I’m not exactly sure – I think it is the second week of April…
We are lucky to be just sheltering in place, only venturing out for walks, weekly grocery replenishing, and the occasional medical appointment. So far we are healthy and doing our part by staying home.
I made masks for family and friends.
I am enjoying meeting my knitting group via the internet, and making progress on a shawl for my daughter.
Which Came First shawl, pattern by Cheri Clark, Malabrigo Mechita, Piedras colorway.
We are busy with home projects, both inside and out.
We made a nice dinner for the first night of passover, which we shared virtually with one of our sons.
I continue my usual neighborhood walks. We have had some amazingly beautiful spring days. Trees are blooming, leafing out, glowing in the sunshine!
Our crabapple tree has come into full bloom this week.
Earliest blooms
Looking out from the upstairs window
Queen Catherine has come out of retirement to show solidarity with the neighborhood!
We walked to a farther distant park in town to make up for not being able to take our usual hike of the week in wilder surroundings just now.
Mt Tabor Park, Portland, 4/9/2020
Mt Tabor is a relict 300,000 year old cinder cone, over 600 feet high, that is a popular park on the east side of Portland. It is about 3.5 miles from our house, so by the time we walked up and around the reservoirs and to the top of the hill we had covered over 8 miles for the day, with a little bit of hill climbing.
Our route was through residential neighborhoods.
Native wildflowers, which I am so missing from our hikes, are blooming in front yards.
When we reached Mt Tabor Park, we continued uphill, past the reservoirs and through the woods to the top. No cars are allowed on the roads, and trails are wide, so we were easily able to keep our distance from other people.
We found a bench to eat lunch with a westward view toward downtown Portland.
After lunch, we walked down past the amphitheater where the excavated hillside reveals the volcanic structure of Mt Tabor.
On our walk to and from Mt Tabor we saw encouraging signs of pandemic solidarity throughout the neighborhoods…
We saw a tribute to John Prine – sadly, one of the coronavirus victims this week.
More words of encouragement! One of my knit group members shared a photo of this plaque from the FDR Monument in Washington DC…a message of hope and guidance that applies to our times as well.
Margaret Quilts 