Stormy winter winds and soaking heavy rains hit us hard this weekend. I loved them.
We had planned to drive up to SE Portland Saturday, but my husband and I both woke up feeling less than adventurous. Having promised Thor a day in Portland, we rallied as best we could and, though we didn't do what we had originally planned, ended up having an unexpectedly dreamy day at Washington Park. I've taken Thor to the Zoo and Children's Museum several times but haven't been to the Rose Garden or Japanese Garden for years. (I still half expect to see OMSI, its blue and green geodesic dome that was the planetarium, and that big old airplane up there, just like it was when I was little. Sigh.)
The Rose Garden was very rainy and magically misty. We saw a few other people, but for the most part we had this beautiful place to ourselves. Hellebores were the only blooms we saw, but the lack of flowers didn't bother us at all. Besides the gorgeous trees, shrubs, and vines dripping silvery raindrops, not to mention the beautiful brick and stonework, there were buds everywhere and little bits of bright spring green starting to show here and there. Just enough to feed our wintered souls.