They're blooming!

One of our native wildflowers is a favorite of mine. The birds planted this in our lawn several years ago. Eric mows around it. I think I post about them every other year because that's how often they bloom. They grow flat to the ground for a year and then shoot up stems covered with leaves and buds. At dusk, a few buds on each stem swell and burst into bloom, taking about 20 minutes to open once they've started. My grandmother had them in her garden. I remember watching them open, sometimes "helping" them when Gramma wasn't looking and keeping my hands in my pockets the rest of the time. It's so hard to just watch the ever-so-slow process even now. You look away for a second and a petal edge pops out or a sepal folds back. Eventually the four edges are free and the middle swells and swells until the inside edges pop out to open into a bowl shape. It takes another few minutes for the fully open shape to finish.

They stay open until the sun hits them and they shrivel.

Since they take two years to bloom, perhaps this year I should catch some seeds to plant next year. Then I'll have them every summer!

When I solve my camera battery charging issue and we have a breeze-free evening, I'll put my camera on a tripod and take a series of pictures through the whole process.

	Night-blooming Primrose unfurls her dress for the first time this year California wildflower
	Leaf hopper adorns a petal
	Night-blooming primrose, top view
	Double bloom on this stem

Rare photos of our camera-shy cat.

She looks so crabby in pictures you'd never know what a sweetheart she is. Miss Cactus is my snuggle-in-bed baby. If I'm not there, she'll snuggle with Eric. She's shy, timid and gentle unless she's on top of the cat tree! Then she's a wild beastie!

	Miss Cactus HATES cameras
	Miss Cactus looks at something across the street.

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I love spending time with Mike and Katie! They're just so silly and cute, not that I'm biased or anything. lol

They have such a lovely home with pretty flowers in the back yard. We had dinner at a local micro-brewery. The food was delicious but too much for most of us. Everyone except Mike took some home.

Included in the pictures is one of Eric and me. That's rare! I'm usually taking the pictures!

	Katie and Mike show off what we gave them! I like giving them a little something to open. The real gift was cash.
	Petunia poses next to Mike's foot.

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