in unsettled times
the path forward zigs and zags
to the still of spring
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I just returned from a stay at Summer Lake in Oregon where I saw lots of Black-necked Stilts, Himantopus mexicanus. Unlike other birds in the area, they are easy to identify.
They look stylish with their striking black and white markings and long, slim bill. Then you notice their legs. They’re so long in proportion to their bodies! In fact, only flamingos have longer legs. If that’s not enough to get your attention, the legs make a fashion statement with their bright rose-pink color.
So where can you find Black-necked Stilts? They live in wetland environments in parts of North, Central, and South America. In the continental United States, they are common along the coast of California, in interior parts of western states, along the Gulf of Mexico, and east to Florida.
Yes, you’ll see them in shallow water including in salt flats and pans, flooded lands near rivers and lakes, saltmarshes, swamps, and mudflats. However, you can also see them in human-created habitats like sewage ponds and rice fields. In some areas they actually prefer those sites.
Black-necked Stilts are often on the move. What are they eating? They feed on aquatic invertebrates, small crustaceans, amphibians, snails, and small fish.
Where do they nest? Stilts build nests on the ground and lay 2–5 eggs. Both sexes are active in incubation and chick-rearing.
To drive away predators, they sometimes gather together in a group and jump, hop, and flap their wings in a behavior referred to as “popcorning.” They’ll also pretend to have a broken wing and lure predators away, like killdeers. Predators include foxes, coyotes, feral cats, skunks, and gulls.
Are they doing okay? Populations of Black-necked Stilts have been stable overall in the continental U.S. They may be extending their range to the north, possibly because of climate change. Since they depend on the availability of wetland habitats, they’re vulnerable to habitat destruction, degradation, and pollution.
Weirdest fun fact: Black-necked Stilts and American Avocets, Recurvirostra americana, can hybridize and produce young. Birders have nicknamed these rare birds “avo-stilts.” Wow, I’d like to see one of those! 😀
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Subjects that begin with the letter B
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Old farm equipment that has seen better days
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On June 29, I traveled to Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon to go on a guided tour in search of Kiger mustangs. I’ve always been a fan of horses, but have wanted to see Kigers in the wild for many years.
Our guide, Tim O’Crowley, lives on a working cattle ranch, the Steens Mountain Guest Ranch, in Diamond, Oregon. On the day I rode, Tim had his grandson, Tye, and niece, Connie, helping on the ride. Visitors to the ranch can participate in four- or five-day cowboy experiences, one-day Kiger mustang experiences, or two- to four-hour horseback rides. For our ride, Tim’s wife, Susan, laid out a smorgasbord of snacks to fill our saddlebags with.
After getting acquainted with the horses we would ride that day, our group of six riders and three guides took a short drive to the Kiger Herd Management Area. My horse, Larry, had been captured many years ago in the area where we would be riding.
People travel from all over the world to see these horses, but almost everyone in our group was from Central Oregon. The exception was a woman from Boise, Idaho. She was 81 years old and probably the oldest participant to ever go on these trips.
So, what makes a Kiger mustang different from other wild horses? In 1971, Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act to protect wild horses and burros on public lands. In 1977, while gathering wild horses near Beaty’s Butte, Oregon, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse Specialist E. Ron Harding noticed an unusual type of horse in the herd. They had strikingly similar markings and conformation, reminiscent of Spanish horses brought to North America in the 1600s. At that time, it was widely assumed that descendants of those Spanish horses no longer existed.
Genetic testing confirmed that the horses gathered near Beaty’s Butte had Spanish markers for dun factor coloration and markings. The Kiger Mesteño Association notes these characteristics include dorsal stripes, jack stripes, zebra stripes on legs, arm bars, bicolored mane and tail, ears with dark outline and fawn colored interior, facial masks, and cobwebbing. Kiger mustangs stand 13 to 15 hands, smaller than most other breeds
Bicolored tails and faint zebra stripes on legs
The BLM separated the Kigers from the other horses and eventually moved them to two Herd Management Areas (HMA), Kiger HMA and Riddle Mountain HMA. In past years, the BLM auctioned off excess Kiger mustangs, but they have not gathered any since 2015.
Many of today’s Kiger mustangs can be traced back to a single stallion named Mesteño from the original herd. In 1992, Breyer used him as the model for one of their collections of model horses.
Another Kiger mustang, Donner, was the model for the 2002 animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and the 2017 Netflix series, Spirit Riding Free! The Kiger Mustang Ranch in Bend, Oregon, raised the colt. Both of its parents were Kiger mustangs. DreamWorks Animation, the future producer of the film and series, purchased him after months of negotiations. Donner, later renamed Spirit, turned 31 in May 2026.
Breyer Spirit model
I’m a big fan of horse characters in books, movies, and series but feel like I have a special connection with Spirit. I live in Bend, where the real-life horse was raised, and I live in the Cimarron City neighborhood, alluded to in the movie’s title.
After reading about the history of Kiger mustangs, I was eager to see them in the field. The riders in our group were advised to wear darker, muted colors so we would blend in with the environment when searching for mustangs.
As we rode along, I asked Connie if she had seen very many greys, often referred to as grullas. She helps at the ranch for a month in the summer. Connie said she had only seen five grullas. Brown-colored horses are much more common. Kiger mustang coat colors include dun, grulla, red dun, bay, black, and claybank.
Just by chance, the first Kiger we saw was a grulla. He was hanging out with a pronghorn. Why? We can’t say for sure, but pronghorn have remarkable vision, and these animals likely alert each other if they sense something nearby. This curious young stallion ended up following us for quite a while. You can see him on the left in the picture below.
Next, we saw a small group with two adults and a foal. Tim said it was only a few days old. After a brief break, we continued on our way.
Our next stop was the most exciting one. A herd of Kigers had collected near a large clearing. There were at least 75 Kigers in this group. We ate our lunch and took numerous pictures of the herd. They seemed unbothered by our presence, partly because we had horses with us.
Within this herd, we spotted two black stallions. Tim said they were not Kigers. In the photo below, in the group of three horses near the center of the picture, you can see how much taller the black horse is. These two horses either escaped from somewhere else, or someone dumped them here.
Though the BLM lists the current population at 51-82 horses on the 36,618-acre Kiger HMA, it’s likely much higher. Some estimate there are at least 200 there. The BLM lists the 28,000-acre Riddle Mountain HMA population at 33-56 horses. Since the horses like to rest under juniper trees, certain methods, like aerial surveys, may not be as effective at counting them.
We started riding at about 8:30 am and finished the ride at 2:30 pm. That was a long day in the saddle. Did you know you use eight muscle groups to horseback ride? By the end of the day, I was well aware of that fact. After stopping at Crane Hot Springs, going to the hot tub at my hotel, and taking a hot bath when I got home, I felt just fine. 😀
Tim helped make this one of the most memorable experiences of my life. His easygoing manner, knowledge of the environment, and gentle sense of humor made it a trip to remember. Once we got back to the ranch, Tim made delicious smoothies. It was a great way to end the day.
Steens Mountain Guest Ranch, Diamond, Oregon
This article will be featured in the July 2026 edition of High Desert Voices, the volunteer newsletter of the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon.
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Fan
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New life next door. Mule deer doe & fawn.
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This collection of Plateau flat bags with a heart theme was created by Native Americans of the Columbia River Plateau region. The display features “distinctive contour beading, used to create organic forms and imagery ranging from floral motifs to portraits, animals, birds, and idyllic depictions of native American Life.”
Arlene Schnitzer’s estate donated this Plateau flat bag collection to the Portland Art Museum in 2022.
I love beadwork. See my beadwork tag for more images of these utilitarian works of art.
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Before the fires
everyone is
alone
separated by
impassable fences
Wildfires charge in
homes torn
apart
trees aflame
barriers disintegrate
In the aftermath
helping hands
together
give hope
communities reborn
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If you’re looking for an early morning breakfast restaurant in Central Oregon, your choices are limited. Do you want a fancy meal or a homestyle one? Here’s my take on two breakfasts I had out recently.
Two weeks ago, I had breakfast at The Lemontree, in downtown Bend. I ordered the Amaretto French Toast. It included two thick slices of brioche bread from Big Ed’s bakery covered with fresh berries, slivered almonds, and berry coulis. It was nicely framed with slices of orange and kiwi and whipped cream topped with a sprig of mint. I thought it was excellent!
My companion ordered the Crab Cake Benedict. It included an English muffin topped with their “award-winning” crab cakes, poached eggs, and a citrus brown butter hollandaise sauce. A violet flower, sprigs of parsley, and small tomatoes garnished the meal. Though well-presented, my companion didn’t think it was flavorful
A week ago, I visited One Street Down Cafe in Redmond, Oregon. I ordered the Stuffed French Toast, and my companion ordered two fried eggs and a half order of Biscuits and Gravy.
The French toast included four pieces of bread with mascarpone, Black Forest ham, and blueberry ginger jam. Its presentation made a statement, but not necessarily one I wanted to hear. I ended up disassembling the dish and only eating part of it. I pulled out the thin slices of ham and saved them for my dogs. Shhh! Don’t tell my vet. 😉
You’ll notice I’m not posting a separate picture of the biscuits and gravy and fried eggs. You can see those dishes in the background below. That monotone-colored meal was not very photogenic. However, my companion thought it was one of the best meals he’s eaten recently.
When we ate these two breakfasts at local restaurants, the person who was dissatisfied with their meal thought it “lacked something.” At the first restaurant, my companion thought the eggs Benedict lacked flavor. He thought the dishes there were too “frou-frou.” At the second restaurant, I thought the French toast bread lacked flavor, and I didn’t like the inclusion of the ham slices. However, we both thought the meals that we liked at each restaurant were exceptionally good. So, when someone recommends a restaurant to you, consider what their personal tastes might be.
More signs from former times at the National Neon Sign Museum in The Dalles, Oregon
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Here is an infrared photograph of the road to Frenchglen, Oregon. This road travels around the south end of Steens Mountain before dropping into the basin containing the Alvord Desert. This area is part of the Basin and Range Province.
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At Portland International Airport, PDX, there have been some big changes. The years-long main terminal redevelopment is currently in its final phase.
The 9-acre timber roof makes the terminal stand out as an architectural wonder. Timber for the structure came from local sources, including small family-owned lots and tribal lands. The timber was harvested within 300 miles of the airport. PDX received the Best Design in North America award in 2025.
One thing I like most about the renovated PDX is the abundance of live plants. The design includes 72 mature trees and 5,000 other plants. The wooden beams bring warmth; the plants bring a sense of calm to stressed-out travelers.
It’s a great atmosphere to take a leisurely stroll through. When you’re wandering around the terminal, you might want to visit one of the airport’s 24 stores or 34 restaurants.
The redevelopment includes beautiful elements, but it also includes practical ones.
The budget for this project was $2.15 billion. Yes, that’s with a ‘b’, not an ‘m’. The redevelopment will help accommodate the millions of customers expected to use the facility, but it will also include a nod to its past.
In 2015, the airport’s special projects division announced it would replace the carpet. The iconic carpet, designed by a local architectural firm, was installed in 1988. There was such a public outcry against the planned removal of the carpet that the airport revised its plans.
To help heal the wounds inflicted during the Great PDX Carpet Replacement Tragedy, PDX will install a newly manufactured version of the beloved carpet in ten locations. You can use the map on this site to find them when you visit the airport. Yeah, really! 😀
What happened to the old, worn-out carpet? Four area businesses won contracts to remove it. When one announced they would sell framed one-foot squares and two-by-three-foot floor mats, “the cars were lined up all the way down the street.” Other businesses sold luggage tags, coasters, magazine racks, sling-back chairs, and ottomans made from the remnants. There is a reason for the well-known slogan, “Keep Portland Weird.”
Now you may have a better understanding of why PDX is often on various best airport lists. They’ve put a lot of time into making the airport beautiful, safe, and energy efficient, but also considered the voice of the people.
After viewing all the architectural wonders at PDX over your head and below your feet, Mother Nature will show you a few of her wonders once you are airborne. Mt. Hood is a short distance from the airport and I can’t help but smile every time I fly over it.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Looking back at challenge #1: Wonder
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge (WPWC) – Leisurely
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On 3 July 2026, I was notified that this post was selected for Freshly Pressed recognition. WordPress.com reviews posts by creators from around the world and showcases editors’ picks and community favorites on this site.
If you’re traveling east of Bend in Oregon along Highway 20, there aren’t many places to stop to get a bite to eat. About half-way to Burns, you’ll see Hampton Station. This business is a combination cafe, gift shop, and gas station. We stopped there after collecting obsidian at nearby Glass Buttes.
The food they serve is simple and delicious. Hampton Station serves breakfast burritos, burgers, sandwiches, ice cream sundaes, cinnamon rolls, and other sweet treats. When we arrived, they had just pulled freshly baked molasses cookies out of the oven.
I had a turkey, bacon, and avocado toasted sandwich. It also included provolone cheese, red onion, and lettuce. For the side, I ordered a salad with a mustard vinaigrette dressing. The sandwich and salad were very good.
My companion had a burger with bacon with a side of chips. He also ordered a root beer float. The burger was flavorful and well-cooked.
The last time I stopped at Hampton Station was about ten years ago. A new owner took over the business in November 2022. The interior has been updated, and it’s clean and cozy.
Outside, the building has an Old West style. It looks like it hasn’t changed in a hundred years.
If you are looking for a good place to take a little break on the long, straight drive across Oregon’s High Desert, consider stopping at Hampton Station. It’s located 63 miles east of Bend and 68 miles west of Burns. On the day we visited, it opened at 10:30 am.
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Where buffalo roam, Custer State Park, South Dakota
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I saw this northern scorpion, Paruroctonus boreus, in my laundry room a couple of days ago. I was barefoot and almost stepped on it. Fortunately, the sting of this species is not as bad as some of those residing in other parts of the world. A sting from a northern scorpion produces effects similar to a bee sting.
It looks kind of big and scary in this picture, right? In reality, it was only an inch long. I scooped it up with a paper towel and put it outside.
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Yesterday, I took an arrowhead representative of a point in time to an Archaeological Roadshow event in Bend, Oregon for a free evaluation. I found the arrowhead on our property northeast of Bend. This event is organized and hosted by Portland State University, the Deschutes Historical Society, and the Archaeology Society of Central Oregon.
The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is to focus on a subject and I chose to feature pictures of my arrowhead. Several guidelines were listed and it was suggested we pick two or three of them. Since I don’t always follow the rules, I decided to present examples of all of them. 😀
In the first photo, I zoomed in on the arrowhead that I had placed on one of my western juniper trees. I love the bark on these trees.
In the second photo, I used the leading lines created by a long-dead sagebrush shrub. Leading lines are not always straight.
The third photo shows an example of negative space. This is what the arrowhead looked like when I found it. It was like a piece that did not fit into the puzzle of sandy soil.
In the fourth photo, I used selective focus. I placed the arrowhead on its side on top of part of a thunderegg rock I collected north of Madras, Oregon.
In the fifth photo, I simplified the background. I placed the arrowhead on a piece of weathered wood in my yard.
In the last photo, I changed the placement of the subject. I stuck the arrowhead between the furrows of a juniper tree’s bark. You can see the slim profile of this arrowhead when viewed from this angle.
So what did the archaeologists at the event say about my arrowhead? They took several photos for their records and asked where I had collected it. They marveled at the craftmanship of this artifact. A master flintknapper created this arrowhead during a long ago point in time.
The archaeologists excitedly passed it from person to person working at the booth. One of them remarked the piece was “the cat’s meow.” That phrase means it’s excellent or outstanding.
Then came the most exciting part. They estimated this arrowhead’s age at 10,000 years. Wow!
There are several sites within an hour or so of my home where ancient artifacts have been found. At the Rimrock Draw Shelter site, the artifacts found so far are estimated to be 18,000 years old. That makes them some of the oldest found in North America.
For a quick summary of laws related to collecting on federal, state, and private lands, check out this page from the Oregon Archaeological Society.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Focus on the subject
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Today I’m sharing a drawing and photo of a palm tree. I saw this Chinese Windmill Palm, Trachycarpus fortunei, while visiting the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Oregon.
I did a quick pen and ink drawing of the tree as part of the Inktober challenge in 2024. The prompt that day was ‘exotic.’ I always associate palms with hot, humid climates, but these plants do well in much cooler places like western Orgon.
Chinese Windmill palms grow in a wide variety of habitats around the world. These graceful plants have been cultivated in Japan and China for thousands of years.
I wanted to share a drawing and photo of a palm tree because they have such interesting structures. I’d love to grow one where I live, but it probably wouldn’t tolerate our temperature extremes.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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Tipi at High Desert Museum (HDM) in Bend, Oregon
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waterfalls may be heavily veiled
or as light as lace
they may end in a rainbow
or split in indecision
waterfalls may cascade in bright sunlight
or meander their way through shadows
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Today I’m sharing photos of sculptures by artist Bue Kee at the Portland Art Museum in Oregon. When I saw 3 Birds from across the room, I assumed they were carved from wood but they’re actually sculpted from clay.
The 3 Birds were created between 1939 and 1940. The sculptures include an owl, goose, and pelican. I especially liked the pelican sculpture.
These sculptures were created during the Great Depression under one of the New Deal art programs. Almost 14,000 artists were hired by the federal government in 1933-34 under the Public Works of Art Program. Between 1933 and 1943, five programs provided much-needed employment for participants and left a lasting legacy of public artworks across the country.
The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is to show photographs with three subjects. I searched through my archives to find pictures I’d taken of the birds in the 3 Birds sculpture. All these photos were taken in Oregon.
The first picture shows a pair of Canada Geese keeping a watchful eye over their single gosling. I took this picture while out walking my dog along the Deschutes River in Bend.
The second picture shows a trio of Long-eared Owl owlets. These young birds were well-hidden in a thicket of willow at Summer Lake Wildlife Area.
The last photo shows three White Pelicans south of Burns. It almost looks like they are in a confrontation with the Double-Crested Cormorants, but they feed together regularly.
In this photo, I captured three additional species. You can spot an American Coot, Canvasback, and Ruddy Duck in the foreground.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – The rule of three
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Pretty rocks and fossils in Bend, Oregon
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Yesterday, I made a visit to Post, Oregon, one hour east of my house in Bend. Why drive there? Because Post claims to be at the geographic center of Oregon.
The Post General Store and Eatery includes a store, restaurant, and post office. In 1889, Post was named after Walter Post, their first postmaster. The outside of the building has a rustic Old West charm.
A view my drone above the store shows the rural nature of this country. On this visit to Post, the weather was nice and warm with a scattering of clouds.
Inside, they sell gifts, groceries, and lots of products with a “Post: Center of Oregon” theme. I bought a new green t-shirt for my collection.
The picture below shows the Post post office. Yes, it is small. There are only 48 mail boxes.
The store also has an eatery with a very limited menu. I ordered a meatloaf sandwich and I thought it was fine, but not the style I prefer. Post General Store & Eatery serves over a dozen kinds of milkshakes.
Is Post really located in the exact center of Oregon? There are multiple ways to determine the location of the center of a state. If you cut out a map of Oregon and balanced the rectangular-shaped state on the head of a pin, the real center is nearby. It’s on the Bonnieview Ranch, just north of Post.
You have to get permission from the landowner to view a small U. S. Geological Survey metal marker on the property. Over the years, people have assumed it marks the center of the state. However, these benchmarks were historically used to help surveyors create maps, not to mark geographical features. This marker, installed in 1903, indicates the site’s elevation at 3,348 feet. Other markers include the latitude and longitude.
If you would like to own the land where the center of the state is located, the ranch is for sale for $20 million dollars. With 20% down, your payments will only be around $101,000 a month. The 18,700 acre Bonnieview Ranch includes several buildings including three homes, two cabins, and a bunkhouse. There are more than 50 springs and ponds, plus a 35-acre reservoir.
For this post I used my Samsung phone camera, my Canon pocket camera, and my DJI drone. To play up the history of this spot, I used cross processing photo effects and a border reminiscent of old printed photographs.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Stuck in place
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Purple & orange flower border near the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon
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Basket tray, Klamath, Late 19th Century
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green leaves unfold in dawn’s early light
reaching for the warmth of summer
heart-shaped, oval, linear,
thick, slender, feathery
bending and swaying
crooning ancient
melodies
until
dusk
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Choose a color
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Earlier this week, I saw this catch a wave cloud over my house. The curving shapes on the upper surface looked like a series of waves.
Here’s the catch a wave cloud from a little farther away. When I looked into what kind of cloud it was, I found out they’re referred to as Kelvin-Helmholtz or fluctus clouds.
These extremely rare clouds form when two overlapping layers of air move at different speeds. They’re more likely to occur on very windy days or on days with marked upward and downward air movement.
If you see Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds, take pictures right away. They are created during periods of instability and often last only a few minutes. Sometimes, they may last up to an hour.
These beautiful clouds may have been the inspiration for Vincent Van Gogh when he created his “The Starry Night” painting in 1889.
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Galley Bend is an Asian fusion restaurant that opened recently in Bend, Oregon. Two former flight attendants, Krid Sathirawongwan (Kris) and Sureeporn Tattumle (Kate), created this restaurant. They feature some of their favorite dishes from their past travels. Most of the food is Thai, but you’ll also find dishes with Indian, Korean, Chinese, and Malaysian influences.
The Korean Fried Chicken x Garlic Gochujang Sauce is my favorite dish. The chicken is coated in buttermilk and fried until golden, then glazed with a sweet, savory, and medium-spicy garlic gochujang sauce. This is a customer favorite and it is delicious! I was glad they provided wet wipes to wash your hands with because this is a very sticky dish. We ordered a side of kimchi for an additional charge and it complimented the crunchy chicken well.
Galley West offers appetizers including larb fries, crispy pork bellies, coconut shrimp, spring rolls, crispy tofu, and crispy clamari.
Galley West serves curries, rice plates, noodle plates, salads, and soups.
The Pad Thai features stir-fried rice noodles with egg, scallions, bean sauce, and pad Thai sauce with a garnish of lime, bean sprouts, peanuts, and dried chiles. I added chicken to mine. This classic version had a familiar taste.
Their Pineapple Fried Rice is often mentioned in online reviews. It includes scrambled eggs and fried rice with onion, tomato, and chunks of pineapple topped with cashew nuts and parsley. I added beef to mine. This dish also had a familiar taste.
We also tried the Fried Chive Cakes. These chewy garlic chive cakes are fried until crisp and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. This was an unfamiliar taste. I liked the crunchiness of the outside and the flavor of the dipping sauce.
I ordered the Red Curry, since it’s one of my favorite Thai dishes. Galley West mixes a rich Thai curry paste with red chilies, lemon grass, bamboo shoots, bell peppers, and coconut milk, topped with basil leaves. Most red curries I’ve ordered have a rich base that is so “heavy” I can’t finish a bowlful at one sitting. Galley Bend serves a lighter curry that is a nice change. I also liked the tangy taste of the lemon grass.
My dining companion ordered the Spaghetti Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles). This Thai style stir-fried spaghetti includes basil, bell peppers, and savory house sauce. It is a colorful dish with lots of different textures and flavors.
This restaurant offers soft drinks, beer, wine, cocktails, and mocktails.
On one visit, I ordered the Asahi Japanese Lager. This beer was light and refreshing.
On another visit, I ordered the Thai Iced Tea. I ordered it with coconut milk and it was yummy! 😀
The interior is decorated in a light, modern style. Unlike other industrial-style interiors in some of our local restaurants, you can actually carry on a conversation without yelling.
I also like their logo of a plane in flight. The food preparation area of an aircraft is called a galley, so this is a fitting name.
The owners of Galley Bend have connections with two other Bend restaurants. They learned some of their cooking techniques and management practices through Sathirawongwan, Jattalee (JJ) Chalernhinthong, of the Dear Mom Cafe, and Kwan Singhakahm, of the Yokocho Izakaya restaurant. Both are very good places to eat here in Bend. The owners of these three establishments once took a university class together in Bangkok. We’re lucky these friends brought their commitment to preparing meals well to Bend.
I’d also like to mention the staff working at Galley Bend. They go above and beyond in treating their customers well. You can tell they’ve worked in careers where hospitality is important.
Galley Bend is at 62080 Dean Swift Rd, Ste 100 on Bend’s east side. Their hours are Monday through Friday 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays, they’re open from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm and from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
This old hay cart is inside the P Ranch Long Barn at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. It’s over 100 years old.
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In our journey through life, layers of wisdom accumulate in us over the years and become a thing of beauty.
We fondly recall the delicate flowers of our youth,
but sometimes forgot about the tough times.
In those days, we tumbled aimlessly from one place to another,
searching for a soft spot to land.
In our journey through life, we eventually found our way past sharp obstacles
towards a long and fruitful ending.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Textures
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On April 26, we participated in the Bend Foodie Crawl 2026. At this event, you walk around to different locations in downtown Bend, Oregon and get small food and beverage samples. The number of participants is limited to help prevent overcrowding. The map for this year’s event is at the end of this post. Since not every place has a downtown location, samples are also offered at The Commons and at US Bank.
The Bend Foodie Crawl 2026 took place from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The after party at McMenamins restaurant went from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. It featured, desserts, drinks, raffles, and other entertainment.
I’ll start out this post with my favorites. Yoli serves modern and traditional Korean cuisine. They featured a Bulgogi Ssam with kimchi and banchan paired with a soju. This beautifully presented dish had great flavor. It was one of the spicier options of the day.
I’ve eaten at Yoli before and described a 5-course meal we had there in a previous post. It was delicious!
One of my other favorites was from Five Fusion | Sushi Bar. They served spicy hamachi with citrus and olive oil in a cute square cup. They called their drink a Good Neighbor. It included roku gin, blackberry infused St-Germain, blackberry gomme, blueberry, and lemon. It was flavorful and paired well with the hamachi.
Though I focused on the food, I liked checking out the interiors of some of our local restaurants while on the crawl. I liked the symmetry and colors of Five Fusion’s bar.
I also liked the food at El Sancho. They served beef barbacoa and pork carnitas tacos. The warm tortillas were filled with meat and garnished with cilantro, diced onions, salsa verde, and lime. They served a refreshing Sunriver Brewery beer with the tacos.
One of El Sancho’s restaurants burned down a couple of years ago but they rebuilt it. It’s a local favorite so we are glad to see its return.
Wonderland Chicken served a sample of their Nashville chicken with a side of pickle coleslaw. They let us know the chicken was level “0” on the hotness scale, with 7 as the hottest. I was glad about that because we ate there before and level 2 was too hot for me even though I like spicy food. I liked the tasty, crisp chicken and the extra pickle flavor in the slaw.
Roam is a Modern American restaurant in the Oxford Hotel, one of the more upscale hotels downtown. They served a mini elk sausage corndog with a mustard relish aioli. I was a little hesitant because elk can taste gamey, but this was good. The drink I had was a smoked honey bourbon sour.
Mother Shuckers served Willapa Bay oyster shooters with cocktail sauce, horseradish, and a wedge of lemon. The sample include a single fire cracker and a glass of Willamette Valley white wine. I admit, I prefer my oysters cooked, but I braved my aversion to the slightly slimy texture and ate the raw oysters. I still prefer them cooked. 😉
Mother Shuckers is one of my favorite Bend food trucks and I love their fish sandwiches. I usually include their lime cilantro slaw with my order.
J Dub is an American restaurant and bar downtown. They served a chicken lettuce wrap with diced chicken and garlic, peppers and onions garnished with an Asian peanut glaze. It was paired with Stafford bourbon. The wrap was fine, but I preferred the more flavorful one offered by Yoli.
Cascade Culinary students served a savory green garlic brisee tartlet paired with a sweet pistachio French macaron and a sparkling strawberry sangria. It was nice to see the tasty tartlets assembled right before your eyes. The macaron was flavored perfectly, but the sangria didn’t have much taste.
It was wonderful to see students from our local culinary program enthusiastically participating in this event.
Zydeco served Boudin balls paired with a Hurricane cocktail. The Boudin balls were okay. The drink was one of my favorites.
We go to Zydeco for special occasions and ate there last night in celebration of my sister’s birthday. Maybe I’ll write a post about their food in the near future.
The local Head Start Food Service also served food at this event. This organization serves food to our children in need. The grilled chicken was mixed with ancient grains, carrots and other veggies, and topped with a cherry. I thought they were trying to sneak in a lot of healthy food into this dish. I liked the unexpected inclusion of a cherry on top. They served a lemon spritzer with this dish.
Blissful Spoon is a gluten-free restaurant downtown. They served pita chips with a selection of dips including Moroccan hummus, zaalouk, and muhammara. It was paired with Monkey Bay sauvignon blanc. I thought this dish was just okay. Maybe it was partly due to the almost monochromatic presentation. I expect food to be a feast for the eyes and the palate at events like this.
I liked some of the bakery items I’ve tasted here in the past and also like their well-laid out interior design.
We went to the after party to check out some of the desserts. McMenamins, Bonta Gelato, Mom’s Kitchen, and Eberhard’s Dairy Products provided the food. Desserts included gelato, cheesecake, pecan bars, lemon bars, brownies, and ice cream. By the time we got there, I think my taste buds were dead but I liked the wide variety of sweet treats.
Here’s the map for the Bend Foodie Crawl 2026. I look forward to going to this event next year.
The money raised during the Foodie Crawl benefits NeighborImpact, a local nonprofit. This organization provides resources for finding food, housing, and paying bills. They also provide services for Head Start and Early Head Start for Central Oregon families. I give them a generous donation every year. Please consider donating to them here.
In case you want to see more, here’s my post about the Bend Foodie Crawl in 2025.
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Northern Paiute shelter & saying at the Oregon Trail History and Education Center, Glenns Ferry, Idaho
“In the beginning, the creator gave to every people a cup of clay, and from this cup they drank their life.” Northern Paiute saying
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The Star Catcher mural in downtown Portland, Oregon, was painted by Rustam Qbic in 2015. This mural depicts a person with a conch shell head catching stars in a net and using them to light a lantern and campfire.
Qbic’s art contains small details you may not notice at first. Did you see the magical window on the back of the person in the Star Catcher mural?
Rustam Qbic is a Russian street artist whose work can be seen in countries throughout the world. His murals, illustrations, and graphic art pieces are often inspired by literature and classic poetry of Eastern countries. Qbic’s murals include vibrant colors and whimsical elements.
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For this post, I’m showing several pictures with clouds as a major element. The Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week is to post quotes illustrated with your photos.
The first one shows a view of Red Canyon in Utah. The quote seemed to fit this picture perfectly.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
Edward Abbey
I took the next picture in my backyard in Bend. The nighttime rainbow magically appeared in this image taken with my phone.
There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.
George Carlin
I took this picture of a tree in my yard in winter. My juniper tree muse looks beautiful with a coating of snow.
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.
Alice Walker
The next picture was taken on the Oregon coast, south of Seaside. Misty clouds collect along the shoreline.
Change is the only constant. Learn to surf your life instead of planting your feet.
Amy Poehler
I took the next picture on top of Steens Mountain in Oregon. The yellow aspen leaves contrasted well with the blue skies and puffy white clouds.
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
George Eliot
I took the last picture from my house of a sliver of sunset in the final moments of a day. My drone captured great pictures of the setting sun and dark clouds over volcanoes in the Cascade Range.
A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.
Steve Martin
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Pick a favorite quote and illustrate it
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Today, I’m sharing a Wood Duck painting I created. I used acrylic paints on mixed media paper that is slightly grained.
Wood Ducks, Aix sponsa, are one of the most beautiful ducks in the world. They are colorful and have unique markings.
Wood Ducks look like someone couldn’t decide what they should include when they created them. They threw in multiple colors, dots, stripes, iridescence, and striking bill patterns. They’re like something out of fantasy novel.
When I created my Wood Duck painting, I used A LOT of colors. Here’s a picture of my palette and the paper l use to try out colors. I brushed iridescent gold over parts of the head, but it’s hard to see in a photograph.
For the duck, I used sharp lines of color with a little shading. For the water in the background, I took advantage of the paper’s watercolor characteristics. I did a wash of pale green and layered on darker green and patches of pale yellow. I hope it conveys the ever-changing appearance of water.
Before painting the background, I accidentally dropped my paintbrush loaded with black paint onto the unfinished painting. It left a black spot over the duck’s head. Oh no! 😮
I tried an ink eraser and an electric eraser. Nope, those didn’t work.
What did work was a small pumice file meant for fingernails. They work for several purposes, including cleaning stubborn stains in sinks and toilets. Fortunately, the file helped erase my paint mistake. 😁
If you use a pumice file on paintings, be extra careful. It will sand off part of the paper if you press down too hard.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
First Friday Art (FFA)
All my posts this week are related to water. Two show things in the water, and two show things on the water. I included a link to this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge in the two posts showing things on the water.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Looking back to #155 – On the water (LAPC)
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Two white sturgeon at the Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon
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These salt ponds viewed from above are in San Francisco Bay, California. When I flew into San Francisco, I wondered what these colorful ponds were and had to look it up.
Salt water is collected in a series of ponds and as it evaporates, it turns into a thick layer of crusty salt. Initially, the color is green or brown but it becomes more pink when the water evaporates. The last stage is called “pickle” brine.
Though most people call them salt ponds, they are called “crystallizer beds” by Cargill, Inc., who harvests the salt. The beds are rolled, graded, sloped, and compacted.
Historically, Native Americans collected salt in this area. During the Gold Rush era of the 1850s, demand increased dramatically. Before refrigeration became common, food was preserved in salt. Salt-making continues to this day. After 80 percent of San Francisco Bay marshes were lost to development, there was a shift towards habitat restoration. Restoring those marshlands is part of the largest project on the West Coast.
Windsurfing the Columbia River is a popular activity. On one of our visits to Hood River, Oregon, we happened to be there during a national Association of Wind Water Sports Industries (AWSI) event. In September, they host the AWSI Boards Sports Expo for their members.
You can see windsurfers and kiteboarders up close, and from farther away.
Why is windsurfing the Columbia River so popular? The Columbia Gorge is like a natural wind tunnel. It’s often referred to as the windsurfing capital of the world. Click here to see a map showing the numerous water sports launch sites along the Columbia.
When you’re there, you’ll get great views of the mountains surrounding the Columbia Gorge.
This photo was taken from the south shore of the Columbia.
You can see the Hood River bridge in the background.
If you drive over the bridge, you’ll get more views of windsurfers and kiteboarders. Note Mount Hood in the background.
I took this picture from the north shore.
One of the great things about this sport is that everyone can find a place to watch it from. 😀
Do you want to learn how to windsurf or kiteboard? There are several companies in and around Hood River that offer lessons.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Looking Back to #151 – On the Water
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Orchids as Art at the Exquisite Creatures Revealed exhibition at OMSI, Portland, Oregon in 2024
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The P Ranch Long Barn is at the south end of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. This historic barn was built in the early 1880s. The land was originally owned by L. C. Porter, but was later acquired by Peter French and Dr. Hugh Glenn.
French and Glenn ran the French-Glenn Livestock Company. Through legal and sometimes questionable tactics, they eventually owned the entire Blitzen Valley. After purchasing land in nearby valleys, the French-Glenn Livestock Company ran their 45,000 head of cattle on 150,000 to 200,000 acres.
This 150-by-50-foot barn was a place to store hay and shelter horses. Hay harvested during the growing season stored here was fed to cattle and horses during winter months. This practice was uncommon at the time.
Though Pete French had a limited education, he was an astute businessman. The French-Glenn Livestock Company “was considered one of the best run and most profitable in the Pacific Northwest.” However, French’s driven, domineering style made him unpopular with neighbors and settlers. French legally contested the construction of fences on open public lands. Ed Oliver, a local settler, disagreed strongly with French’s management practices. He shot French dead in the back of his head on December 26, 1897. Even though French and his ranch hands were unarmed, the jury acquitted Oliver on the grounds of self defense. There’s a reason it was referred to as the “Wild West.” 😉
In 1935, after passing through several hands, the P Ranch and other Blitzen Valley ranchlands were purchased by the federal government and integrated into the existing Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Habitat restoration after decades of agricultural alteration became a priority.
The P Ranch Long Barn is on the National Register of Historic Places. Two rows of juniper trunks support the pine-shingled roof. French shipped the lumber for the walls from 100 miles away by train.
The barn has been stabilized and restored over the years. When the barn was in danger of collapsing, heavy steel cables were attached to the ceiling beams to support the structure. Concrete pads installed under the support columns help protect them from high water levels. As you can see in my photos, the barn could use a new roof.
The pictures below show the hay wagon originally in use on the ranch. Since it was deteriorating because of the harsh weather conditions, it was moved inside the barn.
I visited the P Ranch Long Barn on tours during the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival in mid-April 2026. Birds in this area include Bullock’s Orioles, Cedar Waxwings, Western Tanagers, and Red-naped Sapsuckers. Just northeast of the barn, you’ll find “Bobolink Alley.” Breeding pairs live in a large meadow area from late May through July. Turkey Vultures often roost on the ranch’s lookout tower on summer evenings. There’s also a Bald Eagle nest just east of the turnoff for the ranch.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – History through the lens
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I saw this taxidermy mount of a bighorn sheep at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center in California. It was nice to get such a close view of this ram.
Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, live in parts of western North America. There are three subspecies. Males of the Rocky Mountain subspecies can weigh more than 500 pounds.
After the population declined dramatically between 1870 to 1950, bighorns were reintroduced in several places. Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Oregon was one of those locations. Here’s a herd I saw while living there.
If you’re lucky, you can also spot bighorn in Yellowstone National Park. I took this photo of two lambs and a ewe from hundreds of yards away through my spotting scope.
Bighorn sheep are doing well throughout most of their range. However, in some locations, including Hart Mountain, there have been significant declines. Research is underway to help preserve these impressive animals.
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Beyond the Edge was created by Coast Salish artist, Susan Point, in 2015. This piece was carved from red cedar and painted. It was inspired by spindle whorls Coast Salish women used to spin wool. It was on display at the Portland Art Museum, Oregon in February 2026.
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