Name: Catmint/Robin PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)
thanks, Janet! Cool links. I am leaning towards Sphex pensylvanicus, great black wasp--the pics look like it, plus the size, which I would have put at larger than 1.5 inches!!
"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso