Teusday, 8ish. Wet pavement and a slight mist of rain greet us this morning. I've got a rain jacket around my waist, just in case. I'm also bringing a small glass jar and a small pair of gardening shears zipped into my jacket. A group of us meets for spiritual sustainance this evening, and I intend to harvest some wildflowers for a bouquet or two. The dogs seem energized in the cool atmosphere.

As we walk west on Ainsworth, I think of what I learned yesterday about the Ailanthus tree. There's a huge, magnificent specimen of the tree, called "Tree of Heaven," latin name Ailanthus Altissima, about 6 blocks east of our house. Large clusters of pink tinged pale green seed pods float on abundant bunches of forest green leaves, and the tree must be 70 to 80 feet tall at least. What surprised me yesterday in my research, was finding that this arboreal beauty is on the Plant Conservation Alliance's "Least Wanted" list--an aggresive colonizer in ecologically disturbed urban areas. According to the Alliance's website, "Once established, it can quickly take over a site and form an impenetrable thicket." (Website: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/) Indeed, I quickly count 11 young trees sprouting up under the tall parent here. But who knows, I wonder to myself, could there be some benefit about this plant, of which we are unaware? The Plant Cons. Alliance site goes on to say "The root system is aggressive enough to cause damage to sewers and foundations." Hmmm, think I'll quickly dig up any Ailanthus found at my place!

We continue down Ainsworth. Just past 45th, the street starts to curve north, and soon there is a curving median between the street and an alley. Growing there are small blackberry shrubs, delicate blue bachelor buttons and wild sweet peas. I stop, pull out my shears, and start cutting a few wild flowers, dragging Tiger behind me. Poor Tiger is being pulled (her leash attaches to my waist) into the thorny low-lying blackberries, so I unbuckle the leash from around my waist and tell her to "stay!" trusting fate about as much as I do Tiger. I know she's safe, as the street is so quiet here. Soon we are back on our way to Fern Hill Park, and I've got a few flowers for my friends.

Crossing into Fernhill park, a couple of young men sitting there inform me that the restroom is next to the tennis courts, other side of the park. The off-leash area starts right there--Tiger and Zeno bound away, free of constraints. There is a black standard poodle who's been nicely trimmed, and drops his ball next to Tiger, who obligingly dashes around with it. When we bought our affordable house in the Cully neighborhood, little did we realize that we were buying only 14 short blocks from one of the largest off-leash areas in Portland! (Perhaps God was thinking of my pooches all along?) The sun comes out again, and colors of late summer brighten.