Tag: Fall in Portland

Fall Approaches

August 31, 2025

Dear Liza,

Fall is on the way. During our last weeks of hot weather, I got into the habit of going for walks early in the day to avoid the shingle-irritating bright sun and heat.

I noticed that Laurelhurst Park is very different early in the day. The cool damp of night is still in the air. Tai chi groups perform their slow dance among the trees.

Firwood Lake is a perfect mirror… until the ducks wake up! Then, somehow, the ripples make the mirror even more beautiful.

And passing the Blair Community Garden, I see the raspberries getting ripe.

I am happily awaiting the day when I will need a second layer to be comfortable. J’aime sweater weather!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Walking in the Rain

August 6, 2025

Dear Liza,

I am slowly (way too slowly, if you ask me) getting back to normal after Shingles knocked me flat. I still have some pain most of the day, take medications to sleep, and get tired easily.

But the world is still out there, and I’m getting out in it more. I like walking in the early morning, because the shadows are long and better for my still-light-sensitive eyes. And, as always, Laurelhurst Park is my favorite place.

Early mornings at the park are quiet and delightful. There were the usual dog walkers and baby walkers, but also pickle ball players, tai chi groups, and a maintenance guy power washing the picnic tables. A lady was training her puppy to sit and stay.

And there was the rain. Just a light drizzle, not enough for anyone to mind, but a steady, cooling reminder that time moves on and summer will end.

I was enjoying it so much, I walked until I was very tired. Feeling discouraged on my way out of the park, this piece of serendipitous advice found me, and I made it home.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Colors Close to Home

Dear Liza,

It’s been very cold for a few days, and today I just didn’t feel like venturing very far from home.

Fortunately, there are plenty of lovely colors right outside our door! The leaves, before they turn to mush, what we call “ leaf jam”, make a mighty pretty carpet.

Our gardeners blew tons of leaves onto the parkway, where they just sit and look great.

And, looking carefully, I caught this perfect leaf perched in a bush. How can we mourn for summer when we have this beauty?

Love,

Grandma Judy

Rainy Afternoon

Dear Liza,

We have a lot of rainy days in our forecast, so we have decided to just go for walks, knowing we are going to get wet. The grey cloudy light makes the pictures darker than usual, so they look almost magical.

We walked around the park, amazed at the carpet of leaves and the thousands yet to fall. The giant ginkgo tree stays yellow for a week or so, and will drop all its leaves almost overnight.

It was so dark at 1 o’clock in the afternoon that the park lights had come on.

Bridgett got very engrossed in looking at a pair of squirrels chasing each other around the trees. I’m not sure if they were fighting or flirting, but they were so busy they didn’t even notice us.

This tall oak will hold onto its fall leaves for months, until it is ready to spout the green leaves of spring.

Knowing that spring is many long wet months away, I may need to carry the sunshine inside me.

Love,

Grandma Judy

A ‘Shroom with a View

Dear Liza,

I love the forest in Fall! Besides the beautiful colors, the fermenting leaves give of a sweet, almost beer-like smell. Well, part beer, part bread… and all good.

Auntie Bridgett and I walked out the other day, with jackets on over sweaters, to enjoy the season.

Mushrooms are popping up as the heavy drizzles encourage them, looking like fairy creatures. Getting right down in the ground is bad for my knees, but good for my pictures!

Fallen trees become mountains of moss, with fairy cities of shelf fungus perched on their sides.

We discovered this amazing fungus in someone’s lawn by the park. It sure looks like the Death Star to me!

Even ordinary trees get a soft, starry green upholstery as the dormant moss wakes up in the rain.

I know the grey weather will become commonplace soon. But for now, I will marvel in the changing seasons.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Crayon Box Season, Again

Dear Liza,

When we first moved to Portland in 2017, I was stunned by the intensity of the fall colors. My amazement hasn’t gone away.

Just walking home from the market is a joy when you pass these lovelies. And I love walking down sidewalks when they become tunnels of ever-changing color.

Doing clean-up at the Blair Community garden is hard work, but I get to visit these zinnias… higher than my head, orange as the sun and very popular with the bees.

Yep, Portland is mighty pretty in the fall… a good way for the trees to let us know they are going to take a nice long nap.

But me, I’m not going anywhere.

Love,

Grandma Judy

End of Summer

Dear Liza,

I know it’s not quite the Fall equinox yet, but we are definitely there. Saturday was the Belmont Street Fair, which is our last street fair of the year.

The weather started off chilly, then the clouds passed and the sun came out.

People were ambling down the street, walking happy dogs and chatting with friends.

Auntie Bridgett visited with Steph at Happy Anyway while a face-painting friend decorated Steph’s arm.

We even got to go inside the wonderfully historic J. C. Havely House, soon to re-open as The Foxtrot Lounge.

I’ll show you more about that tomorrow.

I ran out of energy and came home to rest. By the time we had dinner, the skies opened up and we had a fine gullywashing rain storm. Welcome, Fall!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Downtown, Renewal, and Therapy

Dear Liza,

The day before Thanksgiving, Grandpa Nelson and I went downtown. We always enjoy seeing the busy city, even when the weather is grey and damp.

This time of year, all the trees are getting some sort of decoration, getting ready for Christmas. Some trunks are wrapped with lights, but this one in the South Park blocks had these lighted dingle bangles hanging from it.

Further down on the Park blocks we passed one of my favorite places, the Portland Art Museum. It is an old building, and has been expanded and added onto many times for nearly a hundred years. Its current construction is two buildings being joined together across the courtyard. I leaned through the fence to get a view of the work.

Once the two buildings are joined, (where the Black Lives Matter sign is,) you will be able to easily get from one section of the museum to another. The downside is that lovely tree behind the gap won’t be visible from this side.

Finally, we got to the reason for our trip downtown. Grandpa Nelson had another appointment with Janna for physical therapy, and she showed him some more exercises to make his back and abdomen muscles stronger.

After wandering around some more and enjoying yummy Sesame Donuts, we caught the Magic 15 bus back home for a well deserved rest.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Fall Update 2023

Dear Liza,

Our weather has gotten cold! We are looking at 41 F in the mornings, getting up to a still-chilly 53 F. The sunshine keeps it pleasant, but I am wearing three layers most days.

I love this time of year for many reasons, though. The time change and shorter winter days makes sunset-watching practical during after-dinner walks.

The trees are letting their leaves down, and people are very busy raking them up! Portland city has huge scoopers and trucks to come fetch the leaves, but you have to get them into the street. Yesterday, our neighbor April was out getting her exercise.

In Laurelhurst Park, families were making the most of the season. A girl and her mom were choosing just the prettiest leaves for table decorations.
Mom had her hands full and said, “Are we going to be able to use all these?”

The girl said, “We can’t put them back! They’re all so pretty!”

I agree!

I hope you are staying warm and having fun..

Love,

Grandma Judy

Fall’s Fallin’

Dear Liza,

I haven’t written for a few days because… well, I guess I didn’t have anything to say. But today there are many bits of small, happy news.

That pink baby quilt I made last month has gotten to its proper owner and seems to be functioning as intended. Doesn’t Emily make it look good?

The apples we picked in Amy’s yard became a dessert that everyone loved.

The leaves are being extravagant on our walks through Laurelhurst Park.

And Ken, the young oak, is getting ready for winter in the shelter of the roots of his predecessor. Watching him grow day by day has been a real joy.

That’s all for now, kiddo.

Love,

Grandma Judy