Tree Peony

This year I thought I would document the way these awesome flowers bud and open. Unfortunately, the non-stop rain of the last few days beat the flowers down without any regard for my project, but I did walk away with a few pictures.

Then the sun shines and throughout the day the flower lives as intensely and carelessly as if time were its friend.

I did not take its final picture, will wait for lovely seedpods to appear. And now, again, time is our friend - faithfully bringing us closer to next spring every day as the tree peony prepares for the next 3 days of its yearly glory.