ETA: For Kat - these are Chinese Tree Peonies. You can find out more here. This one is huge, almost 12 inches across. and here,
and here,
Ah springtime, when a young man's fancy may turn to love but an older man's fancy starts thinking about summer. Then he starts the prep work for a pool. 'Cause he can't handle the heat like her could when he was young!
And he has a helper,
Since the new neighbours moved in behind us this is all you see of the dogs:
She has cookies and kids. All you see is three bums and three wagging tails poking out of the shrubs in the back of the yard. If the dogs are sleeping in the living room they know when the neigbours come home. It's like their pagers all go off at once and boom, they fly out the back door.
And then you have the beautiful Jane, taking a moment to smell the dandelions.
And a nice shiny Stella:
And, finally, a little scrappy dog, all tired out and sleeping on last years pool in the sun. 
p.s.Sock 76.a.1 - yeah, that didn't work out. Back to the drawing board! :)
