Gardens after all.

[kyrielle]

The rain let up after a very soggy morning. Late afternoon was mixed cloudy and sun. So I went to the Gardens after all, and I took photos, and it was good. The sunset was not very showy. (The Gardens face east, not west: the sunset has to be good enough to color downtown to be really worth it. I have seen this effect, it does happen. But not tonight.) I had a good time anyway. I left work, got there early, walked around. Eventually I had no interest in walking and looking any more but still needed to wait for the sunset. So I sat down and read a book on architecture (computer programming sort, not buildings).

It provided me some amusement to sit reading that in the middle of the Gardens, but why not? :)

Comments

[canyoncat.livejournal.com]

Rain can actually be a nice way to see gardens... especially Japanese gardens. I remember walking through the grounds of the Imperial Palace during one rainy day in Tokyo and it was quite enjoyable. Certainly not the best day for photos but very relaxing and peaceful.

[kyrielle]

True! And most times I love to see the Gardens (and even photograph them - you can get some gorgeous macro shots) in the rain.

Not, however, on one of only a few days this year when it will be possible (due to operating hours and so on) to see a sunset from them....

Two days this month - yesterday and today - with the sunset about 20 minutes before the Gardens close; then daylight savings time hits and the sunsets are too late even for summer hours. At the end of September, 4 days in which the sunset will be 1 to 7 minutes before the Gardens close. Then the Gardens go to winter hours, and no more until next April.

The Gardens themselves are not particularly different in sunset light, because of where the trees are. But the city of Portland seen from the Gardens is, and the view from the Gardens is quite unlike the view from the Rose Gardens (which are below, public, and don't close at any particular hour, unlike the Japanese Garden).

Ah, well. I'm not sure if I'll go tonight, but I am guessing probably not. There's a limit to my interest in the attempt, even granted the rarity of chances for it. :)