Thanks, everyone. First, answers to some of your wuestions. The lily is in an outside above the ground 5.6' X 5.6' pond. I only pruned the pads when they started dying . I take pruning sheers and cut the pad stem back as close to the plant as I can. I then take a leaf rake and lift the pad out of the water and put the pad into a 5 gallon bucket. Doing this, I do not get stuck by the thorns as often. Yes the thorns are extremely sharp, like very small needles. The thorns cover the plant.
Here are two pics of the bloom before it died. The first was taken at midnight last night, and the other is from 8 am this morning. Notice that the bloom had turned completely pink by the morning.
