Thursday a.m. Drove first to post-office by airport, with Zeno & Tiger in tow (back seat of VW,) to send off a letter plus an evaluation of hospice services. Then set off to try to find a good walking spot.

We drove east on Airport Way, searching for a way to get over to Marine Drive, knowing that Marine is the closest road to the Columbia. We've been in Portland just over 5 months now, and the learning curve is still bumping along like a twisting, rocky little mountain path.

Went East aways before finding Marine, then started watching. Right away spotted a paved walking path, then watched for a place to park. That appeared at 138th and Marine. Parked the Beetle, leashed up the dogs, then over to the path, which led up behind an office park building to Marine. Trucks barrel along Marine--but it's pretty light traffic, so quickly over to the Columbia side of the road.

. . . he leads me beside the still waters.
(23rd Psalm)

The vista brought the words to mind like a cool, slightly chill mist. Up the river an island could be seen. Over it and accompanying low hills on either side, a pale yellow patch of sky drifted upward, among the overcast clouds. My path led to the East, towards this vista. It was an overcast morning. The dogs were pleasureably settling into their morning stroll, Zeno lagging a bit behind, Tiger pulling a little ahead, as usual. Soon I noticed, on the uphill side of the path ahead, a dark oblong shape, a round black shape at one end bobbed a bit. I stopped to watch--some wildlife? Walking on, approaching, soon quite apparent that this was a person, the bobbing shape a curly black haired head. Right away the thought--a homeless person? I approached and we exchanged greetings, smiling. He was fidgeting with a lighter, a few items spread around him.

On the river below, 12 geese arrayed themselves, paddling along. It had been a bit of a rough week. My thoughts were drifting off to an incident which had bubbled up among my pals. There was an issue regarding inclusion/exclusion of a group member. I found it overwhelming, and today my mood was still damped down due to my own over-reaction.

I started to hear a wh-wh-wh-wee-wee-wee-wee, mournfully rising a little and falling in tone, the sound of some bird ahead of us. The deep slate & quiet brown colors of the river reflected my mood. Soon a nest topping a phone poll on the other side of Marine came into view. My faulty vision could just detect a small shape at the top. A baby or a parent? The dogs were off-leash by now--Tiger having jerked me out of my reveries early in the walk with her untameable urge to hunt. She bounced all over the dry yellow grass in her gazelle like Basenji way.