Often sunshine shoes up unexpectedly in Portland at the end of January/beginning of February. We've had a good five or six days of cool, dry and very sunny skies here. You think to yourself, "ah, I can get my roses trimmed and ready for the spring/summer growing season, prune back the dead hydrangea blooms, and cut back on those other plans in order to make way for new growth. But don't let the sunny skies fool you. A monsoon's worth of rain is just around the corner to plunge you back into Portland's winter doldrums. This is supposed to last through Tuesday, so tomorrow it is out to the garden for me.
Meanwhile, Beau has been enjoying the sunshine. He'll often sit on the patio, lost in his doggie thoughts, but today he wanted to stretch full out and enjoy a spot of sunbathing, only the bricks are too cold. He sought the bed of warmth he was looking for in my strawberry patch, which is where I captured him reclining this morning as I prepared dessert for my guests tonight. At eight and a half, Beau is still the handsome rock star who stops traffic wherever he goes.
