It's Tulip Time

It's that time of the year again - the time when Mother Nature pulls out her palette and sets the fields ablaze with color - at the Skagit Tulip Festival. Unlike last year's cold and drizzle today was all about blue sky and brilliant sun. 

Today apparently was also the time when fields of tulips were painstakingly deadheaded by hand (I believe this has to do with bulb production?)  Please click & view the EXTRA PHOTOS to see this backbreaking process.