Dear Liza,
While we were visiting the city of Bend, we walked to the Deschutes River, whose bend the city is built on. It is a wonderfully smooth river, at least through town. The surface doesn’t let you know how fast it is moving, but play a game of Pooh Sticks from the foot bridge and watch them scoot away!
The river, of course, is why the city is here. There was water for crops and people, power for a lumber mill, and transportation to get the lumber to the Columbia River markets. It is historically the heart of the city.
Now, the river is mostly recreational and decorative. In drier weather, there would be hundreds of folks out on kayaks or stand up boards. Today, because of the intermittent storms, there were mostly ducks and reflections.
It was getting late, and we still had the four hour drive back to Portland, so we waved goodbye to Bend and drove past the tiny town of Sisters, through more great weather, past pointy Mount Washington, and home to a happy Mouse-cat.
Another fine adventure.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 