#317 - Don't Like Closed Parks

​No Picnics

We've been in Oregon for 7 weeks. It's been cold and icy and rainy and snowy, much of the time.  

I haven't spent much time worrying over the fact that the picnic shelters and playgrounds are still closed due to Covid.

Closed Since the Ice Storm

This park is in walking distance of our Airbnb. The picnic shelter has been closed, but the hiking trails have been fun.

But 2 weeks ago, the park closed down after a huge ice storm. I need this park! It's been great for hikes, but I also like to walk here and chat with my dad on the phone and tell him about all the things I see and hear. Trails are closed.

Happy Valley Park

But today, the sun came out and the temps rose to 54 degrees!

Happy Valley Park was open and it was swarming with families!

The fencing (for Covid closure) that surrounded the playground was in the process of being removed. I've never seen so may happy kids, swinging and climbing and seesawing! About a quarter of the young kids were wearing masks. I'm glad my parenting days, never included mask enforcement.

New Parents

These parents were wearing masks. Hopefully Heidi and Jamie will never need to worry about masks with their kids in the future. Charlotte is 2 weeks old today and this was her first outing. 

What a perfect day to get out! But, after so much cautious isolation, it was sort of odd to be out in a busy park, sharing the path with bikes and scooters and other strollers.

Picnic

This was Charlotte's first picnic also. Although she didn't eat any of our smoked salmon or cheese.

Charlotte slept through our picnic.

She slept through photo-time!

I think she liked the sunshine, though.

Then it was time for Grammaloon to get in the photo. 3-generations!

Missing Moo and Daw!

​Oh how I wish my mom (Moo) and grandmother (Daw) were still here.

My mother inspired my love of picnics! Our little 4-generation group went on many picnics, back in St. Louis. How I wish Daw were here to grin and sigh the way she did when Heidi was a baby. She could also tell us a story or 2, about her own pandemic memories. She had the Spanish flu.

Cheers to the 5 generations. Cheers to picnics and babies. Cheers to sunny weather and things feeling more normal!