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!
The East Side of Laurelhurst Park was quieter, but still full of adventure. Firwood Lake was frozen all around the edges, making for mysterious-looking layers of ice and branches.
As we rounded the lake and headed up the hill, we saw that the high winds of the night before had claimed some victims.
Two massive Douglas firs had toppled, blocking two different trails. As always, I was sad to see the fallen giants.
I took a dozen pictures near the closest fallen tree, trying to get some sort of perspective of its size. This was the best I could do, taken from just up the hill and showing the whole east end of the park, with folks walking away from us in the distance.
By this time, our toes were numb and our fingers were aching, and it was time to head home. We treated ourselves to some yummy hot cocoa after our hour outside in below freezing weather, feeling very adventurous and justified!
I hope you enjoy whatever adventures come your way.
Now that I am feeling strong again, and Grandpa Nelson is well enough that I feel comfortable leaving him for a while, I took a walk out to see what last night’s storm had been up to.
The bioswales in the neighborhood are doing their job, collecting rain water as it washes down the street and holding onto it. This allows it to filter slowly into the water table instead of washing tons of street trash and pollutants into the river, making for a cleaner Willamette as well as these lovely little water-gardens.
In Laurelhurst Park, the wind blew down a lot of small branches, as well as turning the Ravine into a mud puddle as big as your house. No dogs were out running around today!
The ducks on Firwood Lake were enjoying all the rain, splashing and having very meaningful conversations. A drake and a hen even swam off together, bobbing their heads and making plans for a more permanent relationship.
And of course, the local daffodils are always impatient for spring! These are up and already have yellow buds, for goodness sake. They are hearty, these daffodils.
I’m glad I got out to see the rain, but very grateful for a warm fire and dry socks once I got in.
And this was what my hat looked like when I got back!
Just three blocks from our house is Laurelhurst Park, which I have told you about many times. It is my favorite place in the whole city.
Sunset through the trees at Laurelhurst
And in Laurelhurst Park is little Firwood Lake. It is at the lowest point of the park, of course. It is the natural place for a lake, but it hasn’t always been there. Back in the 1920s when the park was being developed, folks thought of filling in the bottom part of the park and installing a baseball field.
But even then, they knew about drainage and flood control, and realized a lake would be a better idea. And it has been.
Ducks….. being ducky
Year round, we have ducks waddling and swimming and doing adorable duck things. Spring brings ducklings, who bob about on the lake like fluffy corks. And now the goslings have come out to play!
Don’t mess with these two!
Geese are always majestic creatures, tall and arrogant looking. But give a pair of geese a few goslings, and they become positively ferocious. Walking through the park this afternoon, we came across this pair and their young ones. Several folks were already watching, keeping a good distance. The pair remained vigilant but calm.
But when a lady came by with a dog, the geese called their goslings to them and honked up a storm, hissing and telling the lady and her dog to get the heck out of the area. The lady and the dog, wisely, did.
For the last few days, we have been in a river…. an atmospheric river, to be exact. This is a system of very wet air that has blown up from the tropics, bumped into our cold air, and is just dumping water like crazy. This is a lot of rain, even for drippy Portland.
Perfect reflections
So of course we went for a walk to lovely Laurelhurst Park. The hillsides are muddy and very slick, so I stayed on the path. The last thing I need from 2020 is a busted bottom. The puddles forming by the path made perfect mirrors to appreciate the majestic trees and gray skies.
Firwood Lake has had a particularly thick layer of duckweed this year, looking more like a soccer field in some areas. But at the east end, a surreal swirly effect is finding new ways to be beautiful.
And just as I thought the swirly green and black water couldn’t get more weirdly beautiful, a raindrop plopped in and created concentric circles.
Life is beautiful, even (or maybe especially) in the rain.
We had a slow walk around Laurelhurst Park on Thanksgiving, to settle our dinner and enjoy being out in the world. Laurelhurst was planted in 1913, so most of the trees are huge. It feels like a tame forest and is my favorite place in the city.
Auntie Bridgett takes some pictures
This Fall, Firwood Lake is covered with duckweed and looks more like lawn than a pond. It is oddly beautiful.
Firwood Lake and oak trees
The old-fashioned lamps look beautiful against the trees in any season.
Ginkgoes and lamppost
The bright yellow of birches and ginkgoes brightens up the darkest corners of the woods.
Ginkgo glowing down the way
On a day when we were not with friends or family and were feeling a little sad, it was good to get out and be part of the beauty.
I haven’t been going to the park much this Summer, because so many of the folks who visit do not wear masks and I would rather stay safe. But I love Laurelhurst Park, and I have missed it. So, today I masked up and headed off.
All our favorite trees are still there, and some are even showing a bit of fall color.
But Firwood Lake, home to dozens of ducks, turtles and fish, is covered with GREEN!
A tiny plant called Duckweed is growing so thick, it looks like a soccer field…smooth and green. It is not dangerous to anyone, and the birds and fish like it. But it sure looks weird.
Just don’t try to walk on it!
The only places where the duckweed isn’t growing are where the circulation pumps are, which disturbs the surface of the water.
Round, rippled holes in the duckweed
In our three years visiting Laurelhurst Park, we have seen giant trees fall, new ones get planted, Shakespeare performances, and even Big Band concerts. So I guess an outbreak of manic duckweed isn’t surprising. But I wanted to share it with you.
Saturday morning we were WOKEN UP by a wonderfully loud and flashy thunder-and-lightning storm. We had seen the clouds wafting in Friday evening as we sat on our balcony, and knew it was only a matter of time.
I love thunder storms. The power and energy give me a sense of perspective, an understanding of my tininess in the face of universal forces. I can picture myself as one of the mice huddling under bushes or birds snuggling in their nests.
Princess Zelda overlooking her realm
And speaking of tiny creatures, it is Spring, which means baby animals have been on my radar.
Terri expresses her opinion
My friends Amy and Angela have gotten kittens, named Terri and Princess Zelda, respectively, who are keeping them company during the shut down.
Skinny squirrel out and about
At Lone Fir, I followed one young squirrel in his exploration of the sunny headstones, and another, more ‘substantial’ fellow perching on a monument.
Chubby squirrel being immortalized
And then there are the ducks! Laurelhurst Park’s little Firwood Lake is home to a few dozen ducks, and this week, most of them are guarding little flotillas of fluffy ducklings. It is an eleven out of ten on the cuteness scale.
Fuzzy!!
This little guy got tired of swimming and followed Momma up onto shore for a rest.
Hanging out with Mom
And that is your dose of tiny animals for the day!
Saturday morning, we woke up to snow. It was just a dusting, and we went back to sleep. A few hours later, it was STILL snowing, and Grandpa Nelson decided it was time for a proper snow adventure, so we bundled up and headed off.
Grandpa Nelson, out and about
First, we saw our walkway, decorated with snow. The gnomes were wondering who put out the lights, apparently.
Gnomes, just chillin’
Then we noticed some tulips that had not seen the snow coming. I hope they can spring back!
Very surprised tulips
Laurelhurst Park itself is lovely in any weather, but is a Narnia sort of beautiful in the snow. The Ravine always looks like Mr. Tumnis is going to show up any moment.
The edge of Narnia
As we walked around, we saw dozens of families enjoying the snow. There were snowmen, snowball fights, dogs dashing around. It was a winter wonderland… in March. I will show you the snowmen tomorrow.
Firwood Lake and snowy Boomarang Island
The lake was very pretty through the trees, as the snow came down and sat on the surface for just a minute before melting.
After our walk, we came in and hung our wet clothes up in front of the fire, and spent the rest of the day alternately watching TV and snow!
Dear Liza 