IN THE CITY

 

 For OUR WORLD*, SIGNS SIGNS, and GOOD FENCES.  Thank you to the hosts.

 

Last week's post was about a country walk .  In contrast, here are a couple of recent City strolls.   We are fortunate to be able to do both while we're here in Oregon.     

 

 

 

A city fence surrounds this beautiful corner home a few blocks from our apartment.  If we walk in one direction from home we're in the center of downtown — the other directions take us into older residential neighborhoods.    We are lucky to still have some Autumn color, even after days of rain.  These pictures were taken last week.

 

 

 

 

 Same one from another angle.   I counted seven different colors of paint!   I remember the days of helping to paint our one-and-a-half story home here in Oregon (in our former life, before we sold out to travel full-time)…. that house had three colors and was hard enough to keep up.  I wouldn't want to help with this one.   It's a lot more fun to take pictures.

 

   

 

Another house in the neighborhood, not quite as grand, but the happy colors are a standout.     That's not a poster in the doorway window, but a reflection of trees from across the street.  I hoped that the homeowners had been outside at the right time to see the pretty picture at their doorway. 

 

 

 

This is Maude Kerns Art Center near the University of Oregon campus.   I walked there one day to see the Day of the Dead (Dia De Muertes) display before it closed on November 4.

 

 

This embroidered sign with the good advice  from George Bernard Shaw caught my eye.

      

 

 

 

A few of the altars on display.   Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration  that remembers and honors loved ones who have died, while at the same time re-affirming life.   

We learned about it when we spent some RV time in  Southwest states and Mexico.  At that time, this holiday hadn't yet made it to public awareness in our part of the Pacific Northwest, so it was all new to us.     In the ensuing years, the culture here in Eugene has become more diverse and enriched.  While these altars weren't as elaborate as some we've seen elsewhere,  it is a good start.   Here's a link to an NPR article explaining the meaning of the altars.  

 

 

 ** In real time, I'm trying to stay positive in light of the fact that Our World as we know it may end on Election Day tomorrow.

 

Not my bike, not my unicorn,  not my sign.   But I  kind of wish they were.  

(Bike and sign seen parked in front of the Eugene Library.)

 

 

  I hope I will still be able to post something positive next week.