her when I see a butterfly. 

I will be posting more Garden images tomorrow. Oh, and the twins were dedicated at church on Mother's Day. What a special morning. Planning to post those photos this week too!