Lotus

I know summer has arrived when the aquatic gardens light up with lotus flowers.  I had heard from another photographer that they are in bloom, but it was a different experience from previous years. For some reason, the centers of the shallow ponds had stalks, but not flowers.  As a result, my 200mm lens had plenty of reach for the blooming plants on the outer perimeters. It was still a beautiful sight, but I could have done without the bee sting I got halfway through the morning. I'm hoping the hydrocortisone cream kicks in soon to relieve the itching... but, of course it was worth it.