Trees

I have been longing for a break and was most thankful to see the mid-autumn holiday. Shortly after our family gather at the Snow Garden, Vivian and I brought the two princesses of ours to the university campus.

It was probably the best time for hiking and picnic throughout the year. Seriously, there aren’t any exciting things to see as such. However, it was great fun for our girls to run after butterflies on the grass, say hello to dragonflies, and observe the fish and turtles in the lotus pond. I was also trying to take the opportunity and teach Euterpe some local botany: Chinese banyan (細葉榕), Taiwan acacia (台灣相思), caoutchuc (印度榕), paper-bark (白千層), horsetail (木麻黃), swamp mahogany (大葉桉), tree cotton (木棉), and so forth.

Alas, of course she was not interested.

PS. It was the same evening that the catastrophic shipwreck happened. Shortly after the holiday, Euterpe asked what simple phrase she should write on the card.

Here is what I suggested: 生者振作，死者安息。