Meditation

Sun after a morning of rain, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland, OR

Last fall, when I joined a friend on a trip to Portland, OR, we encountered the kind of cloudiness and rainfall that the Pacific Northwest is known for. So much of our time was spent if not with showers, then with mist and gray overcast. But while I am a fan of sunny weather, these rainy days reminded me of why I love the West so much. When I think of the West, the bulk of my associations come from sunny states, like New Mexico, Arizona, southern California, or Colorado. I imagine sun-bathed fields in the Rocky Mountains featuring dozens of blue columbine flowers in bloom. I imagine the giant magenta blooms of New Mexico cholla beneath an arid blue desert sky, or the bald, parched mountains surrounding Phoenix that look surreal under the sun. To visually enjoy the beauty of the West, the sun is helpful, spotlighting all the highlights. But during and after these rains in Portland, my friend and I were treated to the soft scent of pine, simply due to the sheer abundance of pine trees growing throughout the area. So, while the sun helps to showcase the visual beauty of the West, it is the rain that brings forth its variety of fresh scents. In New Mexico, it was the combination of pine and rain-soaked clay earth; in Phoenix, the scent of hard, wet, desert earth, plus the fresh scent of rosemary bushes that many Phoenicians grow on their lawns. And the scent of rosemary, with their impossibly soft, powder-blue blooms, is, for me, reminiscent of pine. The beauty of interconnection! Things seemingly disparate sometimes expose a level of commonality, when considered in a larger, more embracing view.    

Drop Dead Gorgeous!

Tie-Dye Vendor, Portland Saturday Market, Portland, OR

Look at this spiffy dresser! When I saw this in Portland last year, I couldn't resist taking its photograph. Having lived in the American Southwest, I have developed a fondness for all things Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Maybe not so much beauty encountered by happenstance as cool stuff encountered by chance. I also love tie-dyed shirts. When I was a kid, we used to tie-dye our own shirts. They never came out as spectacularly colorful and intricate as these, but there was something fun in the mystery of unfolding the shirt for the first time and seeing the resulting design. This photo was taken last October. Hence, all of the Halloween decorations. At one time, I made a tie-dyed shirt using the colors of orange, black, and brown. It was my all-time favorite tie-dyed shirt. Depending on my mood, I could call it either "autumnal" or just "Charlie Brown." It's a Great Pumpkin!

The Fantastical Elephant (Portland, Oregon)

Elephant Statue, Portland, Oregon

Last fall, when I visited Portland, Oregon, with a friend, I couldn't resist taking a photo of this very cool elephant statue. Actually, there are two elephants here, with the baby one riding the back of its parent. If you look closely, the trunk of the big elephant looks like the neck of a camel, so is this an elephant statue, or a camel statue, or both? The whole thing looks to me like an oversized yixing teapot, those whimsical teapots that come in a variety of fantastical shapes. I guess the closer we look at things, the more likely we will see room for multiple interpretations and possibilities. Why be so limited (and so limiting)?