Springtime in Portland

Several weeks ago around the official beginning of spring, the weather got noticeably warmer and, in fact, began to feel like spring! Later of course, as never seems to fail, it got cold and rainy again, albeit warmer than the wint'ry weather from before and markedly NOT winter.

Anyway, now it is pretty warm and sunny often, and i've even felt hot a couple of times. When it rains, it's a gentle spring rain, soft on the nose and cool to the soul. This rain smells like spring. Here's to the seasons!

"Oh, goody! Spring!"


"Excuse me, please don't look while i adjust my baby straps..."


Unlike the Spanish heroes of Tom's childhood Down South, Up North we don't carve their names in dogwood, but rather our own; in the future, which is wide open.


Try as i might to stop my shadow from taking photographs of the explosively gorgeous flora, here he is snapping a shot of what appear to be purple tulips and those yellow thingies. While i neglected Wendy's lesson which says you can't stick shadows on with soap, Kirsten obviously took the hint and sewed her and Sierra's shadows on.


THIS dude has some seriously wild hair!


I love this shot because of the colors, especially the bright pink & lighter blossoms, and the new green of the leaves contrasted with the bluegray skysun.


The little people have tethered their horses to the city's steel rings, originally designed for equestrian use, including the occasional whiz-bang rich folks who could afford the advanced technology of a buggy.


Finally, fluffy clouds in sunshiny Portland (Does anyone know why all the elementary schools around here have huge chimneys? Old school ceramics kilns? Furnaces for incinerating homework? Heat? Kitchen?)