Rhododendrons on Steroids

As you know we spent a few days with my in-laws last week. Where they live they get plenty of rain and sunshine and I have a theory there's something in that rain! Something like steroids. I have always been amazed at how big the flowers get over on the west side of the mountains. We have plenty of Rhododendrons around here but they are never as big as they are in my in-laws neighborhood.

Did you know Rhododendron is Greek for "rose tree"? Now I get it, it's more of a tree than a small flowering shrub. I snapped a few pictures (Tall Man says I went crazy) of the beautiful flowers in my in-laws yard and around their neighborhood. Here are a few.

They are......GINORMOUS!!

And here are some close ups. (This is where I went a little crazy.)