Wild rhododendrons, near RI Harvesting

By tradition, the wild rhododendrons should be just about at peak, and that, by a corollary tradition, should prompt a road trip to the Long and Ell ponds area of Hopkinton to see and document the blooms that turn the broad-leafed evergreen forest that flourishes there into a magical flower show. But 2020, for who knows what reason, is an off-Rhodie-year, so I'll have to come up with a different reason—or, heck, no reason at all—to make the trek to that area. In all honesty, I didn't expect to see many Rhododendron maximum blossom clusters anywhere local, so I was pleasantly, happily delighted to spot a patch of floral glory when I made a trip to the neighborhood chainsaw shop for some needed supplies. Right along the roadside, there was a fine collection of open flowers and not-yet-ready buds: a Rhodie-fix for bees and naturalists alike.