This just in from Babs Young: Move over Monet, well not quite, but they are water lilies and I rather like the colors. I don’t think Monet need worry.
Babs, I think Monet would invite you to visit his garden in Giverny and show you the light on his lily pond. He’d tell you to go back to your lily pond again and again because it would never be the same twice. My cousin Roy of blessed memory took me to see the Monets at MoMA. I spent a long time swimming in the light-filled “aquarium of flowers.” One of those peak experiences. Thank you for bringing it to mind.
Every week photographer Babs Young captures moments in northern Michigan, and every week she sends one to Torch Lake Views just for you. You can find more of her photos at the Babs Young Photo Archives.
Torch Lake Views 
Babs Young
June 15, 2009
Gerry, I have a friend who worked for the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources for many years and he wrote this.
“The plant is in the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae). This particular one is a type of pond lily known as a bullhead lily. Its Latin genus is Nuphar and the species is variegata (pronounced vary-a-gay’ta). Which makes it Nuphar variegata.
The bullhead lily is an endangered species in Ohio (Ottawa and Lucas counties). It is categorized as frequent in northern Michigan.”
This is always useful information for us.
Gerry
June 16, 2009
So . . . that would mean that Michigan is more bullheaded than Ohio? Could be, could be.
flandrumhill
June 16, 2009
These water lilies are lovely.
Monet wrote that…
“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.”
He believed in painting the same subjects in the same place, at the same time, over and over again. A good practice for both painters and photographers.
Gerry
June 16, 2009
The interesting thing is that the same place never is. I remember reading once about a Japanese photographer who lived by the sea, and made an image at the same hour every day, from the same spot. There were a lot of images of gray sky, pearly water, sand . . . boring, I suppose. But the overall effect was overwhelming.