Magnolias

I love to have my breath taken away and something that does that, in springtime, is magnolias.  What a wonderful tree!  Discreetly preparing its blossoms, teasing us with glimpses of pink and white -- and then it breaks into splendid bloom with its enormous yet delicate flowers completely overwhelming the landscape.  And then, far too soon, it's all over, and the tree pulls in its beauty for another year.  I cannot pass a magnolia tree without slowing down or stopping to wonder at it.  So incredibly lovely, and yet so ephemeral.