We just returned from the “Gramma and Grampa Tour, 2021.” And it was a doozy. We visited grandchildren in San Diego, then on to Portland, Ore., to see our other set.

As usual, I learned much.  

Flying into Denver to connect, we couldn’t find the mountains. Why? Smoke. Thick, thick smoke. I could smell it even though we were in the plane. Denver recently experienced the worst air quality of any major city in the world due to smoke from western wildfires. The air quality and visibility is still very poor.

I learned that helping take care of grandchildren is a lot of fun, but not as easy as it used to be 40 years ago. Whew. I got tired.

Next we flew to Portland. Remember Portland? The site of the riots, ransacking of businesses and general hooliganism. I was eager to observe.

The homeless are nestled everywhere; in side ditches just off the highway, in the parks, on the sidewalks, (in some areas), on baseball fields, on the banks of the river. Trash and litter are scattered where tenters have moved on. Garbage is piled high and spilling over in collection barrels. There is continual cleanup going on, but the great amount of refuse and discarded bicycles, pans, dishes, clothing, etc. must be overwhelming, and the problem doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

The homeless have pets. They also have children. All homeless are not mentally ill or lazy. Many are just homeless, and cannot pay their rent; often because of the shutdown of the many food and service industry jobs for so long. Some of the homeless have jobs, which is complicated. A tenter needs a car, transportation. Transportation is expensive. 

Food stamps are available. Most of the food stamp items need to be cooked. Cooking means fuel for the camp stoves, if one is fortunate to own a stove. The challenge of living is complex.

In spite of it all, Portland remains a city that is functioning due to the law-abiding citizenry. Sort of.

I learned briefly what limited funding of the police means “up to this point.” There are not enough police to enforce parking regulations. We parked in a large parking lot and paid nothing. Normal policing has been scaled back. Since the mayor bowed to the defunding policy, the city has witnessed a 2,000 percent increase in homicides.

We ate outside and inside. Outside dining has become the rage. And in many cases, little bowls of water are placed randomly on the floors outside, close to the tables. They are water bowls for dogs. I almost kicked one of the bowls. Later, I watched out for them.

There’s graffiti on bridges, walls, and overhangs. When business owners get sprayed, they paint over it, but are often resprayed again. 

I could see that Portland is a many-faceted city. It has beautiful homes, cultural events, an industrial economy, and neighborhoods with a lot of potential and activity. The rivers and the forests are beautiful as well.

But we “got some big problems here, boss.”

History repeats itself; circa 1960 Hippie revolution.

I learned that I am glad I live here.

Judi Tabler lives in Pawnee County and is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune. She can be reached at juditabler@gmail.com.