have you ever seen a lotus bed?

The other day Jim was going to see one of his clients to look at a job and asked if I wanted to go along.  Sure, why not.  I wasn't doing anything anyway, so I went along for the ride.  Going to see this client is not a quick trip, so having me along to keep him company was a treat for him.

I grabbed my camera and a bottle of water and away we went.  I would have about a half hour to kill while he was checking out the job.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do, or where I was going to go.  As we were driving past a county forest preserve Jim thought he saw some lotus flowers in bloom in the lake that we had passed.  Since we were only about 3 miles from where I was dropping him off at, I planned to go back to the forest preserve to check it out. 

You can't imagine my delight when I pulled into the park and saw what I saw.

I was totally in my glory because I can't recall ever seeing any lotus beds in this area in my lifetime.

I couldn't stop taking pictures, and each lotus flower seemed prettier then the next.

When the lotus were plentiful like in the picture below, people would come from all over just to see and take a ride in a boat through the lotus beds.  The lotus is reported to be naturally found and the Nile River in Egypt is one place where it also can be found.  People began to pull the lotus plants up by their roots causing them to soon disappear.  They are slowly coming back and are protected now.

I recall a story my dad tells of when he wanted to take my mom for a boat ride through the lotus beds back in the 50's.  They never got very far as my mom couldn't relax.  She was so scared, that she was holding onto the boat sides so tight, he just rowed the boat back to shore.  He still teases her about that.

I'm still tickled that I was able to get some pictures and see the lotus beds.  I just have to show you one more picture.

I lied I did two :)

It was such a big thing, these lotus beds.  That they even named a street Lotus Drive,

and, a school Lotus Elementary.  Jim remembers playing against this school in sports when he was in grade school.  The school name is the same but the building is not.  The one he remembers was much smaller and would have been a much older building.

I hope you enjoyed my lotus overkill.  I can't tell you how exciting it is and was to have been able to see these lotus flowers that have not been around in this area for many many years.

What once was might be again.

Comments

[Aleena]

Awesome!

[Donna]

Cool pictures.

[sue]

Awesome pictures!

[Becca]

They *are* pretty!

[Zaroga]

No overkill! I loved the photos. I have always called them water lilies... I grew up with parents from the backwoods of GA. Your name for them is the correct name and there are lots of them here in GA when it is wet weather.

[Gina]

Judy,

I've never seen them before. So beautiful and delicate. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Gina

[Thimbleanna]

Beautiful pictures Judy! Congratulations on having the Lotus flower selected for the Lake County Website!

[Sharon]

I'm in awe, they are gorgeous!

[Rose]

There was no overkill here...loved it.