2012, Day 85 - Fleeting

A couple of weeks ago we treated to some real spring weather, days of sunshine and highs in the sixties.  Every year spring gets a deceptive false start and this year was no exception.  The brief warm spell brought the star magnolia out of its winter sleep and the buds started to open.  Now, just a few short weeks later, the petal are beginning to show the signs of their exposure to three short snow storms and bear the buises as evidence of the inclement weather.  Many of the blossoms are fading and those that aren't are just passing their peak.  I suspect it won't be long before they're gone until next year so I sent aside some time to record their beauty until next winter.

Canon 1D Mark IV, Canon 100/f2.8L IS
100mm, f4, 1/400 sec @ 200 ISO