This seating at Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend, Oregon has a modern cowboy kind of vibe. There’s a lot going on in this design.
There are two couches, four easy chairs, and two barstools shown in this relatively small space.
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Today, I’m sharing some of my 2025 favorite photos I posted on my blog. I’ve divided them into four categories: Countryside, Cuisine, Critters, and Cultural Attractions. Enjoy!
I’ll begin with a picture of a sunset I took with my drone from my backyard in Bend, Oregon. Stunning, right?
The next picture, also taken with my drone, is on the east side of Steens Mountain, Oregon.
This picture shows Burney Falls in action in California.
The next is of the Red Canyon Overlook in Wyoming. I loved the layers of earth and sky.
This picture shows the aptly named Reflection Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California.
Though I have featured food photos from many locations in past favorite posts, this year all of them happen to be in Bend, Oregon.
This picture shows one the many dishes served during the Foodie Crawl in Bend. It was a Crispy Chicken Bite & Biscuit paired with a mojito at The Drake.
I love salads. This is the house salad served at Oblivion Pour House.
This photo shows the Original Bowl at Café Yumm! There is rice hiding underneath all the veggies. Delicious!
One of the main dishes I sampled during a recent visit to Yokocho Izakaya. This is the don teriyaki.
A yummy brownie with ice cream beautifully presented at The Blacksmith.
Here’s a pronghorn from behind in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
This is a photo of my very comfortable cat resting on my lap.
This photo shows a tiger in a blur of motion at Fota Wildlife Park near Carrigtwohill, County Cork, Ireland.
The side-blotched lizard was soaking up the sun in Arches National Park, Utah.
I got a nice close up of this Cattleya orchid in Volunteer Park Conservatory, Washington.
One of my favorite cultural attractions I saw this year was the Exquisite Creatures Revealed exhibition at OMSI in Portland, Oregon. Be sure to check out the other pictures I took of this unique exhibit.
This polo player sculpture is at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Washington. I liked the horse’s expression in this small sculpture.
This photo shows a variety of sea anemones at the Seattle Aquarium, Washington.
This whimsical VW van firepit was featured at Winterfest in Bend, Oregon.
I decided to show this portable cattle squeeze in black and white. This dramatic photo was taken in Crane, Oregon, near the hot springs.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Favorite Images of 2025
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Yokocho Izakaya restaurant serves what it calls “Japanese & Asian comfort food.” It opened earlier this year in northeast Bend, Oregon. The restaurant was created by Kwanchanok Singhakahm (Chef Kwan) and Phanpat Namsr (Chef Nong), both originally from Thailand. A recent article notes that they enjoy serving Tokyo street food-style dishes here because it’s their “passion”, not to make money.
The interior is a work of art. Colorful posters, lanterns, and flags fill the space. Repurposed milk crates serve as seats at some of the tables.
In fact, I thought the interior was so interesting, I used a picture of it in the One to Three Photo Processing Challenge. In that challenge, participants show a single picture processed three ways.
Lines of customers waiting to get in can get long here. Near the entrance, there’s a yellow wall-mounted Pac-Man arcade game to pass the time.
There’s a small outdoor seating area by the front door.
Their menu includes skewers, salads, small plates, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and several sides. There are a few dessert choices as well. Yokocho Izakaya restaurant has a large selection of sake, served hot or cold. Drinks include cocktails and mocktails with interesting names as well as beer, wine, tea, soft drinks, and Thai tea.
On my first visit, I had a bento box and the house sake. As you can see, it doesn’t look like a traditional bento box. This one included miso soup, seaweed salad, gyoza dumplings, karaage fried chicken with lemon aioli, and a yaki onigri (grilled Japanese rice ball glazed with sweet sauce). I especially liked the gyoza and chicken. Though I’m no expert on sake, I really liked the flavor of the sake I ordered.
On my next visit, I ordered several dishes. My first picture shows sides of Edamame and Agedashi Tofu. The steamed edamame beans were nice and salty on the outside and moist inside. The deep-fried tofu had a crunchy thin layer on the outside and silky and soft inside. The tofu is served with a dashi sauce and a topping of scallions and bonito flakes. Both were very good.
My next picture shows a serving of Okonomiyaki. This seafood pancake is covered with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. The garnish includes bonito flakes and seaweed. I thought it was good, but craved a stronger seafood taste.
The next photo is of the Teriyaki Don main dish. The grilled chicken is served with teriyaki sauce , and veggies, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. The chicken was moist and tender and I really liked the flavor of the sauce. I preferred this chicken in this dish over the karaage chicken I had on my previous visit.
My dining companion ordered the Karaage Curry main dish. The chicken is deep-fried and served with a Japanese curry sauce. The sauce was tasty and the dish was beautifully presented.
I’m including two photos of the menu.
Yokocho Izakaya is open six days a week from 12:00 to 3:00 pm and 5:00 to 9:00 pm. It is closed on Wednesdays. This restaurant is located off the beaten path at 1900 NE Division St., Suite 110 in Bend, Oregon.
I’ve liked Yokocho Izakaya so far. However, several people noted how uncomfortable the milk crate seats at some of the tables are in their comments. Perhaps they can address this issue in a creative way.
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A stunning sunset near Bend, Oregon. I took this photo with my drone from the backyard. You can see several volcanic peaks along the horizon.
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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.
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Moments of mystery may loom large in front of you
Sasquatch sculpture at Sensing Sasquatch exhibition, High Desert Museum (2024)
Or hide within the shadows
Reflections in fish tank in By Hand Through Memory, High Desert Museum
Mysterious sights may make you question reality
Small stick supporting large boulder, Lassen Volcanic National Park
Or wonder which path to choose
Subway Cave, Lassen National Forest
Moments of mystery may reveal followers you didn’t know you had
Northern River Otters in Deschutes River in Bend
And secret conversations between similar species
Trumpeter Swan and Mallard, Sunriver Nature Center
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Finding the Mysterious
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Alvord Desert from above in southeastern Oregon
Wordless Wednesday (WW)
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Looking back at LAPC #31 – Landscapes (LAPC)
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Driving through…
Big rock mountains, sculpted and fired by the sun
And ranges, arising from basins washed by summer storms
Approaching cliffs layered with basalt flows preserving stories of their past
And volcanic hills, pounded by thundering hooves and eroded by falling rain
Driving through…
The warm comforting embrace of oak trees
And pine forests, swaying in celebration of winter’s first snowfall
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – On the Move
Sunday Stills Color Challenge (SS) – Brown and/or Gray
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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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The majesty of mountains with distinct fringes of red
Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, Utah
and coming into focus over a blur of the Sagebrush Sea
Mt. Shasta, Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California
The mood of mountains retreating in a blush of color
Painted Hills Unit, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
and rising above, snow-clad and strong
Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
The majesty of mountains layered in subtleties
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
and taking center stage above a curve of crops
Mt. Jefferson, Willamette National Forest, Oregon
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Looking back at LAPC #31 – Landscapes
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I did this elephant seal drawing as part of the Inktober challenge. On October 9th, the prompt was “heavy.”
I drew this quick sketch with a black Pentel Brush Sign Pen Artist pen and I used a gray Tombow ABT pen for the shading. I especially liked the Pentel pen since you can easily vary the width of each stroke with the brush tip. The Tombow pen has a soft brush on one end and a hard tip on the other end.
Since I was going to be traveling during part of the Inktober challenge, I wanted a small pad I could tuck into my backpack. I found this cute little watercolor book. Yes, the paper has a rougher texture than I would prefer, but it worked out well.
I taped a copy of the 2025 Inktober prompt list onto the inside cover.
This is the photograph I worked from for the elephant seal drawing. I thought of this pair of seals I saw at Elephant Seal Vista Point north of San Simeon, California. They appeared to be smiling. I’m not sure they really were, but they certainly looked comfortable.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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Old Mill sunrise in Bend, Oregon
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A view from above east of Steens Mountain, Oregon. I took this photo with my drone on a cool October morning.
I liked the variety of components in this picture. Puffy white clouds, rough mountains, gray-green sagebrush flats, bright green hayfields, and red soil.
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Fall seating near the Flag Bridge in the Old Mill District of Bend, Oregon
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Strawberry Mountain in the fall, Oregon
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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.
Lassen RV Park Campground
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Calcite Springs in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
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When you drive by this old stagecoach stop on the east side of Steens Mountain in Oregon, it just looks like a couple piles of rocks in the distance.
From a closer distance, it still looks like piles of rubble.
However, when you see it from above with a drone, it looks completely different. You can clearly see the walls of the structure on the left.
The building on the right looks like this from above. There are remnants of the rock wall on the west side of the structure, but the wooden parts have fallen to the ground.
In other environments, the wood would have deteriorated by now. However, this structure is just north of the Alvord Desert, which gets an average of 7 inches of precipitation a year.
I am reposting some facts related to stagecoach travel from one of my previous posts.
In the late 1800s to early 1900s, stagecoach routes crisscrossed the West. On the more heavily traveled routes, there were stops every 25 miles or so. Why that distance? That’s about how far a team of horses pulling wagons full of goods and passengers could travel. Their progress was slow because of difficult terrain and weather that could quickly change from scorching heat to bone-chilling cold.
Some of these stations were just for changing horse teams, while others had accommodations available for travelers. The stops in Fields and Frenchglen in Oregon offered more options for weary travelers. One stop near the one pictured above charged 25 cents for overnight lodging and meals. The charge for the care of each horse was an additional 25 cents.
Travel along these stagecoach routes was not fast. For example, the east-west route from Ontario, Oregon, to Burns, Oregon, took approximately 40 hours. Today, the 130-mile route takes 2 hours 12 minutes by car. But imagine all the sights those early travelers must have seen on those slow journeys…
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Ancient
Fandango’s One Word Challenge – Fast
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The Pete French Round Barn in eastern Oregon is a beautiful structure. On a recent trip, I took pictures and video of the barn with my phone and my drone.
This picture shows the building from above.
In this video, the drone flies around the perimeter of the barn. You get a much better perspective from this angle.
These pictures show some of the internal structure. The supporting beams and posts are like a work of art.
In the spring and summer, barn owls nest in the center of the barn. You can see the whitewash near the nest.
This is a panoramic view of the inside of the barn. In this view, you can see the details in the rock walls.
Here’s a closer view of the walls.
The story of pioneer Pete French is an interesting one. Though he accomplished a lot in his lifetime, he was not well liked. He ended up dying at the hands of a neighbor with whom he had a dispute. See my previous post for more about him.
The Pete French Round Barn is a state heritage site near Diamond, Oregon. Built in the late 1870s to early 1880s, it served as a place to train and stable horses.
In the summer, the barn is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. In winter, it’s open Friday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
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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.
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 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.
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The valleys on Steens in the fall
Are filled with green, yellow, and orange leaves,
Framed by mountain mahogany
Clouds skitter across the sky;
Parting to enlighten
Lone patches of gold
On Steens Mountain
Fall’s foliage gathers at the bottom of
Deep glacially carved gorges
Golden leaves of aspen and
Fuzzy flowers of rabbitbrush
Edge the ridgetops and roads
The last colorful moments shine brightly
On Steens in the fall
As winter’s darkness creeps in
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Looking Back to Lens-Artist Challenge #106: Autumn
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Valley
All pictures were taken on 1 October 2025 while driving to the top of Steens Mountain, Oregon. The mountain reaches an elevation 9,733 feet. The 52-mile long Steens Mountain Backcountry Byway loop road to the summit is open seasonally.
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On April 6, I was up bright and early for a birdwatching trip that would encircle Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon in a single day. Being a bit of an introvert, I wasn’t sure I wanted to partake in a tour like this one. The Steens Mountain tour was one of 22 tours available for nature enthusiasts at the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival. The festival, which started in 1981, takes advantage of the annual spring bird migration in the Harney Basin. More than 300 species of birds use this area annually.
At 6:00 am, participants in the Circle the Steens Mountain & Alvord Desert tour met at Burns High School. The weather was not cooperating for the 200-mile trip. A big storm system was blowing in. Twelve hours and 76 bird species later, we returned to the high school. Though we didn’t see any rare birds, we did see a lot, considering the weather conditions. Our views were framed by the dramatic landscapes of Harney County. The pale colored sands of the Alvord Desert stood out in contrast to the dark stormy skies. Steens Mountain provided beautiful panoramas from many different angles. We also had great views of pronghorn and deer.
We traveled east of Steens Mountain, south to Fields, then north along the west side of the 50-mile long mountain. Our tour guides, Joan Suther and Rick Hall, worked for the Bureau of Land Management locally for many years. The first brief stop was to look at burrowing owls. The small owls were seen braving the wind on this tour and the one I was on the next day. Flocks of snow geese and Ross’ geese were in fields nearby. Our next stop, at Crystal Crane Hot Springs, was much longer.
Continue readingLast 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 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.
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Water falls in cascades over moss-covered cliffs
Burney Falls, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California
and between dolphins, dancing and spinning
Rhapsody, Kelowna, British Columbia
Water flows down rocky crags, plummeting and thundering
Bridalveil Waterfall, Yosemite National Park, California
and emerges quietly from lagoons bordered by blossoms
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Portland, Oregon
Water falls twice through basalt canyons, producing essential power
Shoshone Falls, Twin Falls, Idaho
and continuously over rustic artistry created from stone
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, The Dalles, Oregon
Sunday Stills (SS) – Fountains and Falls
Water Water Everywhere (WWE)
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – City Mouse/ Country Mouse
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Above the playa, lupines bloom amongst the boulders.
Yearning to visit places that warmed the body and soul
Wishing to smell the scent of purple, blown by the breeze
Pining for the sound of bugling calls, heralding the arrival of spring
Craving the taste of a special summer treat
Longing to catch glimpses of beloved companions from the past
A picture helps us remember when we are yearning to feel, smell, hear, taste, and see our memories.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Longing
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Marble Mountain View in Sequoia National Forest, California
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in a quiet space
dark shadows dance and light sings
on a summer morn
Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light exhibition at Seattle Asian Art Museum.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Quiet moment
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Last spring, I saw this group of White Pelicans involved in cooperative foraging near Island Park, Idaho. All About Birds describes their feeding behavior as follows:
They forage by swimming on the surface, dipping their bills to scoop up fish, then raising their bills to drain water and swallow their prey. They also forage cooperatively: groups of birds dip their bills and flap their wings to drive fish toward shore, corraling prey for highly efficient, synchronized, bill-dipping feasts.
Do you know what a group of pelicans are called? They are called a squadron, pod, pouch, or scoop of pelicans.
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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.
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.
Three Things Challenge (TTC) – Large, gigantic
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Burney Falls in action at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California
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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!
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trails wind and descend
elements of earth arise
on the cusp of fall
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Sunflowers at Tunnel of Joy in Bend, Oregon
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At Summer Lake Wildlife Area, in southeastern Oregon, you can get some great views of gulls, terns, and cormorants. At the north end of the Wildlife Area, you’ll drive by a rocky island covered with birds in the spring and summer months.
In this picture you can see California Gulls, Larus californicus, and Common Terns, Sterna hirundo.
In the picture below, you can see California Gulls and Double-crested Cormorants, Nannopterum auritum.
Luckily, this bird colony is a few hundred yards from the main road you drive on. I have helped band birds in seabird colonies before and they are one of the stinkiest places I have ever been. Phew!
You might associate gulls, terns, and cormorants with seaside habitats. However, Summer Lake is a five plus hour drive to the coast. These types of birds also live near large inland bodies of water.
Birds of the Week
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I was really looking forward to seeing the WinterFest 2025 fire pits at Bend’s winter festival event in Bend’s Old Mill District last February. They are great to photograph! I have posted pictures from previous years under the fire pit tag.
We are about to experience some of our hottest temperatures of the year in Bend this week. Maybe you are also getting some hot days where you live. I thought it might be a great time to remember the cooler temperatures of winter.
One of my favorite fire pits this year, was this VW van. It was well-designed and fun.
Another one I really liked was this one featuring a forest. Loved those trees!
Some of the fire pits have more intricate designs.
Others are more simple.
Some, like this one, are enormous. You can see lots of people meeting up around this WinterFest 2025 fire pit to take advantage of its warmth.
Some of the fire pits used a more traditional design, but included interesting cut-out details.
Others were all about the details. This octopus surrounding a boat, which I’ve shown before, had amazing details.
Some are cone or column shaped.
Other are square.
This year, snow from a recent storm covered the ground. It added to the festive mood.
This event includes ice carvings, hand-crafted fire pits, the Pump Bump Jam (a ski ramp with several jumps), a wine walk, food carts, beer, wine, and cider booths, bands playing on the stage, a flying dog show, and a kid’s area. It also includes booths from a wide variety of businesses and booths selling everything from jewelry and clothing to unique food items. This year, there were more Marketplace booths than I’ve ever seen before.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Found at the fair/market
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – meet
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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.
Pull up a Seat (PUAS)
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