Seasonal

Summer at its Best! When: Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:30AM-5PM Where: Top Spur Hike Meet at: Gresham City Hall 1333 NW Eastman Pwy Gresham, OR Get Map!

This approximately three-mile out-and-back hike offers an opportunity to see acres of wildflowers on Bald Mountain, which is close to the southeast side of Mt. Hood. The first half-mile of the trail is steep and eroded, with many rocks and exposed roots. The remainder of the trail to the Mt. Hood viewpoint is less difficult. We will have a spectacular panoramic view of that side of Mt. Hood, including an interesting view of the Sandy Glacier. The Muddy Fork of the Sandy River flows past the base of Bald Mountain.

Hiking boots are required, and hiking poles are recommended. Since the weather may be hot in July, bring plenty of water, an energy snack and a lunch to eat along the trail.

• Round-trip travel: 80 miles
• Difficulty: Moderate/difficult
• Elevation gain: 400 feet
• Suggested donation per hiker: $8

A federal Senior Pass for each car and drivers willing to drive on gravel Forest Service roads will be needed. This hike takes us through the Mt. Hood wilderness. In wilderness areas, group size is limited to 12 people; therefore, we may have to divide up into more than one group, depending on the number of participants.

More Info
For more information about this hike please contact Ruth Cummings at 503-926-4840 or cummings0465@frontier.com.

Slabtown When: Thu Jul 23, 2015 6PM-8PM Meet: The Fields Park NW Overton St and 10th Ave Get Map! Cost: Free

Let's Go Walking!
Join us on another great Ten Toe Express walk throughout inner-city Portland sponsored by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The Ten Toe Express program is a series of guided walks held Thursdays @ 6PM and Saturdays @ 9AM from May 07th through September 19th 2015.

Each easy and informal Ten Toe Express walk explores the area neighborhood, architecture and unique history. Walk takes about 2 hours, cover 2-4 miles and are open to all ages and skill levels. Did we mention it's free!

Gresham Historical Society. Click to view.

Explore Gresham History When: Sat Jul 25, 2015 11AM-12:30PM Where: Meet at Gresham History Museum 410 N Main Av Downtown Gresham Get Map!

Join us for a guided walking tour of Historic Downtown Gresham. The tour leaves the museum at 11AM and weaves around the Historic Downtown area, covering about a mile and lasting around an hour-and-a-half. There is no charge for the tour (suggested donation $5.00-$10.00). Free parking is available in the lot behind the museum. Tours leave rain or shine, so if it's drizzly, grab an umbrella and come on down.

Please RSVP if you would like to attend the tour by no later than July 24 , 2015. RSVP by calling the museum at 503-661-0347 or emailing us at greshamhistorical@gmail.com to let us know you're coming!

Saturdays May thru October! When: Every Saturday, 8:30AM-2PM Where: NW Miller & Third St Historic Downtown Gresham, OR Get Map!

Fresh & Local
Shoppers will find all-natural meats and cheeses, fresh-picked produce, nursery stock and fresh-cut flowers, hand-crafted jewelry, soaps, artwork, and much more. Live music and food are always part of the market.

Located on Northwest Miller Avenue between Second and Third Street 8:30AM to 2PM each Saturday now through Oct. 25.

Located in the NE corner of the Gresham KMart parking lot bordered by Eastman Pky and NW Burnside Rd

Free Concerts on the Plaza When: Mon Jul 27, 2015 6:30-8PM Where: Arts Plaza 401 NE Second St Gresham, OR Get Map!

Performing tonight: Bluegrass music of Kathy Boyd and Phoenix Rising

Gresham’s Center for the Arts Foundation is pleased to present the six annual Music Mondays concert series. The series is presented on Monday evenings during July and August, and is supported by the City of Gresham Arts & Culture Grants and the Oregon Cultural Trust through the Multnomah County Arts Coalition. All Music Mondays concerts are free.

Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets and a picnic to enjoy a summer evening of live music.

Simply Gorgeous When: Tue Jul 28, 2015 8:30AM-5PM Where: Springbrook-Iron Mountain Loop Meet at: Gresham City Hall 1333 NW Eastman Pwy Gresham, OR Get Map!

This is a 3.4-mile hike that will take us through two parks just north of Lake Oswego. Springbrook Park and Iron Mountain Park preserve variable mixed woodlands that include Pacific madrone and Oregon white oak. We will connect the two parks using quiet neighborhood streets. The Iron Mountain Park trails are part of Lake Oswego’s new Iron Heritage Trail, and the area was the site of the Prosser Iron Mine. The trails are mostly flat and easy to walk except the area where we enter Iron Mountain Park, which is a series of narrow switchbacks that head down into a gully where the trail widens again as we begin a slow climb back up.

• Round-trip travel: 60 miles
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Elevation gain: 355 feet
• Suggested donation per hiker: $7

After the hike, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Bring an energy snack and water. Good walking shoes or hiking boots are recommended.

More Info
For more information about this hike please contact Doug or Dana Duval at 907-230-6543 or danakol24@aol.com.

As temperatures climb, Portlanders head outside – typically sporting a big grin -because the best season of the year is here. It’s finally summer in Portland!

This year, Clean Energy Works is sponsoring Portland Parks & Recreation's Summer Free For All: Movies in the Park, a beloved Portland tradition, bringing fun, free movies to the whole family. (Bring jackets and extra blankets - it can get chilly when the sun goes down!)

Snag a good spot at Portland parks all summer long for performances by local musicians, free popcorn, and great movies. Stop by the Clean Energy Works table to say hi. And learn how our nonprofit can help keep your home cool and your utility bills down this summer.

We’ll see you at the park!

*Pre-movie entertainment starts at 6:30PM, and movie begins at dusk.

2015 Portland Parks & Recreation Movies in the Park schedule here!

Dog Days of Summer:  July 3 - August 11

The “dog days of summer” occur during the hottest and muggiest part of summer.

Dog Days of Summer?  Click to enlarge

The dictionary defines “dog days” as: 1:  the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere 2:  a period of stagnation or inactivity

But where does the term come from? Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?” Here's the answer!

In ancient times, when the night sky was free from artificial lights people in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars. These star pictures are called constellations, and the constellations as we know them came from our European ancestors.

Ancient star gazer's saw images in the stars of bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins (Gemini), a bull (Taurus), and others objects, including dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor). (more below...)