Tag: Laurelhurst Park

Tempest in the Park

Dear Liza,

Summer is Shakespeare season here in Portland, and last week Laurelhurst Park got a few. First, Original Practice Shakespeare performed The Tempest, Shakespeare’s last play. Grandpa Nelson and I headed over.

In this production, Mikki Lipsey played Prospero the Wizard. Prospero has been stranded on a desert island for twelve years with her daughter Miranda. She has enslaved two magical creatures, the lovely Ariel and the monstrous Caliban, to do her bidding.

Prospero conjures up a tempest which causes a ship carrying her old rivals from Milan, including the Duke’s son, young Ferdinand, to crash on the reef. Of course, Ferdinand falls in love with Miranda !

As the play goes on, two different sets of underlings decide to kill their masters and take over, but drunkenness and foolishness get in the way. By the end of the play all is well, and Prospero casts aside her staff and her magic books. This was Shakespeare’s way of saying farewell to his own magic of playwriting and retiring to Stratford.

Watching plays in the park is always interesting. Since the actors are dealing with airplane noise, dogs and other distractions, the audience has to work harder to suspend our disbelief and get into the story.

But we also enjoy the parade of happy humanity as it passes through the park. Cyclists, dog walkers, families and skateboarders keep things lively!

And as the sun went down and the play came to a close, we packed up our chairs and popcorn and head home. Another summer evening well spent!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Johnny and Chonk at Laurelhurst

Dear Liza,

Thursday evening, we had a picnic. This isn’t unusual in Portland summers, as the weather can be delightful and the sunshine lasts much longer than we do. But this was a special musical picnic.

We settled into a part of Laurelhurst Park that we call The Ravine, right by the 33rd street entrance. We knew that Johnny Franco (our new favorite local musician) would be setting up soon.

While we waited, we enjoyed a dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, veggies, and wine in Auntie Esther’s picnic-safe wine cups. Very handy!

Lots of folks knew that Johnny would be here, and it was fun to see each group come in, find their perfect spot, and set up their picnic. Happy dogs and kids told me it was going to be a fun evening.

The show started with Johnny and his brother Don singing. They played about three songs, joking with the audience and each other, and then passed the show along to another group. And this was where the evening got weird and extra-delightful.

This group called itself Chonk, and Johnny gave it the nickname of The Intergalactic Curbside Band, which I really liked. Their band includes two guitars, a keyboard, and a fiddle! They opened their part of the show with Tex Beneke’s “Smoke, Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette,” which I LOVE and is rarely heard outside a Dr. Demento tribute show. I was hooked.

A bunch of folks got up and started dancing…. And the group grew, jumping around and having a ball. It was a joyous scene.

Chonk performed until about 8:00, when the sun went behind the trees and the air got cooler. We started packing up just as Spencer Sprocket the juggler came out.

It was time to head home, and I wondered…. Where can I hear Chonk some more?

Love,

Grandma Judy

Thursdays in the Park with Johnny

Dear Liza,

One of the great joys of living in a big city is that interesting things are happening all the time. Since living in Portland, we have stumbled onto fabulous food trucks, Shakespeare in the Lone Fir cemetery, and neon-lit naked bike rides.

And a few evenings ago, we found Johnny Franco! This talented musician/performer from San Paolo, Brazil, and his group were playing Beatles-esque music near Firwood Lake in Laurelhurst Park.

In the glowing light of early evening, a hundred or so folks sat on the grassy slopes around the lake. People enjoyed picnics, drinks, dogs and kids as bicycles and skateboards whizzed by.

The music inspired a few young ladies to dance along, adding to the festivities.

And judging from the chalkboard posted near the stage, this is a regular, free, Thursday night performance! Maybe we should make it part of our Thursdays. After all, summer doesn’t last forever.

Love,

Grandma Judy

First Picnic of 2023

Dear Liza,

Sunday was a not-quite-sunny, not-quite-warm day, but I went to the vegetable garden to pull weeds and pick up the endless piles of Camélia blooms that drop on my plot. By the time I got back to the house, I was all warmed up. So when Auntie Bridgett suggested a picnic, I was all for it!

We made some egg salad, grabbed apples, celery, crackers, and our picnic blanket. The neighborhood was very azalea-forward with almost neon colors.

We noticed that the ground was damp, so we chose a table on the high ground. We kept our jackets on.


Still, the park was pretty, green, and scented with four o’clocks and tulips. An excellent church choir was singing across the road at the Laurelhurst Club, which made everything special.

We enjoyed our simple lunch as the crows and squirrels came by.

As we ate, however, the clouds got cloudier and the breeze got breezier. We finished up with a square of chocolate, packed up our slim supplies, and took a turn around Firwood Lake on our way home. The fireplace felt good as we settled in to watch the Giants play the Brewers.

Love,

Grandma Judy

A Spring Walk in the Park

Dear Liza,

It was warm and sunny all day yesterday! Grandpa Nelson went to the zoo, I got some ground eggshells worked into the soil in the vegetable garden, and Auntie Bridgett and I went for a walk in Laurelhurst Park.

All our favorite things were there.

Lovely pink magnolias were blooming right over the path, making a fine summery arbor.

A fellow was playing banjo and singing, and lots of folks were enjoying the day.

This sunny and shadowy view of the ravine never gets old.

Even the dandelions are looking good!

On the way home, we ran into this lavender bush that was absolutely alive with bees! Go, bees, go!

And, of course, it’s kitten season. This little guy was pouncing on everything from seeds to bugs to his own shadow, and finally just flumped down on the sidewalk. We are a pretty trio of shadows, aren’t we?

Love,

Grandma Judy

Spring… At Last?

Dear Liza,

This winter has felt extra cold and wet. We have, in fact, had four inches more rain than last year, and a few more nights that went below freezing. But spring can’t wait forever!

We are seeing tiny signs of it everyday. Snowdrops have sprouted in yards in our Sunnyside neighborhood, cheering up some very muddy gardens.

This amazingly tall azalea bush in Laurelhurst Park bloomed last week in a burst of energy. This week, leaves too tiny to photograph are showing up.

The local daffodils are thinking about blooming, but aren’t sure. With the cold and snow we’ve had lately, I don’t blame them for being a bit reluctant.

But on our walk yesterday evening, we had a clear sunset, and today we have sun! It is predicted to get above 50F, which means I can spray the protective coating on your book cover and wrap it up for delivery.

See you soon!

Love,

Grandma Judy

Personal Messages in Public Places

Dear Liza,

The other day while walking through Laurelhurst Park, we spotted this tree with a hand-written message taped to it. We wandered over to investigate.

It said “Flick and Clever Chris sorry I said mean things.”

Further along, we found a similar message taped to a trash can. “Flick and Clever Chris Sorry for treating you like trash. (Heart) U guys”. I can only imagine what lead to this public apology, but it might have gone like this.

During the summer, kids meet to play in the park. Maybe they are visiting in town or attend different schools, and know each other only from their play at the park. They have no way of reaching each other other than THERE. So, when disagreements happen, that is where apologies happen.

There are other instances, more adult in nature, where private feelings are expressed publicly. A series of STOP signs additions are mostly political, but give us the temperature of the neighborhood.

This stenciled graffiti on a nearby building appeared a few months into the shut down, and expressed my feelings exactly. “Take this enforced idleness to step away from the rush and do some healing.” I realize not everyone has that luxury, but being retired, I have the time.

That’s what I tried to do, and it helped.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Summer Solstice Picnic

Dear Liza,

June 21 is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, and the official beginning if summer. Here in Portland, it was also our first really warm day. We celebrated by making a nice picnic dinner and walking over to Laurelhurst Park.

We headed off at 6, which is late for dinner, but we still had more than three hours of daylight left. The low sun behind this Japanese maple was stunning.

We were surprised by how much mud there still was under the grass! Weeks of rain have made things very soggy. We had to search quite a while before finding a dry -ish spot.

When we were finally able to unpack our chicken salad, crackers, berries, cherries, veggies, and celebratory beverages, we settled in to watch and listen to the human show…. people on bikes, kids on scooters, dogs pulling their skateboarding owners, joggers pushing strollers…. you know, Portlanders.


Behind us, several folks played on guitars, and down the hill, a lone ukulele. It was marvelous.


But old bones don’t like sitting on the ground for long, and it was eventually time to go home.

We headed out of the park, thinking how lucky we were to be able to live in this pleasant corner of the universe.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Ken II, the (New) Oak Tree

Dear Liza,

Last summer I told you about the new oak tree planted in Laurelhurst Park. It was planted right at the roots of a huge oak that had fallen in a spring storm the previous year.

We watched as this new tree, which we named Ken, took root, got green, lost leaves during the fall, and came back this spring. We celebrated his new leaves.

Then, a few weeks ago, an unknown person, for unknown reasons, ripped the top off young Ken and threw the leaves to the ground. We were heart broken. I didn’t tell you about it at the time because it was just too senseless and sad.

I am telling you now because I have a happy turn in the story to tell. Ken’s sturdy roots have sent up new shoots to replace the damaged top! Look there, right at the bottom of the trunk. Oak leaves sprouting up!

I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. Amid all the petty lawlessness, war and climate change, it is nice to know that this tree has not given up.

Way to go, Ken!

Love,

Grandma Judy

2022’s First Adventure

Dear Liza,

You and your Daddy came to visit us last week! And you got here HOURS early. You caught us in our pajamas! Soon, however, I got dressed and you and I were off on an adventure. I showed you my vegetable garden, and you helped me pick up the camellia blooms that fall into my plot.

Then we walked over to Laurelhurst Park. You climbed right up on the big oak tree that fell last year. I had never looked at it from this angle, down in the ravine. It looks very tall!

By the time we wandered back home, everyone had had some breakfast and I had a look at Elephante, your big stufftie. He needs some mending and cleaning.

At lunchtime, we all walked over to Straight from New York Pizza. With the heater on, it was warm enough in the patio to enjoy lunch. It was delicious and just what was needed after your long drive. Grandpa Nelson and your Daddy headed back to the house, while Auntie Bridgett, you and I picked up Elephante and the car, and went to run some errands.

First, we drove to TypeSpace, Tony Valoppi’s shop where he buys, repairs and sells old typewriters. Bridgett found a Triumph from 1966 that has a French keyboard. She was very excited! And while she was checking it out, Tony introduced you to the world of typewriters.

You found one with cursive keys and enjoyed it very much. You got the hang of it quickly, and even wrote a personal paragraph. But we left that one in the shop.

Meanwhile, Bridgett was getting to know her French machine, including how to install the ribbon and adjust the margins.

With the typewriter carefully tucked in the car, we went by Cool Cottons to find some matching fabric for Elephante. You want his tummy fur replaced with a smooth cotton, because you use him as a pillow. We found the fabric and thread, but the sewing will wait for tomorrow!

Love,

Grandma Judy