Lily Pond in the Rain

I have some news to share that is no news at all: it rained again on this day. In fact, it's been raining a lot, and I'm running out of rain songs for soundtracks to all of the water-droplet-covered subjects in my pictures. On this day, this officially became the rainiest summer ever in the State College area. Did the rain stop this girl? No, of course, it did not!

During a break in the rain, I zipped over to the lily pond and took some pictures. At first, there was a bit of sun, but then the rain began again. It doesn't matter: at the lily pond, everything is beautiful, even when it's wet.

I didn't know it at this moment, but this would be the last day of blooming for the lotus I've been watching. I saw the tight bud about a week or so ago. The pink bloom opened Saturday, and I saw that via a friend's photos online.

On Monday, I photographed the lotus as the bloom opened its heart, and it was just gorgeous. Tuesday, I visited it in the rain, only to find its petals beginning to unravel. By Wednesday morning, it would be done. Such a short time to enjoy such a beautiful thing. You may see the lotus in the shot above: it's that tall white thing at the top center of this image.

In the distance, down that walkway to the right, you may see those wiggly plastic blue and white things I photographed before. They're pretty cool - they look like they're from a Dr. Seuss book - and I include them in photos every time I get a chance.

In the shot above, you may see first-hand the delightful array of colors and shapes of all of the water lilies around mid-day. My favorite time to visit the gardens is morning. But at that time, not even half of these lilies are open. So I've been trying to brave the heat and humidity to see them at their peak, when they look like this.

One of the things I enjoy most about the lily pond is how it is possible to get both big and little pictures there. I like to zoom in on individual little sections of color. So there is a little subset of water lilies in the extras and you can see lots of rain drops dappling the water surface. I almost thought it would make a pretty print for a silk tapestry. :-)

The song for yet another rainy day in the wettest summer ever is Jane Siberry, with It Can't Rain All the Time, from the soundtrack to the film The Crow. Brandon, you are still very much missed. The song is one of the prettiest love songs I have ever heard, to accompany one of the loveliest local places I know of.