Still on my way to the Butterfly House and Pavilion.
The Education Cottage. This garden features a small cottage used for educational classes, children's birthday parties and picnics. The cottage was the BGO’s very first structure and was originally used as a storage shed. It was moved and turned into an educational and rental space in 2013. The surrounding gardens support butterflies and behind the cottage is the insectarium where our butterfly nannies raise butterflies.
I went inside the Butterfly House and Pavilion.
Inside this building. The Butterfly Garden, also known as the "butterfly pathway", leads to the Butterfly House. This garden is filled with host and nectar plants to attract native butterflies. It is certified and registered by Monarch Watch as a Monarch Waystation, which means it provides milkweeds, nectar sources and shelter needed to sustain monarch butterflies as they migrate through North America.
Butterflies. I left the Butterfly House and Pavilion and headed next to the Shade Garden.
My journey to the Shade Garden.
Views from the Shade Garden which features a collection of shade-loving plants, including many that hold their foliage year-round. This garden was donated by the Carl Totemeier family to honor Carl for the contribution he made to the botanical garden and to memorialize his love for the project. Totemeier served as the garden's Volunteer Executive Director from 2001-2004 and was instrumental in the garden's development and planning. The Shade Garden was designed by Yvonne Kirby, a friend of the Totemeier family.
Next I made my way to the Ozark Native Garden.
Views of the Ozark Native Garden which features flora native to Arkansas with a wide variety of flowers, grasses and shrubs. A small native stream flows through the garden and there are two shaded "front porch" swings. This garden was designed by Lisa Netherland and Jo Carlole Haxel. The Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists contribute to the upkeep and landscaping of this garden year-round.
I next walked to the Sensory Garden.
The views on the way there.
I arrived at the Sensory Garden which is designed to appeal to the five human senses of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. This garden's central feature is a large butterfly with living wings filled with various plants and flowers. A butterfly fountain created by sculptor Hank Kaminksy can also be found in this garden. Guests can discover plants that stimulate senses of smell and taste such as lemon balm, lavender and blueberry bushes.
The views of the Sensory Garden. My last garden would be the Rock & Water Garden.
The views of the Rock and Water Garden. A large berm, fieldstone wall and gatehouse separate the public entry from the Rock and Water Garden, which depicts an Ozark mountain stream with grotto effect, waterfalls and pools of water one might see in the mountains. Turtles, frogs and various water plants live in the pools. This garden utilizes custom-blended soils for growing various specialized rock garden plants. The rock featured in this garden is sandstone from the Winslow area.
I went back inside thanking them for my visit and drove back to the motel to work on the Fort Smith story and cleaned up before I drove to the Holiday Inn for the NRHS Banquet.
The NRHS Banquet 6/13/2014The event starts with the Social Hour.
Views of the Social Hour. Next the doors were opened and we went to our tables, in my case, Table 12 where I was joined by Skip Waters along with Ted and Pam Picraux. Both Ted and Skip are involved with the Let's Talk Trains show as I am.
The Mayor of Springdale, Doug Sprouse, welcomed us to his town.
Bart Jennings welcomed us all to his home state of Arkansas.
Bud Pulling led the evening dinner prayer.
Greg Molloy, President of the NRHS, welcomed us all to Arkansas.
My table at the NRHS Banquet.
Greg Molloy spoke about the NRHS.
Al Weber spoke about the two Rail Camps in Wilmington, Delaware and Tacoma, Washington.
Al Weber and Greg Molloy. Plates were passed around and over $1,000 was raised for next years Rail Camp.
Bart and Sarah Jennings received much praise for all their hard work putting together the last three NRHS Conventions: Iowa, Alaska and Arkansas.
Bart Jennings always gives us great information, and he praised me for my stepping up and helping run the Branson Belle Showboat trip.
Sarah Jennings was given praise for all her help putting together and working these conventions.
Bart Jennings and Brenda Rouse.
Brenda Rouse, Passenger Train Operations Manager, spoke next to our group.
J. Reilly McCarren, Chairman of the Board of the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, was our Keynote Speaker and answered questions at the end of his presentation.
Perry Martel, who works for the Vermont Rail System, talked about them hosting next year's NRHS 2015 Convention in Rutland, Vermont.
Greg Molloy and Perry Martel. That was the end of the NRHS 2014 Convention banquet. I found the quickest way back to my motel then worked on the Fort Smith story as I watched Game 5 of the Stanley Cup. It was 2-1 New York Rangers at the start of the third period then the Los Angeles Kings scored to tie the game. It took two overtime periods before Alec Martinez scored, thus giving the Los Angeles Kings their second Stanley Cup in three years. I went to bed a very happy LA Kings fan.
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