Toads in real life

This morning, Cas came over uncharacteristically early and we started on our way to the Dallas Arboretum. It was a bit warm, but honestly, it was not a typical June day in Texas. It was nearly pleasant. The Arboretum is a beautiful place, but it has been very crowded every other time I have been there. This is a key advantage of being a teacher and having summers off- we went on a Thursday morning.

We walked around the gardens, looking at the flowers. We literally stopped and smelled the roses. We stopped and smelled a variety of flowers, in fact. We even ventured shoeless into the splashed water from a fountain. It featured four toads arranged so that they created corners and faced inward. Water streamed from their mouths into a central shallow area where presumably, it cycled back through. There was a sign out front explaining some rules, and the sign caused me to wonder what had to happen before they actually went to the trouble of writing up the rules. There was one rule warning patrons not to change diapers there. There was another warning patrons with diarrhea or contagious diseases to stay away. I shudder to think of what prompted the folks at the Arboretum to actually write these things down. As I pondered this and sat watching the frogs shoot out a steady stream of water, Cas said, "This is nothing like how toads vomit in real life." I am amused that he is the kind of guy who would say something like that, and I think he is pretty tickled that he found a girl who laughs at a comment of that sort.

I ran my Charity Miles app as we strolled from one part of the beautiful garden to another, and we managed to wander over three miles together. It was just about the prettiest walk I've been on. We stopped for iced tea and a piece of lemon cake along the way- mostly just to have a cold drink in a place with air conditioning. After that, we walked around a bit more before we were both in agreement that the trip had been a success. We came, we saw and we smelled the flowers. We stopped for some tacos on the way back to my house, and he left not too long ago. He has an afternoon class at his gym, and he is pretty determined to get the most from his membership.  I am ready for a nap.

For reference, here is a toad, and for your viewing pleasure, I'll throw in one of Cas' selfies. It was a pretty day.