The Year (Oct. ’09)

October brought cooler weather and beautiful fall colors, perfect time to think about the coming winter.

Preserving the bounty of the summer comes to mind. We acted on our thoughts and smoked the trout Robert had been catching  all summer and stocking up in the freezer, as well as salmon (which we bought at the store since it was pretty inexpensive!).

Around here you also think about what kind of transportation is necessary for the snow and ice that can occur in Central Oregon (just about anytime of the year!). The latter was weighing on our minds since we decided to stick around for the majority of the winter to house- and pet-sit for friends. So Robert did lots of research and he found a great 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee for us, which we took possession of in mid-October.

Saying Goodbye (Sept. ’09)

Friends and Family gathered to say goodbye to our friend Nic who passed away this month (September). He was a great friend to us and an accomplished fisherman, and we regret not having known him long enough to learn from him. He is missed and there is another hole in the fabric of our close knit community of friends.

The Year (Sept. ’09)

September brought continued fine weather. Nice enough that we went out camping several more times in our ‘summer house’, the 1974 Terry Trailer we bought last year. We explored around the Little Cultus Lake area, including a long, winding, bumpy drive on the dirt track through the woods to Taylor and Irish Lakes.

We also found a great spot at Canyon Creek campground near Camp Sherman. We took long walks along the Metolius river to Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. Watching the fast flowing ,clear, cold water of the Metolius river is mesmerizing.

The Year (late Aug. ’09)

For the ‘end of the summer’ adventure we traveled to The Steens Mountain in southeast Oregon to camp with friends and tour the geographic and historical wonders of the area. We had a great campsite at Page Springs BLM campground and a guided tour with a 3rd generation rancher in the area, Jenkins Historical Tours. It was a fabulous finish to a great summer with beautiful sunny, warm weather, hiking, sightseeing, fishing and great food.

Unfortunately on the way back to Bend our friends Winnebago blew the transmission. We limped into Burns and were able to get towed back to Bend. Luckily we could ride in the RV as it was towed and had a relaxing, and even fun, trip home!

The Year (early Aug. ’09)

In August we built this vinyl fence for a nearby neighbor. We had to dig 45 holes about 3 feet deep each with a huge, heavy mechanical auger. Thank goodness it was in the only soil in the development that isn’t full of volcanic rock outcroppings! Just our luck though, it was during the hottest spell of the year, in the 100 degree range! We’re very proud of how straight and true it is!

After all the work, Robert took time off to complete the second Corner to Corner tour with Mark. See August 2009 archives for the details of the adventure.