the life of a mallow

I went on a delightful walk with a friend who is a wildflower enthusiast and her daughter who loves macro photography. And a good time was had by all!
Hubby picked this photo for blip (out of the 105 I took on the walk) because he likes the way it shows the flower about to bloom, in bloom, and beyond bloom. 
My first choice was the penstemon pulling a face (that I put in extras) but hubby said I had posted enough penstemon lately...