Tibetan Monks in Bend

My friend Angie invited me to go see the Tibetan Monks at the library. They were there on a tour, this stop was to create a Sand Mandala. Mandala means :that which extracts the essence." This mandala is a two-dimensional one. These are the most creative, labor intensive, and concentration intensive of all mandalas created. 

the mandalas they do on the tour require between two and five days, being completed by several monks at a time. Prayers are said throughout the making of the mandala. 

Traditionally, upon completion, the mandala is swept up and placed in a river, lake, or ocean as an offering to purify the surrounding environment.

The dogs are getting along!

Yippee! I am very glad they are getting along. Red, the dog next to Cricket, is kind of hard to get a long with at first. He is very protective and anxious. When Cricket would come around, he would bite her face. He doesn't do that anymore, thankfully. 

Jonathan and I have been taking Red, Helix, and Cricket for daily walks to try and relieve some of Red's energy. I think it has been working great!

Back to Bend....for a little while

Back in Bend, for a little bit. Jonathan and I are house sitting for our friends who are away for the summer. Now that we are back at least we get these spectacular sunsets. We are also picking up some work here and there. We figure, might as well while we are here. I am also having a great time taking care of three dogs.:)

John Day Fossil Beds Clarno Unit

The John Day Fossil beds, Clarno Unit is located in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin, it is managed by the National Park Service. The park in known for it's well-preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals that lived here in the region between the late Eocene, about 45 million years ago, and the late Miocene, about 5 million years ago. This unit is one of 3 separate units that also include Sheep Rock, and the Painted hills. 

Of coarse there was a trail to travel, so we did. It took us a long a history lesson of the area. It was once lush enough to be a rain forest. 

The hike lead us to this area of the fossil beds that had eroded away over time and created this skylight. It was amazing!

Along the walk there are a lot of signs telling about what you can see and how it was formed. Often by the sign was an opportunity to see fossils, like this leaf imprint below.

This picture below shows a nice view of the skylight from a distance.

Cottonwood Canyon, OR

Before heading back to Bend we tried to get a little camping in at a place called Cottonwood Canyon. This is located just outside of Wasco. We went here because Holly, (Jonathan's sister) heard about it from a client. This is the newest State Park in Oregon, established in 2013, also the second largest in Oregon spanning 8,000 acres.

Although it was gorgeous, it was windy with little to block it. We ended up keeping shelter in the van most of the evening we spent there. The next day seemed to have been a bit less windy so we walked to the water to check things out.

We would like to visit the park again in the future when the trees have grown up a bit. 

Multnomah Falls

After Portland, Jonathan and I headed Northeast to go camping. On the way we stopped at Multnomah Falls. The falls drop in 2 major steps, split into an upper falls of 542ft and a lower falls of 69ft, with a gradual 9ft drop in elevation between the two, so the total height of the waterfall is conventionally given as 620ft.

It is the tallest waterfall in Oregon. It is the second tallest year-round waterfall in the United States.

This picture is blurry, but it was our only selfie here. :)

We did a small hike that lead us up to the bridge to gander at the falls from a different viewpoint. It really is amazing the things God created for us. 

Portland, Or

At this point I haven't seen my Mom in 6 months!! That is way to long! I missed her very much and was super excited to be heading her way. Here are Jonathan and Cricket driving down the road to Portland.

We had a lovely time together, here Is Jonathan and my Mom at lunch on Lake Oswego.

It was nice to be able to spend so much time with my Mom and her husband Richard. Jonathan and I were able to help with a few things around the house as well. We weed whacked, painted the front porch, pressure washed a patio and several pieces of outdoor furniture, I also helped organize a ton of cupboards. 

this beautiful bug attached itself to my purse. It was iridescent, it looked amazing in the sun.

Also while in Portland, we visited with our friend Matt Tarkon and his wife Rebekah. They invited us to their house for the son Jacob's 1st birthday party and BBQ. Below is the picture of the gift we got for Jacob. I call it a sensory basket. I never know what to get for a child that small. I just knew I didn't want anything he could choke on. :) I think i succeeded.

Here is Jonathan soaking up the lazy afternoon.