Carter’s Garden Blog

I had a Friend from the other side of the country stop in to say hi yesterday. Paul has been described as a “real Arizona cowboy” & I concur 😊 It was a very pleasant surprise indeed! We started out as colleagues/peers in the same business many years ago but became fast friends that have stayed in touch now for 20 years! We are both professional “Water Shapers”, ie: we both design and build  Water Features- Koi Ponds, Water Gardens, Streams & Waterfalls, etc… Over the years we became friends as did our wives & we watched each other’s kids grow up through pictures on Facebook and such… Pretty cool huh 😊

Here’s a great comparison shot from many, many years ago on the bottom when we built a Water Garden In Little Rock Arkansas for P. Allen Smith to the top picture from last night. 😊 Can you pick us both out in the bottom photo?

All these years and yesterday was the first time he had been to my place in Tennessee 😳 We went to dinner 🥘 and he said “take me somewhere local” – So we went to Brooksies Barn and had catfish, pulled pork, ribs & more. We walked in, but we ate so much that we limped out 😂

Brooksies is a one of a kind local joint with great food! Fried catfish, pulled pork bbq & frog legs are just a few of their specialties.

Visiting with old friends is a special thing! Especially when the friendship developed from professional respect for a colleague.

Aristotle said there were 3 types of friendships-

1- friendships of utility (useful to one another)

2- friendships of pleasure (you have fun and enjoy each other’s company)

3- friendships of the good (these are based on mutual respect and admiration. These friendships take longer to build than the other two kinds–but they’re also more powerful and enduring).

Paul, ours is definitely a type 3 😊 Friendship of the Good! But, we have had fun together & have worked together and been useful to one another too… Boom! Trifecta! Hat trick!

Great to see and catch up with an Old Friend!

Have a great day – and here’s to Good Friends!