4th of July in Portland

"Happy 4th" said the neighbours as they walked by during the day, some getting ready for barbeques and parties and others simply enjoying a sunny work-free day. There were flags flying from houses and stars and stripes balloons in front yards. Makes me reflect on Waitangi Day... I think Buddy Mikaere's challenge in the Herald earlier this year is timely. It is time for us to celebrate ourselves more in Aotearoa and to reclaim Waitangi Day as a celebratory day of our many histories. It could be a celebration of our potential, our aspirations and our future too. 

Anyway here, Dylan and I enjoyed a slow day of reading, chatting and dozing in the garden that has sprung from the efforts of  Depave. Only a few years ago this was a parking lot. Concrete. Now it is serenity. And productive too. Out front they keep miniature goats, as well as more gardens. It's ok in Portland to keep goats. In fact the local authority is almost lyrical in their support: "Once sequestered to the pastoral landscape, chickens (and bees and even goats) are coming home to roost in the city. In exchange for fresh eggs, honey or milk, urban animals can be rewarding and relatively easy to keep..." For the lived lowdown on goat rearing check out Kevilina's goat blog here. 

Then we headed into town for a blues festival on the banks of the Willamette River (entry $10 plus 2 cans of food each which has raised some extraordinary amount for the local foodbank over its 5 day existence) and some amazing fireworks that went on for half an hour as a huge yellow moon was rising. Wow!

cant upload video sorry :-(

Where we were sitting was on the site of a former freeway - taken out back in the 1970s I believe. At the same time, a number of other proposed freeways were also scrapped. This saved a number of older neighbourhoods and also kickstarted spending on other transportation projects, including the light rail (funded by the money originally earmarked for freeways). 

Some sections of the freeway were completed and one of these is on the opposite bank of the river from the festival site. On the 4th of July though, cars were stopped along it and crowds were squeezed under and around it too to watch the fireworks. People nearby were clearly moved by the experience. One woman said she couldn't imagine feeling more happy and the crowd chatter enroute to the bus was all abuzz about being the USA. "Don't you love America?" could be heard many times. Not something we feel or hear in NZ often, outside major sporting wins, I think. How do we get that sort of thing happening about us - as people and place? Hmmm...

Chaos ensued as we all tried to leave the park and turned to confusion as we tried to work out re-routed buses but we got there in the end with me not having a hope in keeping up with Dylan as he ran to a bus that had a driver on a mission to make up the 20 minutes she was running late... I got there though and she certainly made up that time on our journey 'home', with great hilarity amongst the passengers as she barely paused at stops before planting her foot again!! "Hold on. Tight!! "she called in her broad accent. And we did. 

Then, we walked through the distinctive smell of fireworks clouds for several blocks before falling into bed late. Sleep is good when the body is physically exhausted!

Denise