Summer Solstice – Dear Liza

Summer Solstice at Crystal Springs

Dear Liza,

Wednesday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. It was also a warm, lovely day. One of our favorite places, the Crystal Spring Rhododendron Garden, was offering late hours and bluegrass music. We’d be fools not to go!

Since the garden’s parking lot is tiny, we took the bus down. It was a two bus trip, the 75 to the 19. But it only took about a half hour, and saved a lot of stress. Once we got to the garden, we saw that the fountain was celebrating Pride. Look at that rainbow!

A bluegrass duo called Whiskey Deaf were playing to a good sized crowd on the lawn. The crowd was the usual Portland collection of people, dogs, kids, and picnics. It was delightful.

I loved letting my mind wander to the way the light was changing as the sun neared the horizon, the tree tops were swaying, and the breeze was ruffling the bushes.

As we walked out of the gardens, the sun was making magic over the lake and through the trees and the world felt peaceful.

And as we waited for the bus, a silver slipper of moon rose to sit with Venus among the pine branches.

Life is good.

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