Cute, What Is It?

A paper bag was left on the floor, and Romeo immediately climbed in then looked up at me. This was irresistibly cute, so I grabbed my camera and snapped this picture. Then I thought, “was is it that makes us call something cute?”

Merriam-Webster defines cute as attractive or pretty in a childish, youthful, or delicate way. What is that makes something seem childish, youthful, or delicate? I thought about this long and hard for about five minutes which the outer limits of my attention. Then I looked at some “cute” photos. My conclusion that the first important element required by cute is roundness of shape. The next important element is softness of line.

But here’s the next question “how is it that critters that are definitely not cute manage to do things that are cute? For this I have no answer.

Cornerstone Sonoma

For a year, I’ve passed by a place called “Cornerstone” idly wondering what it was. Last Saturday, I finally went on a fact finding expedition. Basically, it is a tourist destination: a restaurant, four wine tasting rooms, and two high end gift stores.

It’s the gardens that make Cornerstone a worthwhile place to spend an afternoon. There are twenty plots; each the size of a triple office cubicle. Every plot contains a garden designed by famous landscape architects from the United States, Europe, and Asia. Naturally, I didn’t have my pocket Nikon Coolpix with me. I had to make do with the camera on my cell phone.

Daisy Windmill Farm

Graphic of Cornerstone Garden Mini Vinyard

Cornerstone Garden: Mini Vineyard

Graphic of Cornerstone garden with rosemary and century plants

Circular Garden featuring rosemary and century plants

Cornerstone: Century Plant Forest

Cornerstone Garden Tunnel Walk

Category: News from Sonoma County

What Came Through the Front Door First Week of February

Cute, What Is It?

What Came Through the Door Fourth Week of January

Cornerstone Sonoma