I wrapped up my second “photo shoot” for the Garden yesterday for the last of our Summer Picnic concerts. It was another lovely Florida morning, partly cloudy skies and a mild breeze blowing. In fact, Southwest Fla. temps have been cooler than St. Louis and parts farther north!

Walking amidst the families and observing couples young and old sharing a midday repast on the day of our nation’s independence uplifted me. To be sure, the Garden exudes a special magic, but the tropical music and strong vocals combined with a lazy day vibe made me feel as though time does stand still despite our hyper-connected world. (I do appreciate the irony as I posted on Facebook prior to, during and after the concert!) But here’s the thing…people want to connect.

One Facebook fan posted a remarkable photo on our fan page providing our own floral fireworks. (Thanks Marie!) The beauty and generosity of her efforts were not lost. In fact, I believe I saw her in the garden taking that photo while I was photographing guests enjoying the Brazilian Garden…a Fellini moment for sure!

Overall, our Summer Picnic Concert Series succeeded in attracting more than 200 of our neighbors. A special thanks to the “rain gods” for waiting exactly thirty minutes past the 2 p.m. scheduled concert end time to unleash a torrential downpour.

I’ll take that as a good omen. Mark your calendars for 2013. We’re planning another great Picnic Concert series.

Center photo credit: Flickr