A Blustery Day

There was brilliant sun today but it was very blustery - wind gusts up to 20 mph (about 32 kmh) which doesn't sound like a lot coming from a coastal Massachusetts transplant, but for Portland it sure is gusty. 

Because the snow had melted, we bundled up and went for our usual walk at the Hoyt Arboretum...husband now being back home after a business trip last week (so good to have everyone safe at home!). We discovered that at that elevation of between 650 and 900 feet (200-275 meters) there was plenty of snow and ice, and the temperatures were hovering at freezing. But the sky was blue and the sun was warm (see extra). 

There were a number of flowering shrubs such as the camellia above, as well as rhododendrons that were either buried in snow and ice or simply adorned. I didn't have my Canon with me...I thought that my hands were going to be too cold. Turns out I could have (and wished I'd had!) brought it with me. But we had a lovely walk and all thoughts of the virus dissipated for at least that time!