This past May I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Paris, France.  We went about 130 miles west of the city one day to Claude Monet's garden in Giverny, France.  This beautiful, picturesque, breathtaking, even sublime.  Even the least emotionally unmovable person would get lost in the natural way the trees grow around the lake, the way the Weeping Willows act as a curtains for the garden, and the clustered lily pads beckon for frogs to 'rippit' on them.  For those of you that even slightly familiar with famous works or art, you may recognize this place.  Claude Monet was a famous artist, known for his works of art in nature with flowers, bridges, trees, and, in this case, lily pads (see below).  He lived in Giverny in his garden for years and used the gorgeous, natural beauty of the environment in which he was surrounded by.  Granted, Monet was no Frederic Church, who melded flora art and scientific observation.  He could somewhat be akin to Thomas Cole, who shed the poetic light on the environment.  But regardless, the sublime beauty seen in these photos that I took and their painted counterparts show the beauty in nature and why that beauty must be appreciated.