Summer in Portland, Pioneer Square

We are lucky to be living in Portland, Oregon.
There is no better place to be in the summer if you are living in a U.S. city, in my humble opinion. The disgusting summer weather and high saturation of seasonal allergens drove us out of Washington, D.C. and eliminated the east coast for consideration when when we were plotting a move to rebalance our lives, back in 1991. The sprawl in California (and fear of "the big one") kept us from considering that state. Likewise Seattle. The high temperatures voided the Southwest and the months of lows did it for New England. OK, we have rain. But we don't have to shovel it or trudge through it and it gives us all that lovely greenery. For those of you in less clement climes, can you imagine summer nights sitting outside with coolness on your skin, clear nasal passages, and no need for mosquito netting? And then there is the produce -- sweet strawberries, succulent cherries, syrupy marionberries, juicy peaches and smooth tasting fruit of the vine for any occasion. They go so nicely with our organic local meats, cheeses and fish. We plan to enjoy much of what I have described in our outing to hear Amadou and Miriam at an outdoor picnic concert on the lawn at the Portland Zoo tomorrow night. We live in a cornucopia of delights.