On February 15, we visited the Bend WinterFest event in the Old Mill District. I was really looking forward to seeing the ice carvings. In past years, we always seemed to be there at the wrong time and missed these amazing works of art.
The artists this year included Lisa Donze + John Donze, Jacob Lucas, Russ Leno, and Wade Lapp. The ice carvings are beautiful by themselves, but if you add a little lighting, they become sort of magical.
A multi-colored butterfly ice carving
This butterfly is shown with bold bright colors and softer pastel tones. I liked how this one looked in the bold blue color the best.
Two ice cube heads ice carvings
The next carving is a whimsical one. Two people with ice cube heads carry an enormous heart. The red color was very fitting for this one.
Penguins face to face ice carvings
The next carving shows two penguins facing each other. I think I liked the purple color best on this one.
An icy rose carving
The last carving is shown in one color. This three rose sculpture looks great in this gorgeous green color.
WinterFest briefly moved away to another venue, and I was happy to see it once again at this site beside the Deschutes River. This event includes ice carvings, amazing 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.
I will be working on another post about the firepits that I’ll share in the future. I have featured the fire pits in the past on my blog, and it’s always been a popular topic.
When I went on my weekly walk along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon a couple of weeks ago, I saw a chilly heron standing by the shore.
This Great Blue Heron seemed frozen in place in the icy waters. As dawn broke, the clouds over the river and snow on the ground nicely framed the scene. You can see the Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the background, waiting patiently to host concerts and other events.
The temperature recently dropped to -7.4 degrees Fahrenheit at our house. Brrr! Hope the heron and other wild creatures are finding ways to keep warm.
Walking with a sweetheart along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. The red, pink, and white flags are on display to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Hope you have a good one!
I took a short hike yesterday to get a memorable view of an icy Cline Falls. Visitors can park at Cline Falls State Scenic Viewpoint and hike a 1/2 mile trail along the river. There’s also a place to view them from above near NW Eagle Drive and NW 74th.
Cline Falls is on the Deschutes River, 4 miles west of Redmond, Oregon. The river splits into several channels and the waterfalls are 20-feet high and 50-feet wide.
This area is part of the Deschutes River Paddle Trail. Cline Falls is classified as Class-3 and paddlers are required to portage their watercraft around the falls.
There’s a winter wonderland in my yard near Bend, Oregon. My favorite western juniper is dressed up for the season with a few inches of snow.
Snowfall softens edges while sharpening the contrast. It can also mute colors, as it did in this photo. The structure shines through, even on a cloudy day.
A winter aspen silhouette with a dramatic sunrise in the background photographed in Bend, Oregon. Spring is making an early appearance here in the High Desert and trees may be starting to leaf out soon.
Yesterday it was 73 degrees F here! Our high temperatures are usually in the mid-30s to 40s at this time of the year. We are having a weird, mild winter.
I saw this Northern river otter on ice a few days ago along the Deschutes River in Bend. If you walk early in the morning, as I like to do, you’ll get to witness magical moments such as this one.
I saw this old oak tree at Newgrange, County Meath, Ireland last winter. I think they are one of my favorite trees without leaves. Look at those branches!
Winds shift and winter blows In from the farthest reaches of North, carried on cold fronts Turning landscapes into Enchanted scenes Resplendent with crystals of snow
Silent Sunday
Silent Sunday