Would that the sky were true blue ...

In order to show the trees' true hue.

Still and all, I wanted to show you the contrast between the deep wine-colored tree on the left and the green one on the right. That's my bus peeking out of the wine-colored leaves. The little triangle is Portland Firefighters Park. Click on the link for more about the park and for a photo of the wine-colored tree in bloom. I'm waiting on West Burnside to catch that 15, on the way home from tour-guide volunteering at the PCPA.

Still another sign of spring

Portland firefighters clean up the Portland Firefighters Park. I took these photos Monday on the way home from work while riding the 18 bus. The small, triangular-shaped park is located on West Burnside and SW 18th as well as a little spur that might be SW 19th--I guess. I'll have to look sometime or other. The cherry tree has been beautiful.







Portland Firefighters Park (1927) is a memorial for David Campbell, Fire Chief 1893-1911, and other Portland courageous firefighters who died in the line of duty. The memorial is constructed of Caen stone, a light colored limestone imported from France. It was designed by Paul Cret of Philadelphia with Earnest F. Tucker of Portland. The bronze relief was sculpted by University of Oregon Artist Avard Fairbanks. (I don't show this part in the photo--I was on the bus taking them, so I couldn't get a good shot of it.)

The park surrounding the memorial was created in 1963 and 1964 by the Portland Chamber of Commerce with the assistance from a number of civic-minded businesses, the local labor unions, and the Oregon Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Here you see the brick gazebo that surrounds the fire bell known as The Messenger. Bronze and silver, it weighs 4200 pounds. Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1 built the gazebo as a charitable project. (More about the bell at some point when I can get a better photo and read the historical marker.)