Japanese Gardens and the International Rose Test Garden

Today we went back to the Japanese Gardens, this time to take a quieter and more leisurely walk through. The first challenge was finding a parking place. I ended up dropping off Ken and Annie. Chris and I drove around and finally found a place .2 mile up a hill (everything on the west side of Portland is on steep hills).

We also enjoyed visiting the extensive and beautiful Rose Test Gardens. Roses of every color, fragrance, size, and shape flourish in the moderate Portland climate. We also stopped in nearby Washington Park where we saw a statue of Sacajawea, near a memorial to Lewis and Clark. Nearby was the Holocaust Memorial commemorating the dead relatives of Oregon and Washington Holocaust survivors.

Today is Molly's 14th birthday, and we called and talked with her. She was looking forward to celebrating by going to a movie with a friend. Aunt Iris called, so we were able to wish her a happy birthday too. She is still quite sore from her fall six weeks ago, but says she has made lots of progress and that physical therapy is helping.

For supper Chris fixed pasta, spinach and mushroom salad, and sourdough with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The he and Annie took us to Tart Dessert Bar, where we had rich, delicious custard and peanut butter cookies. While we enjoyed our treats, we played Circus Flohcati.