Hello Friends and Family,

Golden Gate Park, Part 4

Link to this year's index by clicking here.

The Japanese Tea Garden does contain a small Buddha statue which you see here. For those who are not familiar with the historic teacher, here is a summary from Wikipedia, "Gautama [Buddha] is the primary figure in Buddhism. He is believed by Buddhists to be an enlightened teacher who attained full Buddhahood and shared his insights to help sentient beings end rebirth and suffering. Accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death and memorized by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later."



Here we see another of the lovely streams and small waterfalls found throughout the gardens. Note the variety of colors and shadings in the plants — well done, gardeners.



Next we encounter another of the stone lanterns — this one coated with lichen, which makes the piece look older than it probably is.



From the back of the gardens, looking up the hill, we see the gift shop again. I love the way that the buildings are just nestled amongst all the plants and hardscaping.



From the front of the gardens, this shot is a closer view of the Tea House. Looks inviting. Wish I had had enough time to stop and sample some green tea and Japanese baked delights.



Turning around I took a shot of the new main gate with the extra story. I find the roof architecture so very interesting — quite unlike western designs but following long traditions in Japan.



Another azalea still in bloom, this one on the bank of this small pond — perfect.



Here is another stone lantern next to a pond with a Japanese Red Maple tree just in front.



And here is something you don't see every day, a drum bridge AKA a moon bridge. If you look at the bridge so you can see its reflection in the water, you can see a full circle — the complete drum (or moon). According to Wikipedia, "The bridge's Japanese design, which was adapted from the Chinese, has 3 main functions: to slow people down, to let barges on the canal go smoothly under the bridge, and to reflect a full circle on the water resembling a drum".



And another function is to provide a wonderful location for a memorable photograph of a loved one. The photographer is just out of view to the left — made me wish I had brought a model. Since I didn't, I chose to surreptitiously borrow his — but I had to work quickly because she didn't seem too comfortable up there.



To be continued...

Life is good.

Aloha,
B. David

P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com