Delight in a Rose

I was in Portland today for an appointment with my "hairdresser" as my mother used to say. I arrived early and walked up hill through the neighborhood taking pictures.

On the way up I had passed a middle-aged man sitting in a small pickup listening to music. On my way back down the hill, he pulled up beside me and began screaming through his open passenger window, "What gives you the right to take pictures in this neighborhood?" "Who the f--k do you think you are?" He "screamed "Get that f-------g beret off your head! (I was wearing a beret). Take f------g that hat off!", he yelled along with other invectives used to demean women, as he followed me down the hill. When I pulled out my phone, he sped up still yelling and drove away.

When would-be leaders engage in hateful rhetoric, lowering the bar for what is considered acceptable discourse, it encourages the above kind of verbal attacks. 

One interesting note, the man had construction equipment in the back of his truck, and from the looks of him, I don't think he could have afforded to live in this westside neighborhood. 

It's important to take joy in moments that arise, and this rose is pure delight. The extra is view of Mt. Hood taken from this neighborhood.