Cynthia chose the photo about one of my favorite stories....The gate took me back to a book , I read in childhood and revisited again when my son was 8 years old...he tells me that it lingers with him just as it did with me.
I really believe that books read in early childhood can shape our view on life. One such book for me was "The Secret Garden". One of the all time childrens' classics but is also truly a book that adults can find themselves engulfed in as well. While you are reading the book...you are transported into the lives the children and their secret garden. The book describes an entrance to this special place covered with ivy...hidden from the eye. I took this photo over the 4th of July holiday...as soon as I saw it...I was thrown back into that beautiful secret garden.
I am including two links...one is info on the book and the other is a movie trailer of a 1993 movie...both are a must for both children and adults as well.
The Book Secret Garden
The movie trailer Secret Garden
I am posting this now because it is Summer...Summer is when I discovered the book and Summer is when my son first heard about it and saw the movie. We had seen the movie but wanted more. We were in the Smokies the Summer of '94...my son was 8. I had checked out the audio version of the book and the descriptions of the secret garden...almost mystical was the background for our rides through the mountains...it became our most favored trip to the mountains...one that only happens once...Zach is 23 now but every now and then...he still talks about the trip to Cades Cove intermixed with this magical book.
As I watched the trailer again, I can see now that I probably learned my style of photography from the movie and the book...surreal settings, saturated colors and creating a mood that draws the viewer into the scene.
Whether single adult, or with children...if the time and place are right this Summer...read the book and rent the movie. It will stay with you for life.
Dan
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30 comments:
Great photo! I love The Secret Garden - both book and movie!
Bobbi...
Me too...the universal theme of the healing of a family told through the healing of a discarded secret garden...such a perfect analogy.
Dan
Wow!!! Love the dreamy colors of this photo! Congrats Dan!
Warmly,
Javier Echaiz
Thanks JaviZ...I appreciate the comment.
Dan
Wonderful book and wonderful photo. What a pair they make.
I so love coming here. Your "eye-candy", if may call it that, is like taking the first sip of morning coffee. Your photos really perk me up.
Patty...thank you so much...comments like yours are what keeps me going!
Dan
"...creating a mood that draws the viewer into the scene."
You are a master.
Dan - this photo is wonderful. I love the mood it invokes, and the stories. Surprisingly, I have not read the book, nor have I seen the movie. I was a middle school teacher, have children and grandchildren...just haven't enjoyed this classic. I am definitely going to take care of that! I love secret places.
Any ideas for the "100th?
Thanks Tricia...I appreciate the kind words. I have always enjoyed taking a photo and bringing folks along with me.
Dan
Sandy...with your background...you will really enjoy the movie and the book. Give it a try.
Dan
Sandy,
I forgot to respond to the 100...not yet but I am still trying to come up with something!
Dan
The Secret Garden is a wonderful movie! The photo is terrific:) I like the colors very much.
The Secret Garden was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this photo.
That was one of my all time favorites. I didn't know there was a movie.
Yes, Dan, your photo does capture that "feeling" of the book and movie perfectly. They are favorites of mine, too. I love the theme song from the movie---I learned to play it on the piano.
I also loved the story so much that I was able to create a tearoom from the idea..., managed it, ran it, cooked for it, etc...for the owners of the building...for six years. I called it The Secret Garden Tearoom. I'll have to dig out some photos. The decor theme was wonderful.
;^)
Septembermom,
I am glad you enjoyed the movie...it is the type of journey that leaves a person hopeful with a new sense of appreciation for the healing effects of nature.
Dan
Jen...check out the movie trailer on the post...I think you will be hooked!
Dan
Cynthia...that is so neat! The theme of the Secret Garden would be perfect for a tea room. I am glad it brought back those memories and you shared it...I would love to see some pics of the Tearoom if you still have some.
Dan
I read that book and watched that movie COUNTLESS times as a child. I always wanted to go there - to the garden. Away from the rest of the world, my own private retreat.
Lovely photo. And thanks for the wonderful memories of one of my favorite tales! :)
Alabama Heather....
You hit the nail on the head...I couldn't find the right words! It was all about the excitement of finding your own secret place! What kid or for that matter adult wouldn't love to have that special retreat now and then.
Look for one in Yellowstone! I am certain one is there.
Dan
Great photo! Reminds me of old neighborhoods in PA. Loved The Secret Garden - I think PBS did a Wonderworks program on it, maybe in the 80s, I thought it was better than the movie.
When I was a child, my secret garden was found under the drooping branches of an evergreen tree, sap and all!
June...
First of all, I visited your blog and forgot to comment...happy birthday to your son!
I will check out the PBS special.
Thanks,
Dan
Gorgeous. Interesting that you've noticed how the book has shaped your life. I feel that too. My son (now 14) also feels that. We were talking about books we read over and over when he was young. There is power in the pen!
Kelly...I am glad to hear that! I think it is a good sign when you can have a discussion with your son about what he has read...maybe there is an author in the making here!s
Dan
I remember this one! I got sidetracked by your cornfield post before I could comment on it. I've never heard of Secret Garden. Now I'm intrigued to find out more about it.
Thanks Dan for thinking of Salisbury Road. It would make a great fit! I am truly humbled. Though your inspiring prose is a much better one in my opinion.
Pura
Pura...NO WAY...that is your area! Let's do trade here...take the picture and I will copy your Salisbury road...just for my own use to put with the picture????
Dan
Sure! I'm touched! Wow, thanks!!!
Before I read the text I thought, "That reminds me of the Secret Garden."
Great minds think alike. Heehe.
Beautiful photo. Saying that is always an understatement when it comes to you photos.
Hope you had a great Christmas.
I meant to tell you about the Secret Garden thought when I made my first comment.
Oh, and sometimes your photos really mellow me out. Always a surprise, Dan.
I hate my lack of time. I have to post and run, but sometimes I need to come back and finish.
Patty...I know you are busy and thanks for stopping by and I hope yo had a great Christmas as well.
Dan
Now I am on the hunt for just the right frame....
;^)
Thank you, again, Dan. I am still overwhelmed by your generosity.
;^)
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