Coming back to Northern California from Washington DC is like deliverance from Hell (with all due apologies to my friends who live there). In terms of Art, the nation's capital has the edge, definitely, but in terms of Atmosphere, the advantage is all in the other direction.
The Admiral Nelson sweet peas are blooming uproariously now. Though the tag on the seedlings planted back in March (documented here and here and here) promised that the flowers would be Navy Blue in color (like the Admiral's uniform) they are in fact Pink. But nobody is complaining.