On Saturday I woke up at the crack of dawn and headed to Duke Gardens.  I had a homework assignment due at noon that day for my photography class, and I figured the gardens could provide some interesting subject material.   There were snow clouds in the sky, and not a ray of sunshine, which concerned me.   As I sipped my morning coffee, I worried that I’d have to use my Photoshop skills to enhance my pictures. Would my instructor notice?

When I arrived, the blue heron was waiting for me, and in perfect position.

 

Despite the cold and grayness, signs of spring were everywhere.

 

Seems like the Koi had gotten even bigger since the last time I saw them.

 
This waterfall wasn’t here the last time I came through with my camera.
 

 

I kept roaming, looking for the perfect shot.   For a while I had the whole place to myself.  The peace and quiet was wonderful.

 
Next I headed for the bamboo forest on the eastern edge of the gardens.
 

 
I thought this bamboo-graffiti would make an interesting subject if I put it in the foreground.
 

 

Coming out of the bamboo, I stumbled upon  The Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden,  a working homestead that includes a transplanted tobacco barn, a vegetable garden, and giant cisterns for water collection.  The Brody Garden is one of two pilot projects at Duke that are part of the new Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI), an international program created to promote sustainable land development and management practices.
 

 

Despite some of the primitiveness of the place, the fancy stonework and other stylized elements reminded me that I was still in Duke Gardens.
 

 
To my delight, a fancy pergola led me straight to a fancy chicken coop.
 

 
At the hen house, it was a veritable chicken potpourri. I counted 5 different breeds.

 

As I crouched to take some pictures,  the chickens came running up to me, hoping that I was delivering their morning breakfast.

 

Having walked around for a couple of hours, I realized I was famished too, and headed back home for a bowl of oatmeal. I’ll be back to the Discovery Garden soon.