The Lotus Opens: the Green Seed Pod Inside

You know the first place I went on this morning, and I'll bet you can guess who I ran into! I was anxious to check out the status of the lotus bud at the Arboretum's lily pond. And of course, the exact instant I got there, so did my two compatriots, the walking man and the walking woman. :-)

I do not know their names and they do not know mine. We last met by the lily pond before the holiday weekend; on Thursday morning, to be exact. The bud was still tight and green then, and the man predicted it would open on Saturday, with the woman voting for Friday. (My own bet was for Thursday, and guess what: I lost.)

I have no idea when the bloom actually opened, but here is what we all saw, together, first thing on Tuesday morning. The bud had clearly opened. We'd all missed the first, pink phase. The pale, creamy petals were starting to part, giving us a first glimpse of the green seed pod inside.

"I think it opened on Saturday," said the guy. We nodded; yes, it was possible. But it may have been Sunday or Monday, too. Lotus blooms do not follow any man or woman's schedule. My friends quickly departed, off to finish their morning walk, and I was left with the lotus and the lily pond to myself.

Bees had begun to show up to check out the interior of the bloom. That green pod that looks like a salt shaker or a shower head must smell and/or taste very good. It keeps them coming back for more. Never underestimate the appeal of the good stuff inside, when a flower finally opens its heart to the sun.

I wanted a soundtrack song that includes the word inside. And once again, I am deferring on making a choice on a single song and including two of my all-time favorites instead: Barbra Streisand, with The Love Inside (from Guilty, her fabulous 1980 collaboration with Barry Gibb), and Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks, with Insider.