Our annual Halloween Bonfire and potluck spread was lots of fun! The weather cooperated and the food and drink were fabulous!

The dessert spread!

Mummy cupcakes!

The Bonfire. The sacred fires were believed to have the power to scare away evil spirits and people stayed close by them, often wearing costumes of animal heads and skins as disguises to frighten the spirits and ensure the peoples safety.

We took some friends on a tour of the area they haven’t explored yet. The Metolious River outside of Sisters, Oregon is unusual in that it’s headwaters emerge full blown, at a rate of about 50,000 gallons per minute, from a spring at the base of Black Butte.

The river supplies Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery with super cold oxygenated water.

We continued on to Three Creeks Lake, the other direction from Sisters.

One of the 3 creeks feeding Three Creeks Lake. Higher in elevation, snow is already on the ground!

Mavrik didn’t care how cold the water was, he wanted to swim!

We took the back way home, dirt roads!

The afternoon sun glinted through the forest on our intrepid band of explorers!

Several friends from the neighborhood hiked down to the Deschutes River on a beautiful fall day.

The view of the river from the canal road that runs past our property a half mile back.

There’s the fisherman. No luck because the river level is down.

Mirror Pond is draining! The hundred year old hydro dam that holds back the Deschutes River to create Mirror Pond in downtown Bend has sprung a leak! The city is abuzz with alternative solutions, rebuild the dam or take it out to let the river flow free once more. Regardless, Mirror Pond was silting in and needs some kind of action, dredging or draining.

Mirror Pond on July 27, shortly after we returned to Bend.

Mirror Mud Flat on October 18, shortly after the dam sprung a leak.

We celebrated several birthdays in October in true Bend fashion; with BEER!

One of the 20 Breweries currently in Bend! The best beer found here! (Thanks for the picture Perla!)