Sunbonnet Babies: Lotus Wearing Its Sun Hat

As toasty as things have been around here lately, who can blame it? When I arrived at the Arboretum's lily pond on this morning, this is the sight that awaited me: a lotus seed pod, wearing its last few petals like a sunbonnet!

I admit I've been stalking the lotus for days. Last Thursday, it was a tight, green bud. On Tuesday morning, it had started to open. I guess the phase I was hoping to see next was this one: all petals open, and the green seed pod entirely exposed to the sun.

But the "all-open" phase must have occurred sometime on Tuesday afternoon. Goodness, gracious, that was quick! Still, it was fun to see it like this, looking like one of the Sunbonnet Babies from one of my mother's old books. :-)

The song: Joe Cocker, You Can Leave Your Hat On.