Well, not too dirty. My brother and I used to skip school together at the Morikami back in my high school days when he was a freshman and I was a senior. We’d spend the whole day there about once a month, walking the nature trail, feeding the koi (and the turtles… I actually liked them more than the fish), looking at bonsai, and peering over a little fence to look at the hidden rock garden….It’s also where I first discovered pocky sticks! As far as I know, it’s the only museum (in Florida, anyway) dedicated to brining the living culture of Japan to the West. (Delray Beach is the sister city to Miyazu, Japan… that might have something to do with it). There’s a few memorials there, too, one we saw dedicated to Ellison Onizuka (The Challenger astronaut) that was done in a really wonderful traditional style.

I’ll admit we didn’t always make it the most tranquil place.. We’d run around when nobody else was there, and there was one tree there in particular that we were convinced was a mean old man in disguise… and we mocked it. “Ha ha, can’t fool us, stupid old man… just give it up”…. that poor tree was picked on every time we went there, but he didn’t seem to mind. I’m still not fooled.

Even in the summer we went every now and then….The bon festival (celebration of ancestors) was really beautiful, and the August heat wasn’t so bad, since it was open at night…special for that place.(they usually closed right around 5ish. Taiko drums are too amazing, folk dancing…I really have an urge to go again now. The Drums, and the old ghost stories told there really were quite some things to hear, and they had fireworks at the end. Heck, even the tea ceremony was a fascinating thing top me. I’m going to have to rummage around and see if I can find any images from the times I was there. August 18 is the next one. I’m certainly making a note on my calendar to go.

Scents were strong too… gardenias, orange jasmine, pines…just a beautiful place. The last time I was there was perhaps a year ago.

Honestly, if you had a choice between a place like that, and a dull day of high school… what would you pick?

These memories brought to you by constant hype of the pearl harbor movie, memorial day, and most of all, my dear, sweet Ornj, someone I’d like to take there, and spend the day holding hands.

Lots more photos at – http://www.jgarden.org/gardens.asp?ID=289 and at http://www.geocities.com/Paris/2710/morikami.htm