We came upon this lone lotus growing away from the others, in front of a tree, and right after I took this picture, a strong wind came up that wouldn’t stop. So there were no second chances for a better shot!

Saturday was the first day of the annual Lotus and Water Lily Festival at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in northeast Washington, D.C. We had just missed the festival last year, so it was nice to be part of the festivities this time around. The place was packed – unlike last year -- but the flowers were in full bloom and beautiful. It never ceases to amaze me that places so full of nature like this exist in the middle of the nation’s capital.

Cattails, posted earlier: