The Lotus and the Bumblebee

It is turning into full-on summer, and things are kicking into high gear on the lily pond at the Arboretum. Several colors of lilies are in bloom and I've seen a dragonfly or two and a bunch of teensie damselflies.

On this day, I visited the lily pond at high noon, in bright sunshine (which for itself is pretty stunning, as it's been raining pretty much all the time around here lately). And there, its heart opening to the kisses of the mid-day sun, was the first pink lotus bloom of summer.

The scent of the blooms is almost overpoweringly sweet, and I was not the only one who noticed. As I stood watching, a fat, fuzzy bumblebee came to enjoy the bloom. It flew to the edge of the flower, landed gently, and crawled down one of the petals to enjoy the sweet flavors inside.

Could there be anything better than to be a pink flower on a summer day, who is kissed by the sun, and loved by a bumblebee? I think . . . perhaps not . . .

The soundtrack: Cream, Sunshine of Your Love. This particular version is from their farewell concert at Royal Albert Hall in November 1968. I think you will find the brief (one minute or so) introductory commentary amusing (the announcer refers to Eric Clapton as "a 23-year-old ex-stained-glass-window designer"). In particular, I like this bit: "Their motto is simple . . . forget the message, forget the lyrics, and just play . . . "