It has been almost 4 months since I retired and I have yet to be bored. My days are never alike and I so enjoy being out and about, either on foot or driving, discovering the world around me. I feel as though during my 40 years of working I was so limited in what I was able to do because of time constraints. Though I was able to do quite a lot of world travel, there was always a restriction on the number of days I could be away from my job and in the back of my mind loomed the inevitable having to get home to resume the rat race.
Now I wake up with absolutely no restrictions as to what I can do each day. Of course I am mindful of our finances, particularly because The Husband is still working and I certainly don't want to be frivolous with our money. I have discovered though that there is so much to do around this beautiful part of the world that doesn't cost a thing or can be done at a very reasonable price.
For instance, yesterday I wanted to go for a walk in the morning and for some reason I thought about The Oregon Garden ( https://www.oregongarden.org/ ) found just 10 miles away in the charming little town of Silverton, Oregon. I have been there a couple times before since it opened in 2002, but I never really took the time to explore. They have a tram that will drive people around the perimeter of the grounds which is what I did both other times. This time I opted to walk. What a treat! First because I was able to do so without any difficulty, and second, because there was so much to see that I had been previously unaware.
As usual, I was there before they opened on a grey, misty Tuesday morning and was Guest #1 for the day. With trusty trail map in one hand and my camera in the other, I took off down the path. The air was cool, there was no one about but some of the gardeners, and the only sounds through much of my walk were the birds singing.
The garden is set up in many different "rooms" highlighting various plants, trees, and shrubs. There were water features, a sensory garden, a serpent made of oyster shells, various types of forests, as well as a beautiful area where weddings are held. In addition to the garden, right outside the gate is the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Oregon called the Gordon House. It is certainly interesting to look at close up and read the information about it's architectural style.
Perhaps it was too early in the season, or perhaps it's because we have had a rather cold beginning of spring, but there were not many blooming flowers to be found. It didn't matter to me though because we are lucky to have so many flower gardens/farms around here that I will explore as things begin to come into full bloom.
My walk turned out to be about 1 1/2 miles altogether but it could have been longer had I gone down every path available. I was so pleased and impressed with the garden I decided to purchase an annual membership with unlimited entry until April 30, 2020. I will make up the cost in just 3 visits which I fully intend to do. On a side note, I was able to get my membership at the Senior price and as I said earlier, I am all about frugality, but there is still something quite shocking to my ego/reality that I qualify as a Senior. How did this happen?
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