Portland Pride

Dear Liza,

This past Sunday, I got to visit the Portland Pride festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Specifically, I got to visit Auntie Katie at the Books with Pictures tent. Doesn’t she look great?

It was a record high of 95F, and everyone was wearing their summer rainbow clothes.

A lady let me take a picture of her rainbow tee shirt which showed off her huge snake and flower tattoo.

Katie’s tent had a just a small chunk of her inventory from the shop. As we visited, sales were great and everyone was so cheerful.

After I got Katie a cold drink (and had one myself), I wandered around a bit, pleased at the variety of goods and services being offered and all the businesses being represented. This young mom posed in front of the tent from University of Oregon, my old alma mater.

I even got to pet Caesar, the No-Drama llama, who we’ve seen at other events. Caesar is a therapy animal who visits hospitals and other places where a calming influence is needed. He’s soft and fluffy and very popular.

I was starting to feel the heat, and headed back to the bus stop. There seemed to be a continual parade going on, full of happy, proud, rainbow-dressed people. It was a good day.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Dear Liza,

On Father’s Day it was hot! Auntie Bridgett and I needed to sell some books back to Powell’s, so we went early and spent the hottest part of the day indoors, reading, practicing French on Duolingo, and researching.

**Grandpa Nelson celebrating Father’s Day**

By about six it felt cool enough to enjoy a walk in Laurelhurst Park, so we all three put on sun hats, and sunglasses, and headed out. There was blinding sunshine in the western sky and ominous dark clouds to the east. We kept an eye on it.

The park was full of families and dogs, people in hammocks and on blankets, playing frisbee, guitars, even a fellow practicing his accordion by the pond. We sat down to listen and enjoy the sun on the water, when WHOOOSH! a wind came through and blew leaves, seeds, dust and even small branches past us at eye level.

The families packed up, called their dogs, making a small exodus out of the park. I took videos and photos. Grandpa Nelson and Auntie Bridgett just wanted to get home before the rain hit. On the way home, I noticed a big branch that had fallen across the road about a block from us. I went up to see, and met a lady who had come to see, too.

Turns out, the big branch was really several very long branches, and they had fallen across a REACHNOW car, a rental business like ZipCar. The lady, and some other folks who stopped to help and I, managed to lift the branches off and get them out of the road, without doing further damage to the car.

I got the business information from the sticker on the window and let them know they have a damaged car.

Once we got home, I settled in to watch the storm as it progressed. Listening to the thunder was wonderful! We even got to sit out on the balcony for a while, until the wind shifted and brought the rain straight at us.

By eight o’clock, when we were meeting Auntie Katie for a post-Pride Day Father’s Day drink, the storm had passed and the sunset was pink and lovely.

Things are sure different around here.

Love,

Grandma Judy

Tag: Portland Pride

Sudden Storm