An Iowa Summer

Yesterday we were driving around in the unbelievably beautiful weather of Iowa. Is this what summer is supposed to feel like? Is this why people are always like 'I looveee summer' and I'm like 'You guys are crazy, I hateeee the heat'? Because in Arkansas, summer equals 100+ degree heat. And humidity. Which is pretty much miserable.

Because if this is what summer is meant to feel like, then I never want it to end. Seventy degrees. That was the high. 70! With a refreshingly cool breeze.

It's kind of amazing. Unfortunately I can't really take a picture to show you how amazing it feels to be outside. But! I can show you some pictures that came from a unexpected detour. We had some time to kill, driving around town. Because it was so gorgeous outside, we stopped at a local park.

Turns out, there was a little botanical garden/greenhouse garden/thing that was full of beautiful, blooming, flowers.

This plant reminds me of a hydrangea or something but I'm not sure what it officially is. I do know it's beautiful.  

I actually took a picture of a flower like this, eons ago, in a little public greenhouse tucked away in the corner of a park in France. It had started to sprinkle, so my family and I ducked into an unassuming building, only to find a huge, beautiful greenhouse. 

They had a section of the greenhouse set aside for all the baby flowers/stuff still growing. It's sad-- I think baby anything is cute. You should've heard me pining over these little green sprouts.

Hey. They were cute baby plants. 

This is the same pink flower, only at a different angle. Back when I was in France I had absolutely no photographic knowledge. I just kind of pointed and pushed the button. It's crazy to think how much has changed. Now, when I look at a flower, I try to imagine the best angle to capture its beauty. I don't just limit myself to one quick photo, I look again, different angle, different exposure. I know I still have a long way to go, but it's always fun to look back and see how much I've improved. 

 A rare, no filter photo! I'm semi-obsessed with the Instagram filters. I've tried to find comparable Photoshop actions, but to no avail. It's also just so convenient! I can take a photo, edit it, upload it, and have it sent to my computer, wireless, in like five minutes.

I love technology. 

 I loved the thick flesh of this plant. It's a far cry from the pretty, dainty blossoms of other plants. It attempts to replicate their beauty on a more substantial level with darker colors. 

And this, my friends, is what perfection looks like.

In case you were wondering, perfection is a Weight Watchers ice cream bar (120 calories! not that I really care) that somehow manages to be one of the best, most decadent, ice cream bars I have ever eaten. Oh, and combine that with a cool evening outside with a beautiful view?

Yup. Perfection.

Next time I write I will be back in the amazingly-heat-stroke-inducing state of Arkansas!

Yeah. I'm excited.