Eat your heart out Monet...

I've stepped away from blog land a bit but really I'm not far away.

In fact, I'm just down the road...

I felt a need to share some of these photos with you on such a glorious summer day...

...this little slice of land with the obviously, long ago pruned fir trees,

was once home to several men.

The first being a man named Erik Sellers St Claire who owned this property since 1948

and called his paradise 'La Beaumelle'.

His wish was that after his partner William Simmons and long time friend and resident

Bren died, the land be donated as parkland.

It has been named after his long time companion William Simmons as

Erik wanted it to be.

The houses and pool, long since gone now, but we are so graciously left with

one of Erik's legacies...pink water lilies!

Years ago there was a dock for swimming but it has rotted away leaving

weathered wood, slowly sinking into the lake...

...this was my perilous bridge for picture taking!

To think that one person has left so much beauty in this world gives me faith in humanity...

 ...slowly naturalizing with white and yellow lilies on the other side of the old dock..

 ...a breathless moment everywhere you look...

 Thank you Erik, William and Bren for committing this random act of conservation...