While everyone was still in recovery, or fervidly shopping their hearts out on Black Friday, we made a little visit to Portland's Rose Garden. Unaware that the roses had been snipped, as a natural part of good grounds-keeping this late Autumn, I had my heart set on capturing a spiritual moment - raindrops on roses. Yes, it was raining, but only lightly and not enough to keep a decent Portland resident inside that day. Thankfully we knew to wear our boots. And, thankfully, some late season roses were still left, and had even begun to bud all over again!

---

The view as you are leaving the parking lot, along the walk, at the top of the stairs, leading down into the Garden is superb, but today it was cloudy, otherwise a person could see Mt. Hood from there...I see someone is already down there, equipped with their umbrella and camera, taking portraits on the concrete slab in the center of the amphitheater (photo center). Such a classic view, too. And my heart sighs relief at the sight of it, knowing I will find many treasures in Garden today.

Surprise! - There IS a rose left! And, even if it is wilted a little, it is still gorgeous. This is one of my favorite photos because you can see the surrounding buds, out of focus in the background. Some petals have even fallen onto the cold, wet bed. A great photo capture of the season's end. Even the raindrops on the tops of the green leaves are appealing. Haha, the kiddo was way too distracted that day, by the overabundance of mud puddles, to try and photo-bomb my rose pictures this time around!

Dormant Garden - I imagine I am entering the "Secret Garden", a garden that, upon first discovery, lies dormant. You can see that the fog has settled all the way down into the treetop. It was very quiet and mystique as we first entered. And all very well kept, and ready to pass through the Winter. Seems the wild bush roses were left untrimmed.

Rows of Roses, Snipped - Such pretty little rows. And the mist is hanging about the treetops in this photo as well. Another tribute to the splendor of living at near sea level, only an hour off the Oregon coastline. The winter's are still green here because it hardly ever freezes. The first frost is still yet to come, even this late in November. And, though the garden is going dormant, life can still be found. Birds chirp and flit from tree to tree limb. Squirrels race across the ground. A bench offers its invite, cold and wet.

"Lips to Shame the Red, Red Rose" - Says Maleficent as she prepares to place a spell on Sleeping Beauty, aka Briar Rose, the beloved new Princess born that day. A classic fairy tale. A classic photo. Nothing speaks elegance more than a single, red rose. How lucky I was to find this perfect bud of a rose. And SO RED too! The only touch-up I did to this photo was to sharpen it only 9%. That red is the original, full-bodied color. Truly amazing considering I only used my phone, a Samsung Galaxy SIII. And the clear snip from the groundskeepers cutters offers contrast, a reminder that life can continue. One last burst of buds this season.

Raindrops on Rosebuds - Heart Healing
Moss covers the rock wall, fascinating really. There are ferns planted along and in the wall, adding even more green to the surroundings. The bright green of the moss looks so soft and delightful to touch. You can see where the leafs and pine needles have fallen, a sign that the Garden is going to sleep. Little pockets gather, making wonderful nests of nutrients that will filter through the plants as more rain falls. I seriously took a lot of moss wall photos, because they are so neat.

A pause for the glory that is sucking your boots in mud. This act alone is enough food for the soul to fill a whole day. If I can do anything for my child it's this. Children are so pure of heart and body. I could tell that he was happy as I was to be there in the misty, rainy rose garden right then. Happy as ever!

Wilted but Beautiful - Raindrops enhance the last of this rose's beauty. Petals lain about the walk contrast the wet brick. Partially eaten away by a pest and a little worn, the color of this rose still takes the scene. Delightfully, my phone's auto-focus worked to my benefit that day. I really like what this photo has to say about itself; a definite story.

Perfect Pink Raindrops

Pink with Petal Falling

Last White Rose
The child has found the drain and is attempting to put rocks inside of it!! Haha! It is not working though. He is discovering this little life lesson, that rocks you put inside the culvert full of rushing water will come right back out with the cold, rushing water LOL! What a charmer though. I took so many pictures of him doing this...oh the magic! (Moms, don't get mad, get a photo!!) Thankfully he was rescued before he could get too soaked. And, thankfully, it wasn't too cold.

As I pull the kiddo away from the water pipe, we redirect our adventure towards the amphitheater, or the lower half of the Garden. This awning rests at the top of the steps. You can see a handful of blooms still stubbornly hanging on, spots of color against the cloudy Portland skies.

Amphitheater Rows - Moss skirts the rows, a bright green against the concrete. It blend the grass together. In the distance a person exits. A touch of fog and plenty of mud means that few people are here enjoying the scenery today. We continue down and around between two rows of established trees, towards the concrete slab that serves as a stage, set in the bottom center.

We passed these bush flowers that I want to call azaleas but probably aren't...There were blue ones mixed in with the pink. Blue must be a recessive color because it appeared almost rarely within the same bush. Delightful! It is here that we also found little birdies, running away from us as we came around the bend towards the bushes. No doubt they were pecking for worms in the soft trail dirt. I tried to take pictures of the tiny birds as they ran to hide underneath the tree boughs, but they were much too fast for me.

The Sign - As seen from the road. Next we discover the joys of multi-layered steps, including nifty inlaid stone benches. And then it's time for us to exit and call it a day. Thanks for sharing in this journey with me today. :-) Your vote matters!

A Bench in the Steps

---

Thanks for following @robyneggs