Count the cupcakes

If you have ever been to the Dallas Arboretum, you have seen them.  There are almost always at least a half dozen teenage girls in big, puffy dresses that make them look like torsos sticking out from the tops of fancy cupcakes.  I always count the cupcakes when I go to the arboretum.  Today, there were only two socially distant cupcakes.  Still, it's something to behold, and just a little strange to see while everyone else is fanning their faces and shuffling sandal-clad feet through the flower-lined paths.  

In a lot of Hispanic cultures, girls have a special party on their fifteenth birthday.  Consider it their version of the Bat Mitzvah or the Sweet Sixteen.  It's called a quinceanera (Keen-suhn-YEH-ruh).  There are always elaborate photo shoots in the puffy dresses before the party.  I wondered this morning as we drove to the arboretum if we would see any at all.  Apparently, some things will never change.  Well done, cupcake girls!

I went with a much more casual look.  I sported shorts and a T shirt today as we walked around the Arboretum.  Cas and I seem to hit up the arboretum once a year- usually in the summer, and usually in the morning on a day when the forecast is for lower than hundred-degree temperatures.  Next year, we will check the humidity before we head off to go cupcake counting.  Live and learn.  

It was a very pretty walk, though.  The arboretum limited the number of people they allowed in at any time, and they had marked paths for one way and two way traffic.  Some things were understandably closed- they turned off the toad fountain and shut down the play area for kids.  They did have a new feature, though.  They had a sculpture exhibit on display with pieces all around their beautiful park.  There are pieces that look like people doing different park activities whose clothing and accessories are so real looking that sometimes, we got confused and thought actual patrons on park benches were additional statues.  It was kind of funny, and honestly, the sparse crowd in the arboretum made the statues stand out all the more.  Here's a shot Cas snapped of a sculpture heading out for a picnic.  

Smart girl- go for a spot in the shade!  

It was a really nice walk in the park, and I am glad we went early in the day.  It was far less crowded than any other time I have been there, and I am sure that was by design.  The lack of too many other people was nice.  There were still some times when Cas and I cut through the grass to avoid having to walk very close to other people.  There were a few people who followed so close on the marked paths that we called them tailgaters, but it's easy to step to the side and let them move on.  

Overall, it was very pretty, and we had a good time.  We got home just in time for lunch, and if I play my cards right, maybe a nap.  

If you're interested in the arboretum, buy online and schedule a time: https://www.dallasarboretum.org/

We got tickets as a gift, but they are typically $10-$15

And, naturally, photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/2XJ3mX7a61qq3KRj7