Month: March 2019

The Elenora have been a wayfaring clan for as long as anyone can remember. But not for reasons one might think. Oh sure, there are hazards to fairies of staying in one place too long, and yes, every fairy loves adventure and exploration, but the reason the Elenora have traveled the world for millennia, is for the world’s sake.
You see, the Elenora were created each one uniquely splendid, with magical powers of his or her own, and varying by the situation! For example, River, by his smile, can cast a magic spell of happiness and warmth on all who see it. But sometimes, for instance if a troll has cast his evil spell on one of the fairies, rendering him unable to dance as is the fairies’ custom at all times, River can tap sticks in a very particular way which renders the hearer unable to keep still, but to dance and jump with all his might! Luc, on the other hand, with his unusual strength, can lift very large bottles of the special fairy milk! He also has a unique ability with a peculiar hand gesture, to summon other fairies to his aid.
All the Elenora understand because the fathers and mothers have never ceased to teach the children, that they each have their unique special powers and that they are given for the good of the world. The wonderful thing is that once they find and begin to practice their unique powers, it gives them great pleasure to use them in every possible situation!
When the Elenora come to a geographical place, they all work together to make a beautiful garden where they all can live and share and be together with their creator who goes before and with them. Then they go out into the surrounds befriending those who are poor or needy, those who are lame or blind, those who are lost, sad, confused, or in any other condition less than perfect. Each of the clan helps and cares for their new friends using their special powers and before too long, there are no longer any poor or needy, but all have their own unique powers! None are lame or blind but all can see and recognize the unique and special powers in each other. When the local community has been beautified to perfection, the Elenora must move on to another one, for this is why they were created, to go forth into the entire world making all perfect. Of course, they leave behind their beautiful gardens for all to enjoy, just as it was while they were living and dancing there daily.
Who knows, when one happens upon an Elenora garden, whether those in the community have already been made perfect through their help and care, or whether the fairy clan are still living there helping and caring for the local people.

Thank you for choosing Dogwood Fairy B&B for your Dogwood Forest get-away. Our accommodations are assured to suit every fairies needs. We pride ourselves with making your stay with us as relaxing or exciting as you desire. Whether you are a fairy couple on a Dogwood sight-seeing excursion or a fairy family enjoying the blooms, Dogwood Fairy B&B is your home away from home.

Our Honeymoon Nest is perfectly secluded above the property and ideal for stargazing under the Dogwood canopies.

The Fairy King Suite is gilded in class and comfort. This suite hosts a Royal Raven feather bed, Grand Fairy piano, Golden Rose Thrown, and a wardrobe.

The Fairy Queen Suite is a dream for any fairy wishing to relax and read a book by candlelight or explore their creative side by capturing the essence of the Dogwood blooms by painting or crafting. (Art supplies available in barn.)

The Iddy Biddy Fairy Suite is a favorite for fairy families traveling during Dogwood bloom season. The Iddy Biddy’s nursery sleeping accommodations include bunk beds and bassinet. (Honeysuckle Hammocks available upon request.)

Dogwood Fairy B&B serves six meals daily. Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Noonsy, After-Noonsy, Supper, and Dinner. Our menu is top notch and includes Farm to Fairy Table goodness. All ingredients are Dogwood Forest grown. We encourage our guests to visit our property garden and help themselves to our produce.

Visit our barn and meet our Fairy Groundskeeper “Poppa Fairy”. He is Fairy World renowned for his collections of the Iddyest Biddyest of Fairy creatures. Pet the Fluffs and listen to the sweet sounds of the Humming-Biddy’s.

Dogwood Fairy Wagon Tours are available daily! Pack a picnic and take advantage of this unique opportunity. Breathe in the beauty of the trails on a Fairy Dragon-drawn open carriage. We visit the ancient Fairy villages and homes, where your imagination can run wild with tales of our fairy ancestors.

The owners of Dogwood Fairy B&B are available 189 hours a day and can be reached at the main ground fairy cottage.

*In the event of human invasion, underground bunkers are available at Plots #6, #10, #15, #28, #36, and #40.

 

SUPPLY LIST: Grapevine, Oak, Bamboo, Cork, Oak Tree Bark, Cedar, Acorns, Pine Cones, Pine Bark, Pecan Shells, Pecans, Roses, Lilies, Tulips, Bluebonnets, Fuchsia, Babies Breath, Red Bud, Camellia, Freesia, Magnolia pods, Mushrooms, Snake Plant Reindeer Moss, Pete Moss, Fern Moss, Sheet Moss, Dried Peas, Wheat, Oak Lichen, Mimosa Bean Pods, Edible Gold Leaf, Soy Wax, Natural Mineral Powder Pigments, Frankincense Essential Oil, Holly Leaves, Horse Hair, English Ivy, Straw, Cedar Limbs, Ostrich Feathers, Crow Feathers, Avocado Seeds and Peel, Clover, Elderberries, Holly Berries, Rocks, Cardboard, Homemade Glue, Eco-Friendly Hot Melts, Gel Beads, Tin, Hemp Rope…and most likely something I have forgotten.

 

When I finally met Hoggel, he was not at all what you might expect after meeting so many other Fairies in the woods that day. On first sight he looked almost human, although only inches tall of course. Right away you notice he is not flying and fluttering about as most fairies do, and at first I assumed it was due in part to the large haul of what seemed to be twigs all tied up in bundles strapped to his back, which I later learned was his preferred choice of firewood for his bread making oven, turns out Hoggel is quite the bread maker and very particular about every ingredient, and if you’ve ever spent any amount of time with Hoggel you’ll understand what I mean when I say that he loves talking about all things Bread. Hoggel does not dress to impress, that is very apparent. When he arrived he wore a burlap coat that dragged along the ground behind him, collecting soil and leaves as he walked along, filthy and torn. Funny enough, even with the long coat on he chooses to wear burlap shorts that rise just above his knees, revealing skinny little legs with comical knobby knees and suspenders made of braided thread he must have found on his daily foraging adventures, discarded by some human campers I’d imagine. I would comment on the design of his shirt, but with his long grey beard, it was difficult to determine if he was wearing one at all. I don’t mean to poke fun at Hoggel, but I must convey the drastic difference in appearance when you meet him, compared to other Fairies. The truth is, Hoggel is very unique indeed, and his life is quite fulfilled, which made him so pleasant to speak with. Interesting note, “Hoggel” is actually a term that Fairies have used for as long as anyone can remember. To “Hoggel” means “to walk”, derived from Hoggel’s name. You see Hoggel is so old, there is hardly a Fairy alive today that can recall the woods without him in it, and for as long as anyone can remember, no one has ever seen Hoggel fly. Although when speaking with other Fairies that day, Hoggel does indeed have wings under that Burlap Coat of his, but centuries of not putting them to use have left them shriveled and nearly immobile. So I asked Hoggel why he has chosen a life on the ground… his response was simple “Nothing for Hoggel up there” was all he said, and I left it at that. It was clear as I looked around that Hoggel’s interests had nothing to do with living a life high above the ground. He had his love of bread making, a campfire, a profitable firewood business for which he would trade wood for flour in order to make his bread and a make shift shelter off in the woods behind this Fairy Garden. And with that brought up another question… what is this place? It seems to go without saying that this is not Hoggel’s home, nor a home at all. This garden seemed more like a destination… beautiful but silent, except for the crackling of burning firewood coming from Hoggel’s work space. There is a large ornate door that opens into the tree, you might expect to see windows as usual, yet there are none. There is a bridge leading into the tree as well, spanning towards a darkness and a faint view of a water well can be seen. “What is this place?” I asked. With a smirk and a glance around Hoggel replied “Ah, that is a very good question Human, with an equally guarded answer. But I’ll tell you what i can tell you”. With that Hoggel explained that he is what’s known as “The Keeper of the Well” not just locally, but world wide. Hoggel went on to talk about so many things that were hard to understand when there was so much he could not reveal. The best i can explain it in Human terms is like this… This place seems to be one of many stops along a journey that all Fairies embark on. Like a pilgrimage of sorts, a journey young Fairies take to become “what they will be” as Hoggel puts it. A Fairy will come here and peer into the Well, known as “The Reflection Pool”. When I asked Hoggel what he Fairies see in the pool, in cryptic and guarded words he responded “A truth, A lie, A love and A Fear”. Once a Fairy has peered into the pool, the Fairy will than knock 4 times on the door. Hoggel explained that the door will either open, or remain closed. If the door remains closed, the Fairy will begin its journey all over again. If the door opens, the Fairy will enter, the door will close and the Fairy will not be seen again as they were before they entered. Nor will they exit from the same door… so where do they go? What do they become? What’s in the door? I had so many more questions. None of which Hoggel could answer. I had clearly been trusted as far as I was going to be. I would love to imagine that this place is magical and possibly where Fairies get there powers or abilities… but I’ll never truly know. But that’s the greatest thing about the fairy world to us humans isn’t it? The myths, the magic and the mystery of it all. So that was it. I continued to visit with Hoggel that day and we talked about life, when we were young, now that we’re older and of course we talked about Bread… who doesn’t love a great bread?

Hello Fairy friends and welcome to Buttercup Beds. Here you will find everything you need to rest and relax from your long travels as you continue to your next destination. Mitzy and I, Blossom, enjoy accommodating our guests by providing great meals such as Nutmeg Pie and fresh Berry Smoothies. You can also sip on our famous Dogwood Nectar Tea as you play with our pet ladybugs. They really enjoy playing Hide and Seek and Follow the Leader. Just beware that they always win. Personally, our favorite pastime is playing Mushroom Hop Scotch. We cannot use our wings so it is a great exercise as it literally keeps us on our toes.
As the official Butterfly Migrator Fairies we have to travel a lot over long distances. This can be very exhausting at times and we noticed that there were not many places for us to rest during our butterfly season. Therefore, we decided to help our fellow fairies by providing a rest home during our off-season.
We hope you will stay as long as you need, as we both greatly enjoy your company. When you must be on your way, we will send you off with needed supplies, goodies and our well wishes towards your next destination. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Mitzy and Blossom Buttercup

A drive in Davey Dogwood Park shows that our blooms will be on time for the 81st annual Dogwood Trails Celebration!  Redbuds are still hanging on and the dogwoods are starting to open.  Once they open, they will be on dispay for 21 days!  In the early stages of blooming in the main picnic area within the park, many dogwoods still have tight buds, so we think the blooming season will last a while!

Bluebell is an artist fairy. She has set up her studio in the woods, Dogwood Art Studio, where she can be inspired by the beautiful dogwoods blooming and the wildlife that wanders by. She scavenges things humans have thrown out or misplaced to decorate her studio and her pathway which is how she got the pinwheels. She also uses natural items she can paint to add color or to add texture to her studio and surrounding area.
She loves to set up her easel outside the studio to paint. Today, she saw a unicorn so she got to work capturing it on her canvas. You will see her sitting in front of her finished canvas if you are quiet and don’t scare her off. She might even have a piece of art tucked next to the studio to share with one lucky person.

Garden and story by
Cecilia Bramhall

Hi there! My name is Nolana Willowsnap, I am 103 and I am what they call a “water fairy”. I recently moved here from the rose gardens of Tyler. I spent the last 20 years there helping the gardens bloom and grow. That is what we  “water fairies” do. We nourish all kind plants to make them grow strong and beautiful. Before that, I lived in Chile where I was born. I came from a bud off of the Nolana Flower. They also call it the Chilean Bellflower.

It is the most beautiful flower in the world (that is my opinion). When I was around 83, I decided I wanted to see the world so I traveled to Tyler. A few weeks ago, I heard there was a place being designated just for fairies here in this park and decided to come check it out. I fell in love with this park and decided that I wanted to help the dogwoods bloom for the Dogwood Trails Festival. I have met several humans so far and they have been super nice. They even helped me build a roof for my house! I am so excited to live here and make the park better and even more beautiful than it already is!

We took a stroll throughout town this weekend and what did our eyes see…. but many tiny buds already in bloom! Late winter blooms in Palestine offer a beautiful pop of color against an otherwise gray sky.

 

 

Once the Redbuds are in bloom, we start tracking the dogwoods which traditionally bloom approximately 2 weeks later.

The clusters of pink or magenta blossoms appear before the leaves and appear to be growing directly out of the bark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was a bit more surprising was the Bluebonnets that are making an early show this year!  Our historic southside district is already showcasing various shades of blue!

While we are seeing early color, the dogwoods are holding out for the time being.  We woke up to 20-28 degree temperatures the past two days so we will keep an eye on the buds and keep your fingers crossed that they do not freeze!