Walkway from 800 Oregon Street

I like nature.  It is mostly green with splashes of color and makes me feel like a child full of wonder and delight.  Other people like it, too. 

Those that don’t notice the wonder of nature need to slow down from time to time so they can sop it up and drink it in.

Across the street from a state building at 800 Oregon Street is a walkway with tall green trees, short green trees, paths that parallel the main walkway (that no one walks on), bushes, ferns, ground cover, chipped bark, and more green.

Little places like this dot Portland.

Like I’ve said, I go on walks through the Lloyd District.  Once, when I went to this walkway – it was a weekend.  Deserted.  It was also the first entirely sunny day after school let out (and the weekend), so maybe folks were barbecuing.  I hope so.

Certainly, no one was working.

The other day I went to the walkway was Tuesday at lunchtime.  Workers streamed from 800 Oregon Street, crossed the street over the wide white painted lines of the crosswalk directly in front of the building, walked through the little green walkway on the asphalt sidewalk to the Farmer’s Market across the street and placed an order with whatever food vendor was present, then sat down to savor their meal.

Others stopped on the walkway.  I guess it is really a small park.

There are three covered areas to sit in the walkway.  All are large, the middle one is larger than the other two.  The support pillars are covered with green vines, thick, lots of green leaves.  There are benches, trash cans, and bicycle racks.  On days that it rains, those covers can be a refuge from getting wet and you can still see the beauty that surrounds you.

Red flowers, white and pink, provide color among the green ground cover, chipped bark, and huge urns.  I don’t know the names of everything, but I appreciate the efforts of the person who planted them.

In the middle of the walkway is a large wooden circle about ten feet in diameter.  It has slats or planks, about one and a half inches thick and six inches wide, on top of a short base.  What’s it for?  Musicians?

The security officers inside 800 Oregon Street must have had a moment.  See that old guy with beard and a cane?  Why’s he taking pictures of the cross walk?