Today the Chinese celebrate New Year and usher in the Year of the Dog.

I went to Portland’s Chinese Garden last week to take stock of the preparations for the celebration. As always, it did not disappoint. An unusually sunny February day intensified the technicolor colors of the decorations, but also made for beautiful reflections in the pond.

Super-sized lotus blossoms and a happy dragon vied for attention; the few displays of dogs were small and hidden, but amusing.

An exhibit of Loren Nelson’s photographs of flowers was worth the visit alone. He is one of Portland’s preeminent photographers with no fear when it comes to contrast in his images.http://www.lorennelsonphoto.com/Artist.asp?ArtistID=46480&Akey=Q457TBG7

Here is a link to an article that explains what the Chinese New Year is all about and how it is celebrated both on the main land and in the diaspora. Photos alone are worth a look.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/chinese-new-year-2018-year-of-dog-february-zodiac-calendar-a8202216.html  

It’s a happy time.

I did not have to search far for dogs in Chinese art that matched the beauty of the day. The Metropolitan Museum has a timely exhibition for the Year of the Dog, displaying dog sculptures of which I chose the ones below.

https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/year-of-dog

Here are some of Saturday’s images of the seasonal beauty of the Chinese garden, regardless of holiday celebrations.

 

And then there is this:

May this be the year when this dog is chased out of sight and when these homeless, who congregate in Old Town around the Chinese Garden, find safety and permanent shelter.