Sunday, July 26, 2015

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2008. Mattie was diagnosed that month with cancer, yet this photo was taken before cancer came into our lives. To me Mattie looked like the picture of health. That weekend we took Mattie to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. We like to visit the gardens every July, because that is when the lotuses are in bloom. Notice in Mattie's left hand that he was carrying a toy car with him. That was not unusual. Typically Mattie had something in his hands, that he brought along with him for the adventure. 


Quote of the day: Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.  ~ Emily Dickinson

Today we went to visit the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Though I have visited these Gardens many times before, I never knew the history of the Gardens or who created them. I did a little digging, and learned about Walter Shaw and his daughter, Helen. Thanks to both of them, we have these wonderful Gardens. Here is some history on them.......................................

On an already warm summer morning, Civil War veteran Walter Shaw and his young daughter, Helen, walked from their house to the pond Walter had cleaned out the year before. They were on a mission to check the newly planted water lilies. These wild water lilies had survived the trip from Walter's bachelor home in Maine to be planted at his new family home. After ten years of rentals, and relatives, the Shaws were in a home of their own, on 30 acres bought from Helen's maternal grandparents. Adjoining their property was a wetland, viewed as worthless, but suitable for the ice pond a previous resident had built, and it was here where Shaw had carefully planted his water lilies. The waxy flowers were fully open as Walter hurried to work. Helen, his daughter began her chores, checking the water lilies often to enjoy their delicate beauty before they closed in the summer heat.

Someday, the single pond and twelve hobby water lilies would blossom into their profitable joint business. Helen Shaw Fowler would become a world diplomat for water gardening. It would be training to lobby later with her brother and others to save her beloved garden home from a river improvement project. Living within sight of these ponds until she died, Helen witnessed her father's water lily hobby grow to the historic gardens you visit today.

Each July, people flock to the Aquatic Gardens to see the amazing Lotuses in bloom. 

Peter put his hand in the photo for scale. It really helps give context to the size of a Lotus leaf.

I like this photo because you can see the stages of a lotus. The lotus starts out as a bud (the lower right hand corner). Then the bud opens up into a beautiful flower. Once the flower petals fall off, you are left with this structure that looks like a shower head to me (which is shown in the middle of the photo). 

The glorious lotus blossom. 

We had two Great Blue Heron fly overs while we were there. Then of course this fellow parked himself for some photos!

The water lilies are just as stunning as the lotus. There are ponds and ponds of them. Most are white, but there is one pond of pink lilies that is absolutely stunning. 

More water lilies! I have a feeling Monet would have been right at home here. In fact, we saw someone painting at the Gardens today, and I have no doubt this artist was inspired by Monet. 

Peter captured this dragonfly on top of a lotus bud. It seemed like a Mattie moment to me.

Followed by a butterfly sighting

Beautiful cattails