When feisty smart ladies of her age order a beer with lunch, that garners a thumbs up. 
First time she and Dad went to Europe (20-some years ago) every postcard I got from her said “great beer here!” What can I say - my mom likes beer.
Just chiming in to add that, yes, it was a great day. Thanks to twickster for organizing it, and to FairyChatMom got the restaurant suggestion. That was a great place, too.
It was fun meeting new people, and I’m glad the little What Exit kids didn’t fall in one of the various ponds or streams. I was sure one of them was gonna take a header and end up soaking wet.
(And for those of you – which was just about everyone, right? – who were clamoring to see some Holland pix, you can see some here.
That was a peace sign??? No wonder I couldn’t figure it out. Anyway, thanks for having me along. I had a good time. (And yes I do think I sat next to FCM at lunch.)
[QUOTE=psychobunny]
That was a peace sign??? No wonder I couldn’t figure it out.
[/QUOTE]
I walked right by that, I was busy looking at the Cupid’s Arrow heart.
Hey Ben – you don’t have to post those pix of me (nope, you definitely don’t) – but you could email them to me…
I’ll probably post my photos tonight. twickster, watch your mail server for a 1 MB file… and a price list. 
I missed the peace sign, too. Bit I was pretty pleased that I figured out the heart with the arrow. Some of the shrubs were beyond my comprehension.
I’ll have to wait till I go back to Mom’s to see her pics. With her crappy dial-up, there’s no way she’ll get any photos uploaded in our lifetime.
[QUOTE=Scuba_Ben]
I walked right by that, I was busy looking at the Cupid’s Arrow heart.
[/QUOTE]
Or was it the Harp Seal? 
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth]
Or was it the Harp Seal?
[/QUOTE]
Are you referring to the lyrebird? commasense shared the misapprehension that those were flippers, and not wings.
A Lyre-Bird! So that’s what it was! I somehow missed commasense’s explanation. How 'bout them seahorses…?
[QUOTE=TwoTrouts]
A Lyre-Bird! So that’s what it was! I somehow missed commasense’s explanation. How 'bout them seahorses…?
[/QUOTE]
No, the lyrebird is twickster’s explanation. I thought they were seals. I never knew there was such a thing as a lyrebird until this moment. Obviously, the topiarist is making a visual pun. I saw the peace sign but missed the heart until I looked twice.
Hope this works! Here is my set of pictures…
Great photos, TwoTrouts! I like the one of the litttle What Exit kid in blue standing under the red Japanese arch. Nice color contrast.
Nice pix! I took the liberty of downloading a copy of “Japanese Snowballs.” I’ll have my people call your people if I decide to use it in the magazine.
[QUOTE=twickster]
Nice pix! I took the liberty of downloading a copy of “Japanese Snowballs.” I’ll have my people call your people if I decide to use it in the magazine.
[/QUOTE]
Wow! 
I liked the juxtaposition of the white puffy globes of flowers against the white puffy clouds. I am growing one of these plants (Styrax japonica?) in a pot for eventual transplantation into my garden.
Well… Whatever plant I took the picture of is not “Japanese Snowballs” (actual name is Japanese SnowBell). Anyone know what it is?
[QUOTE=TwoTrouts]
Well… Whatever plant I took the picture of is not “Japanese Snowballs” (actual name is Japanese SnowBell). Anyone know what it is?
[/QUOTE]
I’d have guessed some kind of ridiculously early hydrangea, but I’m weak on bushes. (Despite the definitiveness of my azalea ID )
Reading the guide that they gave us when we entered (RTFM, what a nutty idea!), I see that the hat thingy in the topiary garden was supposed to be Churchill’s top hat, and that, in keeping with the Churchill theme, the “peace sign” was in fact a “victory sign.” But twickster is right about the lyrebirds and I was right about the rest: seahorses, heart, butterfly, etc.