Checking In -- it's almost spring!

As usual, returning from a trip takes as much energy as being on one, and I haven't had much time to blog. I will post soon about my trip home, because I saw some wonderful things (rain forest bordering on beach at Second Beach, and beautiful elk grazing in the undergrowth of the true rain forest at Quinault Rain Forest, and last but not least, a Pacific Northwest setting for Rivendell at the Quinault Big Cedar Tree).

In the meantime, some photos of the marvelous spring clematis bloom we are treated with this year. (I took these during one of those Portland breaks in the rain -- you'll note the sunshine and the blue sky; it lasted about 20 minutes.) Note how it's growing up over the weeping birch tree in the neighbor's yard -- a choke-hold that we will probably have to cut back this summer to save the tree, but right now it looks like a wedding decoration.