Way back in June on our trip back to Oregon from visiting family in the midwest, we stopped in Iowa and picked up our new companion. We immediately named him Mavrik, a name Robert picked out a year ago in case we ever got another pet. Mavrik is a smooth coat fox terrier, similar looking to a Jack Russell terrier, but not as hyper. He was five months old and took to travel immediately, good because his first several days with us we were on the road. He has since made friends with all the dogs on the block back in Bend, and still likes to travel as we begin our winter sojourn in the warmer parts of the country.

A curious puppy contemplating the steep camper steps!

The first big snowfall on December 18, 2008

Where did the time go? It’s been over 6 months since the last post, guess we got busy with life! The weather in Bend is frightful, so we headed south in between storms to find sunnier climes. We made it down to the Cargo Muchacho mountains in southeast California. While we relax here I’ll reminisce about the past summer in forthcoming posts.

Meanwhile back in Bend, life goes on!

We took the commuter train from Robert’s hometown, Hinsdale (a suburb of Chicago), into the city to play tourist for the day. Chicago is so much cleaner and prettier than we remember from our teenage days playing and shopping in the city. We walked from Union Station to the lakefront and saw Buckingham Fountain start up at 8am! We continued our walk past the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, then along the harbor filled with sailboats to Navy Pier. From there we backtracked to Millenium Park and the train station for our return train ride and got home for lunch!

Buckingham Fountain dwarfed by the ever changing and growing Chicago skyline.

The Field Museum has an appropriate exhibit for the weather we’ve experienced this spring!

Grant Park with the Sears Tower in the background.

A Four Masted Schooner docked at Navy Pier. Available for tours on Lake Michigan.

“The Bean” also known as Cloud Gate, at Millenium Park on Michigan Avenue. We’re reflected somewhere on the shiny surface.

An amazing Fountain/Sculpture at Millenium Park. The faces projected on the glass block ‘screen’ change periodically, and the water spouts only when the lips are pursed. About 25, 000 Chicagoans were photographed to get 5,000 usable images. Water also cascades down the front and sides and falls to a shallow pool that children were playing in.

We joined the Winona Area Peacemakers for their weekly Thursday afternoon vigil to protest the war in Iraq. We expressed an emphasis on taking care of business here at home such as failing infrastructure!

A few of the 17 ‘marchers’ who showed up this Thursday. The Winona Area Peacemakers are part of a larger organization United for Peace and Justice. (Learn about them by clicking on the name.)

On our Monday walk across the bridge into Wisconsin we saw the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation trucks with long booms apparently inspecting the structure.

Robert scoffed at me when I expressed concern on the narrow walkway as semi trucks rumbled past, inches away, and the bridge vibrated. But I guess my concerns were warranted on Wednesday!