Dogwoods – Dear Liza

Autumn in the Neighborhood

Dear Liza,

Our weather is changing here in Portland. Reds and oranges are creeping into the wide swaths of green in our Laurelhurst Park and all through the neighborhood.

The dogwood trees are fruiting, all those pink blossoms fattening up into bumpy red berries. The birds and squirrels are noticing, for sure.

This colorful plant needed some looking up, because it is all over one block. It’s even coming up in the sidewalk! It is called Amaranth, (also called Love Lies Bleeding) and is an ancient grain. It is very healthy to eat… I wonder if these folks know that.

Another crop that is escaping and going rogue is this hops in a parking lot. The soft-stemmed hops plant has found an obliging maple tree to climb on and a blackberry bush to hang out with. Aren’t they pretty together?

I hope your Fall neighborhood is pretty!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Colors of Spring

Dear Liza,

We all went out for a walk Saturday, and since it is spring, we wore overcoats and boots and carried umbrellas…. Just in case.

But even though there were some massive clouds, we didn’t get a drop of rain! Just oodles and oodles of flowers. Wisteria has draped itself over arbors….

The cherry trees have dropped their pink snow drifts all over Ladd’s Addition…

Dogwoods are just too pretty to be believed…

And the lilacs were being lovely and smelling fabulous!

I’ll tell you about where we were headed…. Tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy

It’s Pink Season

Dear Liza,

Pink has never been my color. As I have told you before, it was always mentioned as “The Girl’s Color” in a derisive sort of way that made sure it would never be “my” color.

But Portland has changed my mind about that. In Spring, pink becomes the power color. The color of pollination, of getting things done. And it is breathtaking.

The bees, butterflies, and birds love the pinks! They flit and hop around, making sure we see their colors, too.

So, though I may still not wear pink, I love it. It is bright and full of life, and will always, now, remind me of spring in Portland.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Out and About, Properly Masked

Dear Liza,

After getting to chat with our neighbors last evening, I felt less like a hermit who wanted to stay in her cave. Today I got my mask on and walked three pleasant miles around the neighborhood.

I headed east on Belmont, because I knew heading UP hill first would make the return trip easier. I enjoyed the feeling of really warm sun on my face, and the incredible blooms that Portland offers in spring.

I passed Heritage tree #241, a wonderful Japanese Maple at the corner of 37th and SE Alder. It shades about 50 square feet of yard and sidewalk, stands 30 feet tall, and is simply a beautiful thing. It also gave me the metaphor of the day, The Light At The End Of The Tunnel. It’s more about getting past despair than the virus at this point. And it’s coming soon.

Down on Hawthorne Street, I stopped at one of the few places still serving lunch, The Whole Bowl. Its tiny dining room was closed, but they were still serving wonderful spicy bowls for a good price. I was happy to eat, and they were happy for the business!

I noticed all the businesses we love that are closed for now, and wondered how many will be able to open again. Zach’s Shack, Belmont Books, even Powell’s, a branch of the mighty local bookstore. They are all suffering from loss or total lack of business.

Then I saw a bench with words of hope, finished my lunch in the sun, and cheered up. Passing a million more azaleas, lilacs, and dogwoods on the way, I headed home.

Love,

Grandma Judy