Meijer Gardens - 4/25/13

The weather was cool and windy, it was a Thursday, and the butterfly exhibit was a few days away from closing so I'm thinking no one will be there and I can enjoy a peaceful walk. Wrong. The parking lot gave me my first clue, packed and full of buses. I ignored the clues and entered the mayhem.

The butterfly exhibit was still pretty active, with butterflies and people. And the humidity was incredibly high, more than I remember. People clogging walkways and camera lenses fogging up drove me out after about 10 minutes.

The boardwalk was cool relief from the crowds and, as elsewhere in Grand Rapids,
showed very high water.

I continued to walk the outdoor paths and ended up behind this snail's paced tram that sometimes moved slower than me, and other times faster. I couldn't shake it and finally turned around.

The Woodland Garden is always a favorite,

and I've never met another person on the walk around the pond.

 Circling on back around, a sky view of the arch, 

Scarlatti, with a close-up of what looks like graffiti but is probably weathering,

On the way out, I stopped in at the indoor exhibit of sculpture by Hanneke Beaumont.

Very cool work but no photos permitted as per usual. But here's one from the butterfly exhibit.

Before I left, I checked out the new Japanese Garden being built

and enjoyed the bit of spring on the way out.

4/27/13 Update: How do concert tickets sell out in 15 minutes?  Something is not right, and good luck to non-members a few weeks from now who would like tickets to the most popular shows. On the average, 50% of summer concert tickets are sold out before they are offered to the public. Just so you know...

  

The Flood is Winding Down ~ 4/24/13

Rivers are slowly receding and roads such as these in Ada
(from yesterday) are now clear.

Downtown hotels continue pumping their basements and Plaza Towers is still evacuated,  deliberately retaining some water in their lower level to maintain pressure against the Grand River.

Only the ducks are unconcerned.

The River Has Crested - 4/22/13

Today's visit downtown was with my work mates, one with a borrowed camera from me. Naturally, that resulted in me appearing in a few photos :-)

 The good news is that the water is receding but it has a long way to go. 

Here you can see the high water mark at the Ford Museum.

River front hotels are still pumping,

  and Grand Rapids is still gawking at the dramatic views.

News people are running stories on water quality,

 aquarium quality windows are holding (pics by Mary Alice Walker),

 men at work are checking the bridges and flood walls,

no one in Grand Rapids follows instructions,

 and we're all watching...(sandbags & water almost meet).

Ada/Cascade Flood Photos - 4/21/13

 Fifth Day of Flood Photos
Rivers continue to rise, including the Thornapple.

A new perspective can be gained from viewing from the railroad tracks.

Tread lightly out there, my friends, and maybe clean up your back yard :-)