Hey Ed, in town we had a rhody that always bloomed early in February when it is still cold. Sometimes a later frost ruined the flowers but that didn't stop it from blooming the same time each year.
So good to see the rhodies in bloom. We miss those we had in the yard in Springfield, about seven of them of different colors. Out here, they wouldn't do well right now, since we have had drought conditions for a few years. Hard to believe in Western Oregon, but fir trees in the woods next door are dying because of it.