
Having breakfasted leisurely on the patio….
.

…our two turkey friends straightened up, casting us a look...
.

…and sauntered off into a smoky morning.
At dawn, I’d believed that at least half of the murk was mist, but with daylight it was apparent that smoke still lingered, as confirmed by my infamous app.
Soon, we could not see across the valley, so I sat at my computer refusing to look out, until – about midmorning, a delightfully refreshing breeze got up, with strength enough to shift the smoke and soon we were looking at a clear sky, a wonderful surprise we’d not been expecting.
There is still a great deal of smoke on the move and a slight change of wind will likely bring it our way again, but for now we had a reprieve and intended to take advantage.
.

We had planned to return to the wetland for another look at the waterlilies, but I caught a bug and then the smoke arrived. So when suddenly the sky cleared….we were off.
Having discovered that Scott Lake was nearby, we did a quick loop to include it, discovering sadly that it is one of those that offers access only to residents.
It would be lovely to have a house up there.
.

Oh, well.
We travelled along a few new leafy lanes never previously explored.
.

As before, Grant dropped me off, leaving me to walk slowly along the wetland.
.

It would be lovely to see the wetland filled with blooms. The flowers last only 3 to 5 days but the plants keep producing buds through the season.
How many are likely to open at one time?
.

The lily pads themselves make a pretty sight.
.

What makes those interesting holes in lily pads?
Google informs me: fish, snails, turtles, caterpillars or water-lily beetles.
.

This time I was able to get closer to some of the flowers.
.


And the lighting was better.

Encouraging me to photograph many flowers.


Even though they were so alike.
.

Additionally, there were geese…
.

But they didn’t wait to greet me.
.

Hastily paddling off with a nervous backward glance.
.

As I carried on up the road to where Grant was waiting, a splash of colour caught my eye.
.

And as we drove away, Grant spotted a pair of Great Blue Herons.
.
Thank you so much, Carolyn, for the wonderful, nature-inspiring photos! The water lilies are truly beautiful!
Joanna
It was definitely worth the drive to see the lovely wetlands. And those Turkeys look huge!
Best wishes, Pete.
Those water lilies are exquisite!
How beautiful are those water lilies! I would have taken a picture of every flower 😊. And then there are also geese, herons and lovely red Honeysuckle berries … a good day to be out and about.