Peony in White © 2010 Bo Mackison

Frilly, fancy, dressed in her finery, this peony was waiting for me at the exit of the garden. I’d already been shooting over two hours, I’d logged in over 350 photos, half taken in my preferred photography pose. That pose, of course, is me lying on my back or side on the cold, stony ground. (It never seems to work as well – these flower macros – if the garden path is something other than cold and stone.) This evening’s path was mostly  chunky gravel–to add an extra touch of texture-y jabs to my ribs.

So I’d had enough-more than enough-and the sun was close to setting. I was ready to reward myself with a stop at a drive-in on the way home for a cold soda. I’d worked up a thirst. Must have been all that up and down activity – like seventh grade gym class, I swear. But then I had to postpone my departure, as I was stopped still by this huge bush of peonies, all in white splendor.

So out came all the camera equipment I had just packed so securely and carefully.The peony reminded me, a bit, of a bedraggled sheet (should I be calling a peony a bedraggled sheet?) but it does. All swept aside, as if someone had opened their eyes at the first bit of morning light, seen the sun calling out a new day, and literally leapt out of bed.

Well, I spent another twenty minutes taking a few peony photos, and then I left and went to the drive-thru and splurged on my Diet Coke. I’m trying to cut down on that stuff – the more I think about what it must be I’m drinking the more I swear I have to give the stuff up. And I do a fairly good job of avoiding soda at home, especially since I can make sun-green-tea all summer long. But there are times when I must have that Coke product and this evening was one of those evenings.

I have a close up of the center of this peony. I think the center looks as if Dale Chihuly himself had designed all the curlicues and colors. So much detail. Wow! That’s for next time.