Yesterday it Rained. The Day Before Yesterday it Rained. Today It is Raining.

Well, this is the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon, so who's complaining. (I haven't figured out how to take good "rain" pictures yet, but I think I have plenty of time before July-August-September when we have NO rain.)

But with the rain, I noticed one thing. All of the flowers are starting to bloom, and once again I wander my yard with my camera, snapping pictures -- most likely the same ones as I took last year, but the flowers always look SO good.

This is my Frog Gnome (a gift from two little boys with a big sense of humor):

I have a Clematis armandii "Apple Blossom" growing just outside my front door:

Isn't it pretty?  And to think I almost missed it!  All of the blossoms are at The Very Top (because I didn't prune it back last fall):

I think I need another clematis.  But to continue the tour, sidestepping mud puddles as I wander, here's the lovely fragrant daphne just outside our front door. (Last year it turned black and crispy because of a really late frost.)

This year it's pretty:

And this spring I have really pretty blossoms on the wild currant in our side yard.

Everything looked so good, I didn't even mind the seed spitters trying to grow faster than the roses:

Well, there's a big round yellow orb in the newspaper forecast for later this week, so I guess I'll go out and play in the garden.  Guess who is going with me?  Yep.  Cuthbert! --after he's had his coffee.

Cuthbert actually thinks he's An Outdoor Cat and would like to go out now, right this very moment.

Rosalie