Early spring is a weird time in Portland.
Technically, the majority of March is still a month of winter. And yet, two-thirds through the month, the spring equinox hits. Temperatures spike, the sun cleaves the clouds, and the sakura trees stake their sobriquet.
It doesn’t happen for long, but when their cherry blossoms bloom on the Willamette waterfront, and the sun breaks out, Portland dons its collective rose-tinted garbs and heads out to the Japanese American Historical Plaza for a day of false spring.
I told Cheshire that’s where I’d be on March 26 to enjoy the scenes and collect some photos for the Casual Camera for May. He too, wanted to go frolic under the blossoms, but said the waterfront would be too much. I can’t say I disagreed, but whatever, I thought. It can’t be that many people.
I was wrong.
The crowds were copious, voluminous, abundant, ample and alive with every synonym that could be found in a thesaurus. So much so that I had to refocus from wide shots of the sakura to zoom shots on the various fronds and blooms as they were.
Serendipity did favor me, however, as I ran into my friends Torii Gate and Mason Jar, hanging for a quick moment of flow arts before the crowds proved too much and we soon departed. As I left, I grabbed a photo of a local banjo player and also snagged some images of the Burnside Bridge and the Rose Garden from across the water that I liked.
I ended up liking all of these photos so much, I decided that they just needed to exist on my blog for everyone to see. They literally could not wait. Nor could my thoughts. So with apologies to my Patrons, I’ve released some exclusive gifs on the Patreon in place of the usual Casual Camera for May. Those are going to stay exclusive, so sign up for paid subscription to my Patreon and grab ya self some gifs and a sticker!
It’s important to me to understand why these cherry blossoms are here in Portland, specifically on the waterfront. Planted in remembrance of great horror, they are both garden and memorial to the concentration camps constructed during World War II for the purpose of detaining Japanese-Americans in fear that they might not be “American” enough, or hiding some secret loyalty to the Imperial Japanese government.
There are some great poems, or epitaphs, or just collection of words that litter the ground of the Plaza, so I made sure to capture my two favorites of the ones that struck me as most poignant. They take common refrain of “never again” to a new level.
I echo the sentiment, but I also wish to expand it; these trees are here as a reminder that even after great horror, or a long winter of dour faces and somber skies, the chance for something beautiful to grow remains. That a space can exist for both mourning and renewal.
All of these sentiments together mirror one of my favorite quotes from Albert Camus, “in the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
Cherry blossoms are everywhere now in the Portland metropolitan area. Perhaps to a level that we find benign but speaking volumes to the importance of branding when considering what is an invasive species and what is not. As far as I’m concerned, I love them and would have it no other way.
For Cheshire’s part, he headed over to the Nike headquarters, which also features its own collection of cherry blossoms and a massive Japanese-style garden with bamboo, water lilies and a sizable mini-lake.
I can attest to the beauty of this campus, by the way. As the child of Nike parents, images and moments and summer camps spent growing up on the campus litter my memory. The videos he took are something else. As were those of my other acquaintances in the flow arts community. But altogether, I think we all did a great service to what is a miracle of a time in Oregon.
The first breath of spring is a reminder of so many truths that it borders on cliché. Then again, I posit we only grow tired of cliché is because we know, deep down, they hold a seed of truth. One that threatens to bloom with the slightest hint of sun and warm rains.
I hope something more than just cherry blossoms blooms this spring.
As always, I want to thank my Patreon supporters, Jenny, Julie, Michael, Zero, Roshi and Doji for their continued support of my endeavors to write, create and be merry. If you would like to join the crew for a shoutout you can do so at the link below. As an added bonus, we got new stickers! Join today as a paid subscriber and snag yours, yeehaw!
The Casual Ramble 