🌿 Brooklyn Botanic Garden: A Serendipitous Afternoon

"Those with sensitive senses must also have sensitive morals," Camus once wrote—a fitting prelude to this unexpected encounter among the lotus ponds and Japanese maples. 🌸 The Garden’s Whispered Stories Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted’s firm (of Central Park/Cornell fame), this oasis mirrors Kyoto in Brooklyn. Ben’s ritual: A Cornell professor’s husband who seeks Japanese gardens in every city—yet pines for fly fishing in Central Park (yes, it’s allowed!). 🎣 🎨 A Dialogue with the Heat 👩 "The water lilies are charming—Monet’s muse, though I bet the roots below are sweeter." 🧑 "It’s too hot for poetry." 👩 "Why not gift me a painting? Abstract blocks of color?" 🧑 "Too easy." ⛲️ Ephemeral Moments Children splashing in a hidden stone fountain, their laughter echoing summers. The gardener’s stern "No sheets on the lawn!"—as if grass fears wrinkles. A shared aluminum water bottle in lieu of iced watermelon: "Hydration is art." 💧 #NYCParks #BotanicWhimsy #SummerInTheCity #GardenDiaries