Spring Floral Walkabout

Ahhhh.. you know when you're gone for a week of vacation, you come home and everything looks different?  I grabbed my camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS19 with Leica 20X Full HD lens, 24mm Wide) and went on a walkabout to say hello to the new blooms popping out in the yard, and to check to see if the Lily-of-the-Valley was ready to pick.  :-)  Last afternoon hubby took his big loppers and I pointed to which branches of Lilac I wanted and I put together this FABOOOOO bouquet of my 3 shades of Lilac, lavender, dark purple and white.  Oh, I live for this each year!

It rained last night and I worried that it would ruin the lilacs, but at least this bouquet is perfection.  Can you just smell these?  BLISS!

This is my view from my easy chair in the den.  I love flowers on the table! 

On my walkabout I got a shot of my "White Garden" of lilac on the left and azalea on the right.  There are still lots of buds on the azalea before it's in full bloom. I bought and planted the white lilac from the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, Washington.

White flowers are so refreshing, don't you think? 

These white lilacs are very lush and full, I think it's a double blossom. 

To the left of the white lilac is a gigantic pink rosebud azalea.  No aroma with this, but it's just gorgeous.  I wonder which family planted this in our house's history of inhabitants?  I think it might have been the McKinley family who sold nursery stock from the center of our horseshoe driveway. 

The Lily-of-the-Valley are almost ready to pick.. but not quite.  They have completely filled in on the right of the front brick walkway. 

The yellow centered rhodie is in bloom and the deep pink ones are beginning to open.

Our pink dogwood never does very well as it's shadowed by 3 huge weeping birch trees.  But this branch looked happy! 

Dark pink rhodie.. I wish I knew the name of this one!  They get HUGE! 

Lilacs and barn.. the roses are in front of the lilacs and are bushing out and budding nicely. 

Some people call the dark purple ones French Lilacs.   

The apple tree is covered with blooms, so is our 3 pear trees in the pasture. 

Our chickens were happy to see us come home.  2 are in the hen house, Buffy is still broody and Hershey must be laying an egg.  The 2 Ameracaunas are laying a blue egg each every day!  They are the ones with tufted faces at the back and to the right. 

Our sage and chives are back, if you don't have pots of these, you should get some - they come back on their own every year!

The sage has these interesting blooms. 

Michael, our oldest grandson is 13!  A teenager!  Oh my!   

We gave him a "razor" scooter, he's a whiz with it and the wheels light up as you're zooming along.  :-)  I tried to get a photo with all the boys in it, but each one had someone with their eyes closed, so I gave up. :-)

My task today is to find a hat to wear at 2 events coming up.  First, on Thursday we're having a re-dedication ceremony at Portland Women's Forum at 10 am.  You are invited to attend!  Second is at the DAR State Conference where I will be singing with the State Chorus.  I wish I had a nice vintage hat already!!  Wish me luck finding one.  I hope you have a wonderful week!  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)