Macleay Park

Lower Macleay Park in Portland is, on the map, a little hook of forest parkland on the southeast edge of Forest Park. For those of us who live in the Pearl District, it is the most convenient walkable entrance to Forest Park, with access to old growth forest and Balch Creek.

Forest Park Greenery

Portland's Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States, was particularly verdant when we walked a couple of weeks ago.

Signs of the Times

In the Pearl District neighborhood of Portland, windows belonging to trendy shops.

Black Lives Matter Postings

I was walking along NW 23rd Street in Portland a few days ago, and came upon this striking collection of simple black and white drawings, stapled two to a telephone pole, of young black people recently killed by police. It's not just George Floyd and Breanna Taylor - one tends to forget how many there have been.

More Murals

Three updated murals on the walls of the building in Portland's Pearl District that I featured on my blog a few days ago.

Reopening the Portland Japanese Garden (3)

Five final photos from the June 10 reopening. But there will certainly be more as we revisit.

Reopening the Portland Japanese Garden (2)

Five more photos from the June 10 reopening.

Reopening the Portland Japanese Garden

I think that the two best things about Portland are Powell's City of Books and the Portland Japanese Garden. (A close third would be Forest Park.) The Japanese Garden, like nearly all public spaces, had been closed for several months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, though it was well-maintained in the interim, and it was finally reopened on June 10. Entry is by appointment only, and on the first day only members could get appointments. Fortunately, my wife and I are members, so we leapt at the opportunity to visit one of our favorite places. (And it's a good walk from our home.) Fortunately also, it was a good day for photography - dry, comfortable temperature, and overcast, so no difficult contrasts.

I'll be posting photos from our visit for the next three days. Enjoy!

Pearl District Murals (3)

The Low Brow Lounge has taken advantage of its protective boarding-up in an appropriately stylish way.

Pearl District Murals (2)

All of these, and more to come, are on the same half-block building in Portland. The one on top (a detail was shown yesterday) has a mysterious feeling of receding secret writing in some ancient script.