The Green Land of the Northwest

No, not Greenland...the large island off the northeast coast of North America. I'm referring to the amazing green-ness of Portland, Oregon. We're visiting here to attend the graduation of our daughter, Nurse Treat. Her dad always says, "She puts the "treat" in treatment." So, I'll call her Nurse Treat. She has worked very hard for two years to finish her BS, working full-time and going to school and this semester she has also had to do clinicals, which means on-the-job, following people around and watching them, taking notes, etc. etc. But still working full-time--she did clinicals in her "spare" time. Whew. So, it is a big, big deal. I salute her.

I'm enjoying the green. It has rained so much this year that Las Vegas, and the desert around it, is greener than you can imagine. But here...it is green--outrageously, fluorescently, and endlessly. As I flew up here, I watched out the window as we crossed over the Great Basin, so many shades of brown and beige. Then, we had clouds blocking the way, but as we came down under the clouds to land in Oregon---ZOWIE!! The GREEN!

We went to the rose gardens since the Rose Festival is this week. They are magnificent, and the area surrounding the gardens is a verdant wonderland. We went to a Chinese garden this morning. Serene, orderly, extremely lovely. Then, after a barbeque held in our daughter's honor by her friend and co-worker, we drove up the highway for a bit to see wild Oregon, Multnomah Falls. I've never driven in the Columbia Gorge, and this was about 20 miles up in the gorge. Oh My. Talk about green and, in vivid constrast to the rose gardens and the Chinese garden, it was wild. Again, green is everywhere, ferns, moss, leaves, vines. What a place.

Tomorrow I return to the desert. I still like it. It is spare and has a pleasing simpleness about it that is soothing and calming. However, when I need a change, I'll be on the plane back to Portland to soak, revel and loll in the lushness of the Green Land of the Northwest.