Among the Lilies

Come as we go far away
From the noise of the street
Walk a path so narrow
To a place where we feel at ease

The water lilies at the Arboretum are in fine style these days, with blooms everywhere. The pinks, especially, seem extra vibrant this year. Their reflections captivate me: I am fascinated by the play of light and color on water. I like to kneel down low beside the lily pond and hold my camera just about as close to the water surface as I can get, without getting it wet, to capture as full a reflection as I can manage.

Since I was hanging out among the lilies to get this shot, I thought the song Lilydale, by the 10,000 Maniacs, to be a fitting soundtrack. (The first stanza of the song is quoted above, in italics.) I remember when the album it is from, The Wishing Chair, was released, in the fall of 1985, just as I was starting my senior year of college. I bought the album on cassette and walked around town listening to it - feeling all indie and cool, as I imagined the Maniacs themselves to be - on my Sony Walkman. A happy memory for an 80s kinda girl. :-)