This spring, something I've been waiting for for years has happened: the laburnum, AKA golden chain, tree is blooming. This is a big deal to me because I grew this plant from a seed. Then, when I put one in the ground, the gophers ate it. I put another one in the spot. The deer ate it. It survived, but now instead of a regular tree shape with a single trunk it's a giant multistemmed thing. But that's all okay, because it's now taller (barely) than the house and it's doing this:

Finally, a new article at the Examiner! This one is about the Pasque flower http://www.examiner.com/article/perennial-pasque-flower