Before man was here to behold them, the sun was reflected from the lily pad after the May storm as brightly as now.

May 22. 

Saturday. Ed. Emerson brings me the egg of a hawk, dirty bluish-white, just found, with three other eggs not much developed, in a nest on the ground. Probably a hen-harrier's. 

P. M. — By cars to Worcester, on way to New York.

We have had much rainy weather for about a week, and it has just cleared up. I notice, as I glide along, that the sun coming out shines brightly on smooth waters, ponds, and flooded meadows raised by the rain, and is reflected from the new lily pads, which most now first generally notice, spread out on the surface, the foul weather having prevented our observing their growth. Something like this annually occurs. 

After this May storm the sun bursts forth and is reflected brightly in some placid hour from the new leaves of the lily spread out on the surface in the ponds and pools raised [by] the rain, and we seem to have taken a long stride into summer. 

So was it also in a former geological age, when water and water-plants prevailed and before man was here to behold them. The sun was then reflected from the lily pad after the May storm as brightly as now.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, May 22, 1858

Something like this annually occurs. After this May storm the sun bursts forth and we seem to have taken a long stride into summer. See May 22, 1857 ("When the May storm is over, then the summer is fairly begun. "); May 17, 1853 ("Does not summer begin after the May storm?”);May 11, 1854 (" I suspect that summer weather may be always ushered in in a similar manner, — thunder-shower, rainbow, smooth water, and warm night.")


Water-plants prevailed and before man was here to behold them. See April 28, 1852 ("This may, perhaps, be nearly the order of the world's creation. Such were the first localities afforded for plants, water-bottoms, bare rocks, and scantily clad lands, and land recently bared of water.Thus we have in the spring of the year the spring of the world represented."); February 11, 1854 ("For how many aeons did the willow shed its yellow pollen annually before man was created!")