This Salmon mural is at the Seattle Aquarium in Washington State. This piece is called Ocean Travelers.
The salmon mural was created by artists Ray Troll and Owen Oliver. Ray was friends with Coast Salish artist, Marvin E. Oliver. They had discussed creating a collaborative piece for many years. Though Marvin passed away in 2019, his son, Owen, helped fulfill that dream.
Café Yumm! is one of those restaurants where I always order the same thing. I LOVE their Original Yumm! Bowl. The one word I would use to describe it is “fresh.”
The Original Bowl includes Organic brown rice (or Thai jasmine rice), Organic black beans, Original Yumm! Sauce, and a spoonful of mild red salsa. The bowls are topped with shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, avocado slices, sliced black olives, a spoonful of sour cream, and a pinch of fresh cilantro leaves. I don’t usually add anything else to mine, but you can add chicken, tofu, nori, pepitas, slivered almonds, and Café Yumm! Crispy Noodles. You may choose to create a custom bowl.
Café Yumm’s! menu includes bowls, bentos, quesadillas, salads, soups, skewers, cookies, and drinks. If you like their sauces, dressings, and salsas, you can also purchase those in their restaurants.
There are two Café Yumms! in Bend, one in the Old Mill district on the westside, and one near the hospital on the eastside. They are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. Café Yumm! has restaurants in parts of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington State.
Foodie Friday
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These quirky sculptures are at Lassen RV Park Campground in McArthur, California. Their website describes the artwork as follows:
More than just a hub for relaxation and recreation, we’ve transformed our campground into a living canvas that celebrates the intertwining of art and the natural world.
The first collection shows painted wood creatures.
The second collection shows various mushroom sculptures.
There were also sculptures featuring recycled items.
To see photos of even more of their quirky sculptures and outdoor art, see this gallery.
I am calling this post “Before Edmonds Part 2.” I previously posted about another mural located in this same alleyway in downtown Edmonds, Washington.
These murals include amazing details, and they took 18 months to paint. The murals feature depictions of Indigenous people who lived here long before the city of Edmonds was created. For more details on these murals, read this article.
Monday Mural
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The Juniper Cookhouse, in Burns, Oregon, is well-known for its barbecued food. The first picture shows a Large Plate with chicken. It includes 8 ounces of meat, two sides, a dinner roll, and a side salad. The chicken has a subtle smoky taste and the baked beans and coleslaw were both delicious. The dinner roll had a light texture and a great taste. Sugared walnuts in the salad added a nice touch of sweetness.
I took the picture above while participating in the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival in 2023. This dish is still on their menu. There was enough food to last for a couple dinners.
I’ve had barbecue there several times, but had never had the breakfast. On our most recent trip, we ordered a couple breakfast meals. The first meal included your choice of ham, sausage, or bacon and hashbrowns with two eggs. The scrambled eggs had great flavor, enhanced with a grating of cheese. Shoestring hashbrowns were perfectly cooked. The thin-sliced ham had a great smoky flavor. The biscuit was light and fluffy and delicious.
The next picture shows biscuits, hashbrowns, and gravy topped with sausage and two eggs. Once again, everything was well-prepared and delicious.
Food to go
We ordered a cinnamon roll to go. Do you ever order cinnamon rolls that are so sweet you can barely eat them? You may even resort to scraping off thick layers of frosting. Sometimes, the inside dough is not cooked all the way through. That was not the case with the Juniper Cookhouse cinnamon roll we ordered. It was cooked throughout and had just the right amount of frosting. The texture of the roll was light and not too dry. Yum!
We also ordered meat by the pound to go. I had read several reviews that mentioned their tri-tip beef and ordered a pound. The thin-sliced smoked meat had great flavor! We also ordered a pound of the chicken. It came in large pieces, like in my first picture. When I got home, I shredded the meat and made a sandwich with some of their homemade barbecue sauce. It was pretty good.
Juniper Cookhouse location and hours
Juniper Cookhouse is at 540 Highway 20 in Burns, Oregon. For many years, it was in a small building next to a large tent with seating. Now their brick and mortar location is right next to the Best Western. They serve breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, wraps, salads, baked goods, and several sides. This family run business processes their own meats and creates wonderful baked goods. Juniper Cookhouse also offers catering services.
If you are considering stopping at Juniper Cookhouse, check their limited hours of operation. They are open on Tuesdays through Fridays from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. On the day we were there, we learned they were closed the day before because the women had traveled to California to fight wildfires.
Last week, we visited Oblivion Pour House in Bend, Oregon. I ordered the Smoked Baby Back Ribs. It included a half-rack of in-house smoked ribs, smashed potatoes with a cheesy sauce, and grilled broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and squash. I ate part of the large portion of food and took the rest home for two more meals. The ribs were tasty but weren’t the fall-off-the-bone type. The veggies were all good, especially the potatoes.
This entree includes a Caesar or house salad. I chose the house salad with a honey mustard dressing and it was delicious!
My dining companion ordered the Jambalaya Mac. Oblivion Pour House serves 11 kinds of mac and cheese. This dish includes sauteed chicken, Gulf shrimp, andouille, bacon, garlic, and tomato. The house-made 6-cheese cream reduction poblano-infused sauce covers the elbow macaroni. Green onions garnish this delicious dish. A heel of bread is served on the side.
We shared a piece of Key Lime pie for dessert. It was also good.
Their extensive menu includes salads, mac and cheese, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, tacos, and several entrees. Their drinks include Oblivion Brewing beer on tap, as well as several nonalcoholic drink options.
Previously known as the Pour House Grill, this restaurant underwent renovations and added ‘Oblivion’ to its name. Oblivion Brewing is one of many microbrews in Bend and they moved their tasting room to this location. The comfortable interior has several big-screen TVs playing various sports.
Oblivion Pour House Location and Hours
Oblivion Pour House is in the outlet mall at the south end of Bend. The address is 61276 S Hwy 97, Bend, OR 97702. They are open from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm Monday through Friday, from 9:30 am to 10:00 pm on Saturdays, and from 9:30 am to 9:00 pm on Sundays.
Here’s the High Desert Voices September 2025 newsletter for your reading pleasure. Lots of nice photos as well! This newsletter is published by and for volunteers at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. I’ve been working there as a volunteer since 2013.
Articles this month include one about the Welcome the Night evening event, one on the Forest at Night exhibition, and one on hiking the Soda Creek Trail, west of Bend. A calendar of upcoming events and exhibitions is on the last page.
Please enjoy the High Desert Voices September 2025 issue!
Here are a few pronghorn sketches I did while working on one of my books. I was going to include a pronghorn doe as a character, but decided to remove her from the manuscript. I already had a lot of animal characters. Don’t worry, she’ll show up in a future book or story.
I’m also including a photo of two pronghorn does in Yellowstone National Park. They are such graceful creatures.
If you want to learn more about pronghorns, check out one of my previous posts.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
I recently had this delicious tuna fish sandwich from the Bread and Bunny food truck in Bend, Oregon. This food truck is located in the Midtown Yacht Club pod in northeast Bend. No, you won’t see any yachts here since it’s in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The taphouse has a maritime theme and a good variety of beer and other beverages.
Why am I only showing half of the sandwich? Because it was a gigantic sandwich that I could barely get my mouth around. I saved half for another meal.
A large portion of tuna salad is wedged between slices of multigrain bread from the Sisters Bakery. Leaf lettuce from Boundless Farmstead is included seasonally. Slices of Tillamook Jack and Colby Jack cheese are also included. The thing that make the Farmhouse Tuna sandwich a little different from a traditional tuna sandwich, is that it includes coarsely grated carrots and sliced Granny Smith apples.
On the day I ordered, I also got a couple slices of fresh pineapple. I think chips are usually included.
If you’re in the mood for a delicious tuna fish sandwich, visit the Bread and Bunny at the Midtown Yacht Club. I admit, I always order the same sandwich at the Bread and Bunny. Their menu also includes Reubens, BLTAs, melts, steak, chicken, and a variety of gourmet meat sandwiches.
Location and Hours
The Midtown Yacht Club food truck pod is located at 1661 NE 4th Street in Bend. It’s open from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on Sunday from Thursday and from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. There are currently seven food trucks there.
Here are two photos of a Seattle waterfront mural that I took last May. The mural Three Animals was painted in 2024 by Victor Ash. It adorns a wall right next to light rail line.
The murals were painted in celebration of World Environment Day in a partnership with UNEP, United Nations.
In the first image, you can see iconic landmarks in the background. Close to the mural, you can spot the Seattle Great Wheel Ferris wheel. In the background, you’ll see Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park sports stadiums.
In the second photo, you get a great view of the Norwegian Bliss, a cruise ship that is part of Norwegian Cruise Lines.
I like the close up perspective of the animal’s heads in this Seattle waterfront mural. They must look amazing from the light rail!
You can find comfortable seating inside the water and out at Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. You also get some great views of the Portneuf Range mountains behind the pools.
See one of my previous posts about Lava Hot Springs for more details on this attraction. It was one of my favorite hot springs of several we visited last summer.
This sculpture of four lounging lions is at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. The ‘Lunch Break’ brown bronze sculptures were created by Jim Gion and put on display at the zoo in 2009.
On the day I was there, there weren’t many visitors because it was pouring down rain. On a more typical day, children would be having fun climbing all over the sculptures. See the video below.
I decided to post this today because I included posts with one, two, and three main subjects earlier this week. My photo shows four lions, but, as you can see in the video, there are two additional cubs.
Today I’m sharing Mount Rainier images in 3 ways. Mount Rainier is an iconic mountain, southeast of Seattle, Washington.
This active volcano reaches a height of 14, 410 feet at its peak. Native American tribes surrounding the mountain had 20 different names for it. One of them, *nə(xʷ)xʷak’ʷ, translates to “(sky) scraper.”
Here’s a quick pen and ink drawing I did of Mount Rainier. This is a very simple line drawing.
Next, I show a picture I took of the mountain while on a flight to Seattle from Bend. There were some great clouds and low-lying fog that day.
The last picture shows an embroidery I did of Mount Rainier while I was in college. Since I hadn’t done much embroidery when I created this, I used a running stitch for the whole piece. The stitch is simple, but this was a time-consuming, complex piece of work.
These Mount Rainier images portray the mountain in simple to more complex ways.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
On Thursday, we ate at Abe Capanna’s Neighborhood Pizzeria. They opened in Bend, Oregon on Friday, July 18th.
You can order 4-slice or 8-slice square pizzas here. Their Detroit-style pizzas have thick, delicious crusts. You can also get combos that include one or two pizza slices, a small Caesar salad, and a fountain drink. Besides pizza, they also serve a few appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and pasta dishes.
I had the Mr. White pizza. The toppings include ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, roasted garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil. I thought it tasted pretty good. I could taste the garlic, but it wasn’t overpowering. With its thick crust and rich ingredients, I could barely eat two of the four pieces.
My companion decided on a make-it-yourself option. He had pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, and extra cheese on his 4-piece pizza. He liked his pizza but probably won’t add extra cheese next time. Yes, it had a lot of sauce! Like me, he could only eat half of the pizza.
On another visit, we ordered two large pizzas since we had a buy one get one free coupon. We had A LOT of leftovers. Fortunately, these pizzas freeze well.
I had The Franklin pizza. It includes BBQ chicken, mozzarella and gouda cheese, red bell pepper and red onion slices, topped with a drizzle of BBQ sauce and fresh cilantro. I thought this was a very good pizza. The toppings are light, just the way I prefer them.
My companion ordered The Janimal pizza. It has slices of pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami, and a thick layer of red sauce. This pizza was also tasty. When Detroit-style pizzas are made, they often add the sauce after the pizza comes out of the oven.
The restaurant has an industrial design, but it wasn’t too loud. Tables are covered with white paper and have a package of crayons if you’re feeling artistically inclined. They have their sign up for alcoholic drinks but are waiting for their liquor license to be approved, which shouldn’t take long.
I took a couple of pictures of the inside and of the courtyard they share with Hablos Tacos. Note that we usually eat out on Thursdays at around 4:00 to 4:30 pm. There will be more customers during busier times.
Do the Abe Capanna’s pizzas remind you of other pizzas in town? Yeah, they are similar to Rush’s Squares at the On Tap food truck pod, a mere 200 yards away. Their Pesto Marg is my current favorite pizza. I think the menus are different enough that these two pizza restaurants can co-exist.
Abe Capanna’s Neighborhood Pizzeria is located at 1462 N. East Cushing Ave. # 140. The restaurant is in the same complex as Hablos Tacos, Lone Pine Coffee, and Cuppa Yo. They are in their soft opening phase right now, so I’m not sure of their hours. I’ll try to update this later.
I recently learned I was chosen to participate in a Whole Novel Workshop hosted by the Highlights Foundation. Some of you may be familiar with Highlights magazine for children. Libraries, schools, and doctors’ and dentists’ offices always had copies of this magazine. The magazine was created in 1946 by spouses, Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers.
The dark hills in Darkness of Hills, Lightness of Wings
In 1985, the Highlights Foundation began positively impacting “children by amplifying the voices of storytellers who inform, educate, and inspire children to become their best selves.” They began offering workshops and retreats for writers and artists at their retreat center in Milanville, Pennsylvania.
Here’s a beautiful video of the center. I’ll be there for six days in October, during the time when fall foliage reaches its peak colors.
Whole Novel Workshop entry process
To apply, you must submit 10–15 pages of a manuscript, fill out an application, and include a short bio. I submitted part of my work-in-progress novel, Darkness of Hills, Lightness of Wings. It’s for kids in the 9- to 12-year-old age range.
I was inspired to write the book after a visit to Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. I knew I also wanted to include the Painted Hills, pictured near the beginning of this post.
Where the main character in Darkness of Hills, Lightness of Wings lives with her grandfather
Here’s a blurb about the book. These paragraphs might appear on the back cover or in a query letter. Writers send query letters to prospective agents or editors, hoping they will want to collaborate with them.
Darkness of Hills, Lightness of Wings blurb
Forced out of her home in China, Jīnsè sets out on a long journey, filled with peril. Along the way, Jīnsè heals Rěnshòu, an injured gull, and several passengers on their ship. On the trip across the Pacific Ocean to Oregon, they encounter storms, poachers, and pirates. At a stop in Hawaii, Jīnsè meets Koa, a local boy who shares her love of birds. Together, they overcome a life-threatening situation.
Jīnsè continues her journey to Oregon to work with her grandfather, a local doctor skilled in the techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine. While out collecting herbs, they find an orphaned magpie and name it Liáng. Her cousin, Feng, who works with Grandfather, becomes jealous of Jīnsè and traps her in an abandoned mine. When she escapes, she finds she has gained the ability to speak to animals and to see words written on the slopes of dark hills. Rěnshòu and Liáng help Jīnsè learn about local plants to use in herbal cures. Feng must work in the mines for a month as punishment for what he did to Jīnsè. Meanwhile, there are rumors of a distant wagon train full of settlers suffering from a terrible illness. Will Jīnsè be able to use her newfound abilities to help them in time? Will Feng help her or stand in her way?
Does that make you curious about the rest of the book? That’s the point of blurbs like this.
Two of the light-winged characters in the book
A sick gull I nursed back to health also inspired me to write this book. He had avian botulism, and as his health improved, he became more and more ornery. In the book, I change the type of gull, but he still has an attitude.
The gull I nursed back to health at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon
Darkness of Hills, Lightness of Wings also features a Black-billed Magpie character. Here’s a drawing I did of one. They have a lot of personality.
Black-billed magpie pen and ink by Siobhan Sullivan
More about the workshop
The Whole Novel Workshop accepts twenty-one or fewer students. Students attend lectures, receive one on one guidance from faculty, and participate in small writing groups. It sounds like just what I need right now with my 57,000-word draft novel. I don’t normally brag about my accomplishments, but I’m so glad I was chosen to participate. I can’t wait! 😀
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Last week, we visited San Simón, in downtown Bend. This restaurant is known for its unique cocktails.
They have a small menu, featuring make-your-own charcuterie boards. The board comes with dates and crackers, and the customer decides what else to include.
Here is their menu that includes charcuterie board offerings and a variety of wines.
Here’s their cocktail and mocktail menu. Yes, they came up with some creative names.
San Simón has plenty of seating, inside and out. This business is located in Tin Pan Alley. I have previously featured the tiny Tin Pan Theater that’s right next door to San Simón. I covered the outdoor artwork in the Alley in another post. This alley is small, but full of charm.
I went here to celebrate a big accomplishment and was a bit disappointed. Our bill for five charcuterie items and two cocktails, plus a tip, came to $76.50. That seemed sort of high for what we got. We liked the bread, cheese, and chutney we ordered. Though the menu indicates you get dates and crackers for free, they only gave us two small, sad dates.
I would have liked to have been able to order charcuterie boards that included things meant to go together. A thoughtfully created board may have been more satisfying than what I threw together. Just my opinion…
The cocktails were fine, but they are all priced the same, regardless of size and ingredients. The cocktails are priced at $14, while the mocktails are priced at $11.
The staff members were polite and prompt. I liked the decor and cozy atmosphere of San Simón. I remember visiting Lone Pine Coffee when it was here and enjoying its coziness.
San Simón location and hours
San Simón is located at 845 Tin Pan Alley in Bend, Oregon. It’s open daily from 3:00 pm to “late.”
This Smokey Bear mural is located in Burney, California. I liked the muted colors in the background of this mural. I’m not sure when it was painted, but it looks old.
In 1944, the U.S. Forest Service introduced Smokey Bear as part of a campaign to prevent fires. The slogan, “Only you can prevent forest fires,” was first used in 1947. In 2001, it was changed to, “Only you prevent wildfires.” This change reminds people to prevent fires in other habitats, like grasslands. This Smokey Bear mural shows the older slogan.
Fun fact: Did you know Bambi, from the Walt Disney movie, appeared in fire-prevention ad campaigns prior to Smokey’s creation? His likeness was “loaned” to the government for only a year.
Monday Mural
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The Bridge of the Gods spans the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington state. We had never driven over the bridge before and decided to check it out on a trip last year. About 1.6 million people cross this bridge every year.
The south end of the 1,858-foot long bridge is located at Cascade Locks in Oregon. In 2024, the toll for a passenger car to drive over the bridge was $3. A list of tolls for vehicles of other sizes is on this page.
Traveling across the bridge
I thought the structure over the toll booth had a simple yet elegant design.
The bridge is 35 feet wide with two 12 foot wide lanes.
In 1920, the U.S. War Department issued the initial construction permit for this bridge. Construction stalled. In 1926, the Wauna Toll Bridge Company bought an interest in the bridge for about $600,000. It was originally 92 feet above the river, but had to be raised 44 feet due to rising waters related to the Bonneville Dam construction in 1938. Ownership of the bridge passed to the Columbia River Bridge Company and then to the current owner, the Port of Cascades Locks, in 1961.
The grid construction style has an industrial feel to it. This is a steel truss cantilever bridge.
You may be wondering why this structure is called the “Bridge of the Gods.” Around 1450, a massive landslide blocked the Columbia River near where the bridge is presently located. Eventually, the river breached the dam. At that time, it was 200 feet high by 3.5 miles long.
Here is a view of the Columbia River to the east. The bridge sits 140 feet above the water.
Native Americans may have regularly crossed over the temporary land bridge before it washed away. Cascade Rapids formed when it was breached, but disappeared once the Bonneville Dam was constructed.
Bridge of the Gods Legend
There is a Native American legend about this site. It says Manito, the Great Spirit, created a bridge to cross the river. She appointed a guardian, Loo-Wit, to watch over the bridge. The grateful people named it the Bridge of the Gods.
Manito sent his three snow mountain sons to Earth. Multnomah, the warrior (Mt. Rainier), Klickitat, the totem maker (Mt. Adams), and Wy’east, the singer (Mt. Hood) got along well until Squaw Mountain moved between two of them.
Squaw Mountain loved Wy’east, but flirted with Klickitat and eventually a rivalry arose between the brothers. In their anger, they shook the earth, spat ash, and belched clouds of black smoke. The hot rocks they hurled at each other caused forest fires. The rocks piled up on the bridge and the earth shook, causing the bridge to collapse.
Their angry father, Manito, punished them by creating huge rapids in the river.
Read a more complete version of the story, and the conclusion, here.
When you travel about halfway across the current bridge, you’ll see the “Welcome to Washington” sign.
Here’s the view of the river to the West.
When you get close to the north end of the bridge, you’ll see why Washington is called the “Evergreen State.”
Fun Fact: In 1927, aviator Charles Lindbergh flew his plane low over the newly constructed Bridge of the Gods then turned around and flew underneath it.
Today I’m sharing eye drawings and paintings. The first three show pencil sketches of human eyes; the second three show paintings of animal eyes done with acrylics.
Pencil drawings
In the first drawing, I tried to convey a person who is bright and inquisitive. Slight changes in how open the eye is and the position of the eyebrow can change the emotions you are trying to portray.
In the next drawing, I show the eye of a person who is sad and anxious.
In the last drawing I started out trying to portray someone laughing, but I think it turned into a slightly mysterious, Mona Lisa-type smiling expression.
Acrylic paintings
The next photo shows a close up of an Australian shepherd I painted on a rock with acrylics. Though I could have added more shading to the eyes, I decided not to. The expression could be seen as startled or alert.
Australian shepherds’ hauntingly blue eyes often are referred to as “ghost eyes.” Here’s a quote from Dogster about this feature:
“According to legend, Native Americans considered them sacred animals whose unique eyes linked them to the spirit world. Other legends speak of heterochromatic dogs as being able to view heaven and earth simultaneously.”
Here is a close-up of one of my current dog’s eyes. Her other eye is predominantly brown, so she has heterochromatic eyes. Now I understand why she sees things in a unique way. 🙂
The next painting shows a close up of a fox rock I painted. On this rock, I added a light color on the bottom of the eye and darker color near the top eyelid. This adds depth to the eyes and shows the fox’s sly personality.
The last painting shows a close up of a lion’s eyes. On this painting, I added a thick black line around the eyes. This “eyeliner” effect pulls your attention to the eyes. They give this lion a powerful presence.
I hope these eye drawings and paintings show you different ways you can portray a person or an animal’s personality.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
Ten years ago today, I published my first post on this blog. I am celebrating Bend Branches birthday with a little treat.
My first post was titled, Time. It featured a photo of my favorite western juniper tree in my yard in Bend, Oregon. A winter sunset paints the skies in the background.
My post also included the following observation:
“The twists and turns of time can ravage one or make them into a thing of beauty.”
Thank you to my followers and to others who stop by to view my posts. Your likes and comments have encouraged and inspired me. I hope to celebrate another Bend Branches birthday ten years from now.
Bend Branches always appreciates your comments and likes. Comments may not appear right away since they’re screened for spam prior to posting. Thanks!
You can get creative on blog posts in several ways.
Artwork
You may want to showcase your own artwork.
This rock was the perfect shape for a barn owl painting. I used acrylic paint on this rock. First, I applied a cream colored base coat, then used small brushes to add the details. I perched it in the fork of a tree in my yard for the photo.
The next photo shows a magpie flying over the Painted Hills. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the bird is a character in a book I’m working on. For this painting, I used watercolors and ink from a Chinese inkstick.
In the next drawing, I used pen and ink. This a stylized drawing of a grizzly bear. I had forgotten it was on the back of another drawing I had done of a bear.
Photo Bloopers
You can be creative in other ways. I like to occasionally post photo bloopers. This is where I post pictures that didn’t turn out as expected, so I add a little humor to them.
One day, I was following a family of Trumpeter Swans near the Sunriver Nature Center in Oregon. As soon as I started taking pictures, they did this.
The caption reads, “She’s about to take our picture. Quick, everyone put your head underwater!”
The next one shows the Three Gossips rock formation in Arches National Park in Utah.
One of the gossips is saying, “Then Rocky told me he’d give me the latest scoop.” Another says, “Really?” The last one says, “Cliff, you really shouldn’t spread that kind of dirt.”
The next photo shows a close up of wrinkly bark on a western juniper tree.
The caption reads, “Uh… the anti-wrinkle cream doesn’t seem to be working.”
Photo Processing Effects
Another way to get creative on your blog is to use photo processing effects. I use Corel PaintShop Pro 2021 to edit my pictures.
The first shows a cloud-filled sky over Playa at Summer Lake. If you move the slider, you can see how the original compares to the edited version. I increased the contrast and used a black and white film effect. This effect works well with cloud formations.
In the next photo, I used a colored edges effect on a picture I took of daisies. I like this one because it almost looks like a drawing with this effect.
The last photo shows a windmill at Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum in Oregon. For this picture I used a glowing edges artistic effect. It makes all the details stand out.
Last weekend, we had an excellent meal at the Brickhouse in downtown Bend, Oregon.
I started with the Beet Salad. This salad includes pickled beets, endive, arugula, radicchio, and candied pumpkin seeds topped with Rogue Blue cheese crumbles and citrus vinaigrette. I especially liked the tartness of the beets and the sweetness of the pumpkin seeds.
By the way, the Rogue cheese sprinkled on the salad won the World’s Best Cheese award in 2019 and won a Super Gold Award in 2022 at the World Cheese Awards.
Next, I had the Seafood Pasta. This dish includes wild prawns, sea scallops, and fresh fish topped with Parmigiano Reggiano cream sauce and fresh herbs. This was delicious and so rich, the leftovers lasted for two more meals.
My dining companion had the Rib Eye Steak. This is an 18-oz piece of heavily marbled USDA Prime meat. It was perfectly prepared and served with bone marrow butter (for an additional cost).
We celebrated a special occasion with the Marionberry Cobbler. The cobbler was full of flavorful berries and topped with vanilla ice cream and a mint leaf. The crumble topping on this dessert was very good.
Service at the restaurant was prompt and polite. Since we ordered a salad, dessert, and drinks in addition to the entrees, this was a pricey meal. However, I appreciated the well-prepared meal, good service, and the fact you can carry on a conversation. As I’ve mentioned before, restaurants where I have to shout to be heard, lose points with me. I will definitely return to the Brickhouse and recommend it to others.
Brickhouse location and hours
The Brickhouse is located at 5 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, Oregon 97703. It’s open seven days a week from 4:00 to 9:30 pm. Brickhouse offers First Hour Specials at discounted prices from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.
Today I’m sharing a few rattlesnake drawings and a couple of recent photos I took. I did these drawings when I was working on a writing a character in a book. When I draw a character, it helps with my writing.
Roca, the rattlesnake character, gets his power from thundereggs. Thundereggs are the official state rock in Oregon. As of this year, they have been designated as the state rock for 60 years.
Here’s a photo of a giant one that I had cut in half. I found it at the Priday Polka-Dot Agate Beds, located near Madras. Read more about this amazing site here.
Anyway… back to rattlesnakes. While participating in a workshop through Playa at Summer Lake, we stopped at Abert Lake. At the north end of the lake, we saw not one, not two, but three rattlesnakes rattling their rattles. Here’s one of them.
In Oregon, there are two subspecies of Western rattlesnakes. The one pictured above is a Great Basin rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus lutosus. The other subspecies is the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus.
Here’s another snake nearby.
We may have seen three snakes in close proximity because they denned together over the winter and recently emerged. Reptiles have a hard time regulating their body temperature. In the winter, they gather together and go into a kind of suspended animation called “brumation.”
Though people may fear them, it should be remembered snakes play an important role in maintaining the balance in ecosystems. They play a significant role in controlling rodent populations.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
This bronze mountain goat sculpture shows an adult goat with a kid on its back. This piece was created by Pete Helzer and installed at the Oregon Zoo in 1998.
You can see real mountain goats at a nearby enclosure.
Red Beard Barbecue is a great place to order barbecue in Bend, Oregon. Their food truck is located at the Dogwood at the Pine Shed food truck lot. They have an additional truck at Otto’s Landing in Redmond, Oregon.
The photo below shows the Three Meat Combo. There are several choices for meat. This one includes Pork Ribs, Tri-tip, and Chicken. Red Beard offers seven sides. We had the Coleslaw. The sauces with this order included the Spicy Honey Garlic and the Honey Garlic.
The smoked meat tastes good with or without the sauce. That’s how I judge a barbecue place. I also liked how they serve a generous portion that gives you plenty for leftovers.
This picture shows a few of the food trucks at the Pine Shed lot. Red Beard Barbecue is the red one in the back. Note, this picture was taken in February when there was a little snow on the ground. They have a wonderful indoor seating area here and they serve unique cocktails.
This bronze heron sculpture is in Barclay Park in Sisters Oregon. Artist Danae Bennett Miller uses the lost wax method in her castings. This piece was installed in December 2012.
On a recent trip to Seattle, I visited Pike Place Fish Co. at the Pike Place Market. There are lots of opportunities for photography at the Market. On the day I visited, it was packed with people.
I used Corel PaintShopPro 2021 for different photo processing effects on this picture of the Pike Place Fish Co. booth. In the original image I slightly increased the contrast and fill light and cropped the edges. Use the slider to view each effect compared to the original.
The first one shows the original photograph and the same picture with a Cross Process effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Time Machine>Cross Process. I liked how this effect intensified the colors. The original had a lot of color to begin with.
The next one shows the original photograph and the same picture with a Film & Filters effect. For this image I went to Effects>Photo Effects>Film & Filters>Enhanced Reds>Cooling filter. I liked how this effect enhanced the red color on the crab, salmon, and spice jars.
The last picture of the Pike Place Fish Co. shows an Artistic Effect. For this image processing I went to Effects>Artistic Effects>Colored Edges>Default setting. I used the Fill Flash adjustment to lighten it slightly. I liked the strong outlines and muted colors of this image. It looks like an old-time illustration.
In June 2024, we visited hot springs in three western states, and Bozeman Hot Springs in Montana was our favorite. The modern rustic design is beautiful inside and out. We arrived early in the day, and it was peaceful and serene.
There are 12 pools at Bozeman Hot Springs. Water temperature ranges between 57 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit.
Outdoor pools at Bozeman Hot Springs
Outside, two curving pools flank the stage with another one in front. I like how they incorporated big angular boulders into the landscaping.
The curving outdoor pools include Big Pool, Kiddie Pool, and Middle Pool.
There is a large rectangular pool nearby.
This is Springs Pool.
Indoor pools at Bozeman Hot Springs
Inside, three smaller pools are at one end of a large pool and four are at the other. This picture shows Upper Left Hot Tub, Upper Cold Plunge, and Upper Right Hot Tub.
I zoomed in a bit to show you the seals spouting cold water. They were a nice whimsical detail.
The large indoor pool is known as Big Pool, appropriately. I liked being able to do some swimming here between time spent in the other pools.
At the other end of Big Pool, you’ll find Kiddie Pool, Adult Hot Tub, Lower Cold Pool, and Lower Right Hot Tub. Note that Adult Hot Tub has the hottest temperature of any of the pools.
This sign shows the current temperature of the outdoor pools. The temperature fluctuates throughout the day.
History
Jeremiah Mathews originally purchased the springs in 1879. He built five private bathing rooms and a 14 foot by 18 foot plunge bath. In 1890, E. Myron Ferris purchased the springs and built a two-story motel, plunge bath and private baths. The springs supposedly treat several kinds of ailments. After World War I, the parcel containing the springs was raffled off. In the early 1920s, Sam Collett purchased the springs. His renovations included a dance hall. Later, it was turned into a roller skating rink.
When we were there in June 2024, they were putting the finishing touches on the latest renovations. Robyn Duffy-Carlson and her late husband, Tom Duffy, bought the property in 2013. Since then, they have added three outdoor pools, a live music stage, and a business hub. The most recent renovations included redoing the locker rooms.
Other amenities
This facility also includes several other amenities. There is a fitness center that opened in 2010. It offers classes and personal trainers. Accommodations at Bozeman Hot Springs include RV camping sites, tent sites, and one-room and two-room cabins. For a list of upcoming events there, see this page.
A cafe provides comfortable seating next to striking artwork.
There is more seating nearby.
Things that made this hot spring stand out for me were the overall design, the number and type of pools, and the restrooms. Everything was clean and inviting. The pools include cold pools if you want to cool off after being in a hot one. The restrooms had nice showers, changing rooms, and lockers.
The restrooms had something else… hot water! A couple of the other commercial hot springs we visited did not have hot showers, even though they are built atop one of the most geologically hot places on earth.
If you’re looking for a great place for rest and relaxation, be sure to visit Bozeman Hot Springs.
This Before Edmonds mural is located in downtown Edmonds, Washington. It shows a view of Puget Sound with the Olympic Mountains in the background. The canoes of Native Americans can be seen near the shore.
I couldn’t get the whole mural in one shot, so I took another one. Here you can see a raven at the top of the mural and a closer view of the heron.
One of the things I liked best in this mural was how the artist painted the clouds. If you’ve looked at very many posts on my blog, you’ll know I love dramatic skyscapes like this one.
The Before Edmonds mural was created by Andy Eccleshall, in collaboration with Ty Juvinel (Tulalip tribe). It was installed in August of 2020. This mural, and the one facing it in an alleyway, took 18 months to paint. The Art Walk Edmonds website has more details on this and other murals in the vicinity.
