Scratcher of heads, rubber of bellies
Young parents pull their child in a sled down the street while in the far distance a dog walker approaches from the sidewalk, all heading to Irving Park. I knew our black lab Ellie would love the snow but I was surprised to see even the small dogs were having a great time in the deep snow. I’m told we’re actually in the midst of a cruel heat wave, that the snow is not real but a distant memory surfaced, a hallucination brought about by what in the earth tongue you would call heat madness.
On a winter morning with everything covered in snow, red really stood out against white in both the doors of the Door of Hope church and a nearby stop sign.
Ellie and I weren’t the only ones out and about exploring the neighborhood as the snow continued to fall. They said we had a high of 94° today but I can’t see how when we’re having all this snow. Are they living in an alternate reality? I admit that driving to work today was as easy as if the roads were as clear as a summer’s day, but I put that down to my Subaru’s excellent all-wheel drive system. The house thermometer says 82° so it must still be stuck on Kelvin degrees. Which would be around -300° Fahrenheit, and I mean it’s cold but not that cold, but you can’t expect a household thermometer to be accurately calibrated for such cold temperatures. Brrrrr!
I’ve decided to drive the rest of the week. TriMet is warning of potentially long delays on the light rail as they have to run the trains slowly in the excessive heat. Excessive heat? What are they talking about? Look at these cross-country skiers in Irving Park! I was wearing multiple layers and thankful for it! Granted the thermostat said the house only cooled down to 77° overnight but I think it must have switched from Fahrenheit to Kelvin, it’s ccccooooollllddddd!
I had already taken Ellie back to the house and gone out again for pictures when I came across this couple navigating the slight uphill climb near the dog park in Irving Park. I was moving more quickly on my feet than they on their skis, but we were all enjoying the snow in our own way. Portland’s Irving Park is a multi-use park for a variety of outdoor activities, Ellie and I visit the dog park, but this unusual winter storm added cross-country skiing to the list.
An uncaring whiteness can’t obscure the message forever.
I don’t know why they’re saying we’re going to have a week of the hottest temperatures Portland has ever seen. It’s quite lovely outside, cold even, snow blankets the ground and (breaks down sobbing) …
Boo and I have to enjoy this snow at a distance. Though inches apart Boo was separated from the snow by many degrees as he enjoyed the start of a rare heavy snowstorm from the warmth of one of our picture windows. For me I went out into the snow the next morning when Ellie and I took our walk, but am now separated by time. I can but look back and try to remember the cold and the quiet as we are in the midst of a long dry and hot spell in summer, surely as close to the sun as Boo was to the snow, the snowy night but a distant memory.
Should I go inside?
Good advice.
There are a bunch of courtyard dwellings in our neighborhood that were apparently built in the heyday of the streetcar era. It’s interesting how they adapted as we gave our cities over to the automobile, Avon Manor (which I think was built in the late 1920’s) is fairly unique in having a central garage with a shared entrance that sits just below street level. I love the archway and the little bits of art, but it was especially beautiful on this snowy winter day.
Boolie 