Peonies

In my family, we accept (and expect) the following to be true:

1. Whenever the dog is groomed, it will rain.

2. Whenever the peonies bloom, it will rain.

While my folks and I might not be the best meteorologists this side of the Mississippi, the peonies outside my home bloomed this week, and not hours before a storm hit the farm with such force -- with all its thunder, lightening, and hail -- that I was let out of work early. While this means that our rule remains steadfast and true, it also means that I have some lazy-looking (but still beautiful) peonies near my front porch. With their chins resting on the wet grass, they look as if they spent all their energy in producing a magnificent bloom, and then proceeded to take a nap. Which, coincidentally, is exactly what I did during the storm.