Tag: Seasons changing in Portland

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

Seasons in the Garden

Dear Liza,

I’ve told you about the garden at Auntie Katie’s bookshop, Books with Pictures. It was created in the spring of 2022 by Katie and dozens of her friends out of an overgrown triangle just behind the shop.

A small backhoe, loads of topsoil and gravel, donated plants and months of faithful watering have created a wonderful oasis enjoyed by passers-by, Comic-con goers, readers, birds and bees.

And now this lovely spot is entering its second winter. The other evening, seeing it from the rooftop, I felt like a proud Garden Grandma. This little space has grown from dump to garden to welcoming haven, sunny in the daylight and glowing at night.

Once again, I am so grateful to be in a place where good people join together to make good things happen, and to be able to see them grow.

Love,

Grandma Judy

PS. Just to remind you, this is what it looked like this last July!