This spot near my house is the most amazingly scenic overlook, at least when it is sunny. Did you know that the Seattle area gets more overcast days (220 per year) than any other US city? It just makes us giddy when the sun is out.

Big puffy clouds reflect on the water in Normandy Park, WA

Joining in at Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters Sunday, and Weekend Reflections. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend.

I love lupines. [Where I used to live in Northern California, the blue ones grew wild on hillsides and they bloomed at the same time as orange California poppies. Unfortunately, if you have CA poppies in your garden, you will never get rid of them, and might be sorry you ever planted them and their resulting millions of offspring. However, in the right spot, it’s a winning combo. But I digress.] These purple ones in my garden make me so happy in the springtime, and return every year. Removing spent flowers really does extend the bloom time for them.

Lavender and purple lupines bloom in Seattle in May

Linking up at Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Anyone know any purple memes? Do share!

This year my garden is looking good. We didn’t have any hard frosts or unusual amount of rain and the plants are relieved. Purple and red is a fine color combination, in my opinion. The red is geum, a perennial, and the mauvy-purple ball is a kind of allium, a bulb. In the back are white Dutch irises, and in the upper right, the peas are climbing.

Red geum flowers plus purple allium light up this flowerbed in Seattle

Joining in Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Glad you are here visiting!

The bees were out and buzzing today. They love some of the flowers, and don’t care so much about others. This perennial blue bachelor button, also called Centaurea montana or Mountain bluet, is almost too vigorous, but what a fabulous, almost-purple color, and on such nice long stems for bouquets.

A bee busily working a perennial blue bachelor button flower

Linking up at Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. So glad you could drop by. How about trying a new tag or category, while you’re here? My Garden is a good category to browse, just as a suggestion.

Our next door neighbors have a little baby, a girl nine months old. Do you believe that they got this playhouse for her? It is the cutest thing I ever saw, and she was quite happy sitting on the floor inside, chewing on the toy spatula that comes with it.

Playhouse with a picket fence nestles among the rhododendrons

Please visit Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Thank you for your visit here and be sure to browse around.

Well, the pasture behind my yard (the between the two fences) has been sold, and a house will be built on it this summer, we are told. Sigh. The horses are gone. Things change. Here is what it looked like from my patio, today.

Backyard garden in Normandy Park, WA, with red and pink flowers

Participating in Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Scenic Weekends, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, and Shadow Shot Sunday 2. I so appreciate your dropping by.

OK, it’s not the best photo in the world, and there are all those wires, but who doesn’t love a spring rainbow? Hope you have good luck all day long today.

A spring rainbow in Burien, Washington

Linking up at Outdoor Wednesday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Scenic Weekends, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Monday Mellow Yellows, and A Piece of Heaven. Thank you for visiting and please come back soon.

Rhododendrons, or rhodies as we call them affectionately, bloom extremely well here in the Pacific Northwest. They reach their peak about now. If you live in the Seattle area, you can probably see ones as tall as houses, here and there. This old one is blooming right in front of my house. Lucky me!

Many shades of pink in this rhododendron blooming in the spring sunshine

Linking up at My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. I do appreciate your visit here. Browse around and see what you find.

These sweet, tiny, white bells are some of my very top-favorite flowers. Luckily, they thrive on the front (north) side of my house. A handful of them in a vase is a heady experience. The fragrance is sublime, and like a sweet dream. Can you tell I love these flowers? I really love this image of them and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

Convallaria majalis, or lily of the valley, blooming in the garden

Do visit My Romantic Home, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Fishtail Cottage Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. Thanks so much for your visit here. Try a new tag or category as long as you’re here, perhaps?

This exquisite yellow and magenta pink phalaenopsis orchid was blooming in the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle last time I was there. I love the warm colors and the exciting dots in the center. Come here, little pollinating insect!

Yellow and magenta moth orchid at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle

Please visit Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, and Straight out of the Camera Sunday. I appreciate your visit and hope you return soon. Sign up to receive email notifications of new posts at the upper right.