The upside of all that rain,

is that it helps maintain the lush beauty of this area. The park where I run and walk is green now and the lake is full.

And my yard!

The part of the bed above the stone wall is filled with lilies of the valley, which are now blooming like crazy.

I planted this purple-leafed sand cherry to mark my hysterectomy. I liked that it does not bear fruit and yet it flowers and happily wears its autumnal colors through the Spring and Summer.

Everything seems to be bursting into bloom, in fact. In the front bed alone, there is pierris, candytuft, pansies, azaleas, rhododendrons  clematis, dianthus and impatiens.

And irises, which look like something out of a police line-up. "Ma'am, can you identify the flower that accosted you?" "Ummm... I'm sure it was Number 3."

I don't know when this Virginia Creeper snuck in. But I'm tempted to leave it. It's such a pretty vine and will get brilliant fall color.

My side and back yard is absolutely enshrouded in honeysuckle right now. It makes mowing the lawn a pleasure because it smells so heavenly.

I've got Swiss chard and all my herbs in pots on the deck for the summer: lots of basil, rosemary, oregano, chives, dill, parsley, thyme, tarragon, mint and sage. Bee balm and petunias for color.

And one of my five tomato plants has already got small green tomatoes on it! Tomatoes signal summer's approach like nothing else for me. Rain? I'm feeling okay with it now.