Washington State Flower

This is the Olympic rhododendron in all it's blooming glory.  At this time of year we're fortunate to have them everywhere and in every color imaginable.  I think my favorite is yellow, although purple is beautiful, and then there's always the cherry red version.  I guess I don't have a favorite after all. The bushes can grow quite large although most people keep them at a respectable size in their yards.  

Just to keep the trivia theme going, the Washington State bird is the Olympic goldfinch and our mammal is the Olympic marmot, which is apparently just an oversized squirrel.  That's my kind of critter.  Interestingly, they are found only in Washington State although I find it impossible to imagine that one or two of them haven't drifted across the border into Oregon or Idaho in pursuit of a peanut.