Choo choos at Olbrich botanical gardens.

Mama and I spent the morning at the Olbrich botanical gardens for the annual"poinsettia, model train, and faerie village" display. (Don't ask me the difference between a faerie and a fairy.)

This model choo choo exhibit was probably the best this that ever happened to me. I watched it for a full hour while mom sat on a bench.

I guess faeries appreciated Prairie (Praerie?) style architecture too. Here's a model of the Monona Terrace downtown.

This train was my favorite- the beer and sausage train. There were 4 trains running on two tracks.

Mom even made friends with the train conductor and he would slow the train down every time it passed me.

Here's a whimsical model of the State Capitol. Watch out for that enormous butterfly, Governor Doyle!!!

After about an hour, mom asked me if I wanted to go see more flowers. I agreed and we went into the Conservatory- "a glass pyramid filled with exotic plants, bright flowers, a rushing waterfall, fragrant orchids and free-flying birds."

It was really warm in there and we had to take off our coats and our sweatshirts. We stopped to watch the huge fish. One kept coming up to the surface and making sucking noises. Mom said he was trying to kiss me. I thought that was pretty funny.

Mom, didn't you see what was down there?

Mom spent alot of time telling me to get my mouth off of things.

And to close the barn door.

There were fun benches to play on.

This is the best shot we got to show how big the place is (we were on the second floor here). GG Parsons, please come visit us so we can take you to the Botanical Gardens. Besides the indoor stuff, there are also 16 acres of outdoor gardens. You would love it here.

After the steamy conservatory we went back to watch the trains for another hours. I was so enthralled by the choo choos that mom spent most of her time playing with her camera. Her are some of the shots she got in the conservatory.