Icy Morning

The Pacific Northwest wasn't immune to last week's arctic blast.  A week ago Thursday, I awoke to an ice-covered front yard.

Although still home recovering from foot surgery, I couldn't resist grabbing my camera and hobbling outside.

Still-warm ground quickly melted it's icy crust.  But on vegetation, the frozen droplets clung quite nicely.

My rhodie bushes sported tiny, thin icicles. 

The few roses left were encased in a glittering, frosty shell.

After sitting idle for two weeks, it felt great to get out and capture some images.  Sniff....I miss hiking already.  Can't wait until my foot is healed and I can get back on the trail.


Sharing with:  Today's Flowers.

Summer Rose

Here in Portland we've been having an unseasonably warm summer.  Temps have soared into the 90s for days on end, and we've hardly had a drop of rain since late June.  Although dry summer months are common here in the PNW (our reward for enduring the fall/winter/spring rains) the hot temperatures are not.

Portlanders don't know what to with so much sunshine.  We're used to cool, rainy, cloudy days.  Local lawns and flowers are taking a beating.  Nearly all our flowers have dried up (well.....forgetting to water them doesn't help....but normally we don't have to water very much!)

Luckily we have a few hardy rose bushes in our front yard that are still producing some lovely blooms.  My hubby discovered this gorgeous rose the other day.  Not only a creamy white, it's petals are tipped in a delicate shade of pink.  Nice to have something to brighten up our fried front yard!


Linking to:  Our World Tuesday.

City of Roses

"For you a rose in Portland grows."

Portland, Oregon is known as the Rose City.  It's cool, wet spring climate is perfect for growing these lovely flowers. 

In late May, colorful rosebuds explode into bloom all over town.

Portland celebrates it's Rose Festival in early June.  Two weeks of events culminate with the Grand Floral Parade.  Similar to the New Year's Tournament of Roses parade, it features floats decorated with thousands of brightly colored roses.

Portland has a huge rose garden located in Washington Park.  It's a designated International Rose Test Garden, one of 24 official testing sites for the All-America Rose Selections (AARS).  This organization is dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses.

Early June is the perfect time for a tour of the Washington Park rose garden.  Rows upon rows of brightly-colored, fragrant roses cover the grounds. A great place for a stroll.

Of course, I don't have to travel all the way to Washington Park to get my rose fix.  My hubby maintains his own little rose garden right in our front yard.

He grows several varieties of roses, in many gorgeous colors.

I was home this morning, and noticed the blossoms were covered in droplets from last night's rain.

Fantastic photo ops - right in my own yard!

This pale pink rose was my favorite. 

No - this last photo isn't a rose - it's a dew-spangled tulip from over a month ago.  It was so pretty I just had to include it too.

Have a flower-filled weekend!


Sharing with:  Weekly Top Shot.