Peonies!

This past weekend, thunderstorms forced us to cancel our overnight hike. However, I got a call from Sam on Saturday asking if I wanted to see wild peonies in bloom. Tis' the season, and since the anticipated thunderstorms never really materialized, I was feeling antsy for a hike. About an hour from Sofia, near the town of Klenovik, there's a mountain famous for its peony fields. Because it doesn't lie in the rainshadow of Vitosha, the climate there is slightly different, and so is the vegetation. Our guide was Tim, a Brit who has lived here for ten years and knows the area well. On the way, he offered a handsome prize to the first person to see a peony. It didn't take long...

But first, in the car on the way there, we spotted a stork's nest on the side of the road. One of their favorite places to roost is above powerline poles. This particular nest had about five babies in it, a few of which are peeking up in this picture.

And right next to it, a field of poppies.

Finally, we got to the mountain and commenced our search.

It didn't take us long to find the first one...

And then a few more...

And more...

And bushels more...

And then a whole field!

Sam's dog Annie very much enjoyed the peony hunting.

As did the bees.

And the moths.

Overall, the day was a great success. And Tim, of course, won his own contest. Luckily he didn't specify a prize when he made his challenge. We decided his prize would be seeing more peonies.