Going to the Races, the Boat Races that is

We attended the Third Annual Offshore Grand Prix Boat Race on Solomon's Island recently. We almost missed it, because it was in September instead of October. Some of the biggest boats were particularly exciting with their powerful jet engines, very loud and rumbling. The local favorite was Tug It, (from Maryland, I believe) which won unexpectedly when another boat missed a buoy. I am sharing a photo that portrays a little of the excitement of this race for the National 2012 title. There is usually a helicopter or two around for fast rescues.

Exotic Water Lilies

I recently photographed some gorgeous water lilies. It was a little too early in the day, but I liked them anyway, even with strong shadows.
I have photographed water lilies 3 or 4 times in recent years. I find that I usually need a long lens to get good "closeup" photos of these lovely flowers, rather than a macro lens. I used a 70-300 zoom for these images. The flowers never seem to be near the edge of the pond!
If you know the names of these beautiful lilies, please comment. 😊