Dear Liza,
Out walking the other day, Auntie Bridgett and I found a new Tiny Library. I’ve told you about these before…small weather proof structures where people can drop off and collect books. There are a few in Salinas, but Portland seems to be a sort of epicenter.
I have seen them in the shapes of blue British Police boxes, little cottages, and even Dia de los Muertos shrines.
But yesterday was the first library I have seen that was suspended. Yep, you read that right. It is dangling from a giant tree in the parkway. The library hangs from lightweight chains and has a glass door, rustic hardware and a roof made of tree bark. The bark still has moss and lichen on it! If Bilbo Baggins’ Shire had a tiny library, it would look just like this.
The tree was probably planted around 1905, when this part of the neighborhood was being developed, and is an ecosystem of its own…ferns, mosses, and squirrels make it their community. Standing under the tree felt as sacred as being in a church. Books, nature, and good people who appreciate both make the world wonderful.
On the way home, we saw some new construction in the neighborhood. Taylor Street is getting some bioswales! I’ve told you about these… sunken gardens, lined with stones, where rain water collects and filters into the ground water. People have them in their yards, and the city of Portland installs them along the streets. They keep water from washing trash and pollutants into the Willamette River.
I love so much about my new city!
Love,
Grandma Judy
