Beautiful Summer Morning at the Lily Pond

I love to visit the Arboretum's lily pond, especially in the mornings before work, though there are more lilies open if you visit later in the day, in the summer heat. No fan of the heat myself, I like to keep my summer adventures mostly to the mornings, when I still feel fresh as a daisy.

I am usually there by myself, with my camera and a wide-open heart. But on this day, I was joined by two friends who brought their cameras and one very well-behaved child along. And so it was that we had a tiny little photographers' party by the lily pond.  :-)

The last time I was there, there was a spectacular trio of white lilies in the middle of the pond, chock full of golden light. That was an awesome experience, but those lilies are gone now. I know, I know, on a summer morning (as at every other time): SEIZE THE DAY!!! The beautiful water lilies you see today may not even be there tomorrow!

There were three blooms open on this morning, one pale pink and two darker pink beauties. I managed to capture all three of them in the shot above, which was my favorite of the set, though there were so many others that brought me joy. The lily pond was still as glass, and the water's reflective properties were fabulous, if I do say so myself!

My soundtrack for this lovely morning scene is a tune by the Wailin' Jennys, this one from their CD 40 Days. So here are the Wailin' Jennys, with Beautiful Dawn. I'm including some of the lyrics below, as they are well worth reading.

Teach me how to see when I close my eyes
Teach me to forgive and to apologize
Show me how to love in the darkest dark
There's only one way to mend a broken heart

Take me where the angels are close at hand
Take me where the ocean meets the sky and the land
Show me to the wisdom of the evening star
There's only one way to mend a broken heart