Lotus in Bloom

You know those kinds of weeks when you are sort of struggling to get through? I have been having those. But I had plans to visit the lily pond late in the afternoon, and I had just one wish: that the tight lotus bud that I spotted on Monday would be blooming, just for me.

And then I finally arrived at the lily pond, and I caught my breath! For there it was, the lotus looking gorgeous, completely open to the sun! And next to it was the remnant of last week's bloom, the seed pod looking like a shower head . . . so much fun.

So I got my wish - my only wish for the day, really - and here's the photo to prove it. In the extras, I've included a shot of one of the lovely blue dragonflies posed against a water lily that was just about the color of ice cream.

The soundtrack: James Blunt, You're Beautiful.