There’s an old saying amongst Portlander’s that if you don’t like the weather in the Spring, you only need to wait ten minutes. The first day of summer isn’t until the 21st, so those of you Reedies who are spread across the continent and across the globe should be rest-assured that the City of Roses is still wringing out the last few rain clouds before breaking for blue skies.
I took this opportunity to get out from my desk and tromp through the Canyon taking pictures to share with you. I was immediately struck by two things:
First, that no matter how much time I spend in the Canyon I always find new places to get lost. It’s an invaluable treasure that we have a piece of wilderness big enough to allow us to forget we’re technically within the city limits. I generally fancy myself as having a good sense of direction, but there’s something about the way the trails fork and meander that I always seem to wind up somewhere I have never seen before. Added with the way the flaura and fauna are constantly reshaping and being reshaped, even familiar places can offer new beauty. But I will defer further discussion of stepping in the same river twice to you book-majors.
Secondly, I was woefully under-equipped. Don’t get me wrong; the DSLR is a wonderful device and the nicest camera I have ever touched. But it lacks the capacity to share my favorite parts of the Canyon in the rain. Such as the sounds; the pitter-pat of water on leaves, the calls of birds to their young, the angry squirrels offended by my trespass, the swelling tributaries emptying out. And of course the smells too. They float up with the water out of the saturating ground and flowers. They blend together in a rich earthy scent that makes it hard not to feel sorry for those who were stuck inside in labs and offices.
I took shelter under a tree during a particularly heavy period of the shower. I bemoaned how difficult it would be to relay to you how how wonderful this experience is. But I realized that in the autumn when everyone returns, the Canyon will still be there waiting for you to come and take a walk. And don’t worry if it’s sunny when you set out. You just have to wait ten minutes.
