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From:AnnisXXII
The Dreamlands had always been a magical place. On those few occasions when Annis had been privileged to visit, it always seemed to glow. For Minya's memorial, Annis wished to create a special ambience for Minya.
Gardens had always been an important part of her life and life progressed through stages. These thoughts, begun as half-formed, gradually jelled into the progression of seasons and this was where she began. With permission and the assistance of a mage friend, Annis created a year. A circle of life from birth to death and back to life again.
Upon entering the great room you step into a spring bower. Purple, white and yellow carpet the ground as early crocus, snowdrops and yellow aconite create the first blush of emerging life. Behind them, azaleas create swaths of rose and pink and overhead, branches of white blooming dogwood float like stars flung across a darkened sky.
The seasons circled the periphery of the room and next you step into summer. A patchwork of brilliant color dapples the earth. The summer annuals; snapdragon, cosmos, zinnias and a host of others dazzle the eye with their reds, purples, pinks, yellows and oranges. Hydrangeas now replace the azaleas with their mopheads of white, pale blue and pink. In shady corners, ferns and mosses cover the shadier ground. Summer, lush life, filled with the promise of abundance.
As the circle continues you are lead into autumn. Here we see abundance realized. Golden wheat grasses sway gently amidst black-eyed susan, asters and sunflowers. Vining squash and gourds dot the ground with their fruits of orange, yellow, green and white. Ripened ears of corn weigh heavily upon their stalks and beans twine about them - their pendulous fruits resembling ornaments on a tree. In the background maples blaze red and orange and oak leaves , colored deep russet and burgundy, contribute a rich counterpoint to the golden colors of harvest.
Color gradually fades and, for a brief time, the earth appears barren as it settles into the sleep of winter but winter brings its own beauty. Snow sparkles upon the ground and branches, outlining the architecture of nature's abode. Firs and other evergreens break the monotony of white while here and there persistent berries, clinging to their branches, provide a splash of brilliance.
And so, as you circle the great hall known at The Dreamlands, you view firsthand the cycle of life which is tuly neverending - just as Minya's life is neverending. She had progressed through the seasons and if you can see her, she is standing in the spring bower, ready to begin anew the next cycle in her life.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=VCPCD_OZrxc
