A Different Sort of a Garden

I met my friend Phil at the Hoyt Arboretum this morning for a walk. You might remember that we've been friends since I move to Portland, having worked at the same college and carpooling together for several years. Our friendship didn't even take a blink when I left the college and we still, now 16 years later, find the time to walk at least once a month if not more. 

We set out on a certain path but ended up nowhere near where we thought we were going and instead found ourselves at the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial which is actually located on the grounds of the Arboretum. I'd never really taken the time to walk through it. You can see one of the walls in my main blip which includes the names of the Oregonians who died in the war as well as some historical notations. It was very humbling and thought provoking. 

The garden itself is called the Solace Garden and really isn't a garden per se, but it's a very peaceful spot, particularly with the beauty of the autumnal foliage. We were grateful to have found ourselves there. Then we wandered back up through the Arboretum admiring the incredible colors of the fall.