The past weekend was hot in the Finger Lakes, but I found myself going from hot to hotter. It was not the best weekend to go to Washington, DC. I was focused on keeping in cool  AC in DC, but our daughter had on her mind to go the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens on the Anacostia River. It is one of the overlooked attractions.  See:

http://www.nps.gov/keaq/index.htm

Well, we got there by 8:30 am, but it was still brutally hot and the UV was intense.  Thankfully, the large pools of Water Lotus were in bloom, and dozens of other photographers were there.

I took a few images with both my Canon G9 point and shoot. I was first drawn to the center of the Water Lotus bloom.

The greens and pinks and yellows are intriguing. There are literally thousands of blooms in multiple pools.

The overall plant offers another visual experience.  Both the bud and the open blossom are attractive.

Of course, with only a smart phone camera and a point and shoot, the ability to get really close to the blooms was limited.

On another level, the pink blossoms a visually exciting. I love the gentle shading of the pink towards pure white.

And the compact shape of a new bud as it  unfolds.

So, I did keep myself engaged in the visual experience while avoiding heat sickness.  By 10 am, we  were done and ready for the AC.

I hope to visit this park again on a more hospitable day.

Paul Schmitt