It's Autumn in Portland and spectacular weather continues. Still no rain and only a few gray days but even on these the sun came out by late morning. From today's paper I learned that this has been the driest summer in almost 100 years so I have been swooning about something not quite normal. I remain delighted, however, because I know gray skies and drizzle are not far away.
My bus ride to my volunteer job at the down town library last Saturday was unusual - it was full, jammed full. I only got a seat because another white-haired woman moved over and pointed to a now empty seat next to her. People were standing in the aisles, chattering, laughing, almost boisterous. What was going on in downtown Portland? Still not sure. The marathon was coming - but on Sunday. Fashion Week has started but much of that is on Swann Island, to the north of the city. . . and I know, I know. After my ribbing of Portland Couture in an earlier blog entry how can a Fashion Week exist here? Well, there is a Portland style that is based on what I mocked but is much edgier with an interesting use of textiles and designs. It certainly is a "look" and, if you are like me and watch Project Runway, you know it probably includes more designers from Portland than any other similarly sized city. Who knew? Whatever was going on, down town Portland was one happening place as I walked up to Starbucks, grabbed a latte and made it to the library right when it opened at 10. Oh how very very Portland I have become.
I have taken the bus quite a bit in the past few weeks - extra slots of volunteering at the library and needing to get to my daughter's house while my car was at a garage. What makes it so easy is the app for my iPhone. I type in where I am/where I want to go and it quickly gives me 3 options with maps for each route showing all the stops. Each arrival is shown in real time (as opposed to scheduled time) and it tells me exactly how to get to the appropriate bus stop from where I am standing (how many yards to walk and in which direction). If there are any problems on a specific bus line that affects arrival time, the app lists them by stops. When I left the library at noon I saw that the next #33 bus was 6 minutes away (a 5 minute walk from the library) so was delighted that I was in my house by 12:25. So easy - no driving and no finding/paying for a parking space.
So Autumn is on its way. The leaves are in the beginning stages of turning yellow and red. Most Portlanders have added a light jacket but, interestingly, few hoodies are in sight. Just no need yet. Yesterday, while on the bus to Stephanie's house, a grocery bag carried by a young woman swung over onto me when the bus braked. She apologized for her errant potato chips and canned tomatoes. I laughed, dismissed it, and we started chatting. I commented on the beautiful weather. She smiled, paused and then said softly, "Yes, it is beautiful but I am missing our usual weather. I like scarves and hats and gloves. I can't wait to put them back on again." She is not the first to express this. Two book lovers at the library said similar things. I am not quite there yet but will hopefully be more accepting when the sun disappears.
5 Signs of Autumn
1. School busses are out and about. Love their very specific, immediately identifiable, intense color.
2. Some of the tables set up outside of restaurants have been removed and stored until next sumer. This was one of the biggest surprises when I returned from Africa. All these tables I had never seen before had suddenly sprouted up all over the city. Who knew that Portland would be full of outdoor seating for the glorious summer months?
3. It is getting dark earlier. Gone is dusk at 9 - now it's closer to 7 - and with the end of day light saving in sight, it will soon be 4:30 or 5.
4. Neighborhood gardens are going to seed - the veggies and summer flowers are either gone or are on their last legs. These have been a delight on neighborhood walks - in the spaces between the sidewalks and street or full-on blasts of color in front yards.
5. We had the annual neighborhood block party and it was much fun. The two ends of my street were blocked off by cones and neighbors placed several tables and lots of chairs in the middle (right in front of my house - so convenient). Those who lived on the west side brought desserts, those on the east brought side dishes. Barbecues were ready so we could toss on meat to cook. It was lots of fun. I met neighbors from the two far ends while gobs of neighborhood children ran up and down in ever changing groups. There are so many young ones on this block - I counted 14 under the age of 10. Most evenings, as I walk down the street, I find toy guns, laser light beams and plastic swords tossed on lawns waiting to be picked up the next time the posse passes.
So, all is well up here in my corner of the Northwest. It is supposed to finally rain this coming Saturday. My goodness. But, guess what? I'll be in Maui! Stephanie and Dan (and Wesley) invited me to join them for a week in heaven and I am looking forward to it. So, unlike the Portlanders I leave behind, I will get one additional week of sun with the added bonus of tropical breezes - and banana kahlua coladas. Can't wait.
My bus ride to my volunteer job at the down town library last Saturday was unusual - it was full, jammed full. I only got a seat because another white-haired woman moved over and pointed to a now empty seat next to her. People were standing in the aisles, chattering, laughing, almost boisterous. What was going on in downtown Portland? Still not sure. The marathon was coming - but on Sunday. Fashion Week has started but much of that is on Swann Island, to the north of the city. . . and I know, I know. After my ribbing of Portland Couture in an earlier blog entry how can a Fashion Week exist here? Well, there is a Portland style that is based on what I mocked but is much edgier with an interesting use of textiles and designs. It certainly is a "look" and, if you are like me and watch Project Runway, you know it probably includes more designers from Portland than any other similarly sized city. Who knew? Whatever was going on, down town Portland was one happening place as I walked up to Starbucks, grabbed a latte and made it to the library right when it opened at 10. Oh how very very Portland I have become.
I have taken the bus quite a bit in the past few weeks - extra slots of volunteering at the library and needing to get to my daughter's house while my car was at a garage. What makes it so easy is the app for my iPhone. I type in where I am/where I want to go and it quickly gives me 3 options with maps for each route showing all the stops. Each arrival is shown in real time (as opposed to scheduled time) and it tells me exactly how to get to the appropriate bus stop from where I am standing (how many yards to walk and in which direction). If there are any problems on a specific bus line that affects arrival time, the app lists them by stops. When I left the library at noon I saw that the next #33 bus was 6 minutes away (a 5 minute walk from the library) so was delighted that I was in my house by 12:25. So easy - no driving and no finding/paying for a parking space.
So Autumn is on its way. The leaves are in the beginning stages of turning yellow and red. Most Portlanders have added a light jacket but, interestingly, few hoodies are in sight. Just no need yet. Yesterday, while on the bus to Stephanie's house, a grocery bag carried by a young woman swung over onto me when the bus braked. She apologized for her errant potato chips and canned tomatoes. I laughed, dismissed it, and we started chatting. I commented on the beautiful weather. She smiled, paused and then said softly, "Yes, it is beautiful but I am missing our usual weather. I like scarves and hats and gloves. I can't wait to put them back on again." She is not the first to express this. Two book lovers at the library said similar things. I am not quite there yet but will hopefully be more accepting when the sun disappears.
5 Signs of Autumn
1. School busses are out and about. Love their very specific, immediately identifiable, intense color.
2. Some of the tables set up outside of restaurants have been removed and stored until next sumer. This was one of the biggest surprises when I returned from Africa. All these tables I had never seen before had suddenly sprouted up all over the city. Who knew that Portland would be full of outdoor seating for the glorious summer months?
3. It is getting dark earlier. Gone is dusk at 9 - now it's closer to 7 - and with the end of day light saving in sight, it will soon be 4:30 or 5.
4. Neighborhood gardens are going to seed - the veggies and summer flowers are either gone or are on their last legs. These have been a delight on neighborhood walks - in the spaces between the sidewalks and street or full-on blasts of color in front yards.
5. We had the annual neighborhood block party and it was much fun. The two ends of my street were blocked off by cones and neighbors placed several tables and lots of chairs in the middle (right in front of my house - so convenient). Those who lived on the west side brought desserts, those on the east brought side dishes. Barbecues were ready so we could toss on meat to cook. It was lots of fun. I met neighbors from the two far ends while gobs of neighborhood children ran up and down in ever changing groups. There are so many young ones on this block - I counted 14 under the age of 10. Most evenings, as I walk down the street, I find toy guns, laser light beams and plastic swords tossed on lawns waiting to be picked up the next time the posse passes.
So, all is well up here in my corner of the Northwest. It is supposed to finally rain this coming Saturday. My goodness. But, guess what? I'll be in Maui! Stephanie and Dan (and Wesley) invited me to join them for a week in heaven and I am looking forward to it. So, unlike the Portlanders I leave behind, I will get one additional week of sun with the added bonus of tropical breezes - and banana kahlua coladas. Can't wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment