Bend, Oregon - 2024
Sunday, November 24, 2024
God brought us into Bend safely and expediently. The girls were content and generally quiet with 5 short stops for food, gas, and potty. Lila enjoyed movies in the van for the first time, which were a huge hit! The roads were clear and we got to drive through a light snow as we went around Mt. Shasta. The high desert around the base of Shasta is one my favorite geographies to drive through and the snow was icing on the cake for that stretch.
Monday, November 25, 2024
A fresh dusting of snow fell overnight; Lila got to experience new snow for the first time. Her expectations were based on the book, Snowy Day. She enjoyed making tracks in the snow, drawing with a stick, and making a snow angel; but she was disappointed that the snow was not crunching under her boots. The snow melted by the afternoon so we could go into town to load up on groceries.
We were thanking God for his weather provisions: withholding dangerous snowy conditions for our long drive up, demonstrating the beauty of fresh snowfall and the pure blanket of new snow on the ground - a metaphor for our hopes for our time away. Then clearing it so we can get our groceries without worrying about icy conditions. As we dwelled on that, I questioned our perspective: with all God is doing in the world and the innumerable more important things he is manifesting: repairing damaged souls and addressing real needs for those in hunger or without shelter, did he really tune the weather in such a way to make our experience more convenient and pleasant on our vacation? He definitely could have…
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
God provided even more snow this morning! This time with opportunity to play outside during snowfall without the weather being unbearably cold. We are blown away at God’s provision.
Playing in the snow
Thursday, November 27, 2024 - THanksgiving Day!
While cooking our Thanksgiving Quiche, I noticed something black on the river. Without my glasses, I couldn’t make out much detail. The scope revealed a beaver (or muskrat, the tail was not visible enough to discern), which drew me out in the cold with my camera for a closer look.
Busy Beaver fussing about on the frozen bank
While enjoying the beaver, I found it was not alone: there was a duck nearby!
Female Hooded Merganser swimming about and fishing
The beaver disappeared and a Mink emerged in its place
Mink sitting on the ice, evaluating its surroundings
We were feeling a little stir crazy so we embarked on a little drive that evolved into some unplanned off-roading in the snow…in our capable minivan.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
The River freezes at night and thaws during the day but the water flows underneath. As weather cools in the winter months the frozen river top grows deeper.