oregon spring

The old saying goes:

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

Going out like a lamb is not looking so good right now…

Let's just say I'm pretty sure nobody around here is in a big hurry to see the new film Noah.

more summer

Even though yesterday's damp skies weren't the brilliant blue that defines a perfect Oregon summer day, the rain that fell was warm, and the hope remains that there will be more sunny days ahead.  (We Oregonians are an optimistic bunch...if we weren't, I'm pretty sure the suicide rate would be sky high)
Anyway, despite the weather, there are certain signs that summer is here. One of my favorite hallmarks of summer is  a juicy caprese salad: sliced, ripe tomatoes, fresh, pillowy mozzarella and fragrant basil leaves snipped right off the plant. All this goodness is layered and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then sprinkled with coarse salt and ground pepper, for a taste of true summer.

{click on the photos to get up close and personal}

Mmmm. I think I can still smell the basil.

Over at the blog Written, Inc. Carmi  hosts Thematic Photographic and invites everyone to join in. This week's theme ( No. 201) is called "Welcome Summer."

welcome summer

Every week, Carmi over at the blog Written Inc., hosts an exercise called Thematic Photographic and invites everyone to join in. This week's theme ( No. 201) is called "Welcome Summer."

A couple of days ago Dave and I and a visiting friend loaded the pups in the car and took a drive out to the coast. The weather was warm, the sky was deep blue and cloudless, and the ocean sparkled like there were diamonds in the surf.

Later, we had lunch on the patio of a brewpub, and our outgoing friend shared an oyster shooter birthday toast with another patron.

It was a great way to welcome summer!

Now I suggest you hop on over to Written, Inc. to view Carmi's photos, and don't forget to check the comments for links to other photographic submissions.