Spirit of Central Oregon – 2023

Spirit Of central Oregon

ageless spirit of dance

Life on the 21st Century farm

Falconry • Bob Shaw • Volunteers

Memories on the Metolius

Sanoma BlakelEy: chasing dreams

On the cover

Falconry: Keeping the ancient art alive

Hank Minor is a master falconer. While he understands the mythical lore and occasional romanticism of falconry, he is very clear what the sport is all about — capturing and training a bird to hunt and kill other animals.

Falconry has been practiced for 3-4,000 years — maybe longer — and was, and is, often the sport of nobility especially in the Middle East. Originally, a falconer only flew a falcon, primarily the peregrine falcon, and those flying hawks were “hawking” or “gamehawking.” Today the monicker “falconer” is ascribed to all such hunters.

Minor came relatively late to falconry. It was 2007 while in his mid 50s, living as he has most of his life in western New York. His home in the countryside was about 45 minutes from his work. Traveling the rural route one day he saw in the distance stopped cars, highly unusual for the setting.

It turned out that the vehicles were halted for an injured bird in the middle of the secondary highway destined to be roadkill without intervention. It wasn’t just any bird but an albino red-tailed hawk, only its red tail feathers giving clarification to the otherwise fully white bird that could have been mistaken for a gull.

Minor held the bird in his arms like a child as he awaited a member of the state wildlife service to come and rescue the creature, leaving Minor in tears. When reaching home that night he revealed to his wife, Laura, his intense desire to learn more about such birds and the idea of falconry.

By Bill Bartlett

Fast-forward, and Minor, now a master falconer, is a passionate and dedicated advocate for the sport. He gives compelling hour-long lectures around Central Oregon with a colorful slideshow and answers questions from curious audiences, some of whom might be fantasizing of becoming a falconer.

During such presentations he is accompanied by his Harris’s Hawk, Molly, a 13-year-old with a 48-inch wingspan, weighing about two pounds, five ounces. Molly and Minor hunt a variety of quarry but her specialty are jack rabbits, which can weigh five times as much as her, and whose rear legs can pack a deadly wallop.

Minor, like most falconers, started with red-tailed hawks and gravitated to the Harris’s. A handsome hawk of the arid Southwest, Harris’s hawk is a standout, with bold markings of dark brown, chestnut red, and white; long yellow legs; and yellow markings on its face.

The most social of North American raptors, these birds cooperate at nests and hunt together as a team. When hunting, a group of hawks surround their prey, flush it for another to catch, or take turns chasing it. This hawk’s social nature and relative ease with humans has made it popular among falconers and in education programs, according to www.AllAboutBirds.org.

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Photos by Jarod Gatley

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They are cooperative hunters, so much so that when no natural perch is high enough to spot prey, one will stand on top of another, occasionally three high, for a better view.

It is common for falconers to hunt them in pairs, something not possible with other species. Minor and Molly work alone, with the exception of Minor’s Deutsch Kurzhaar, Rory, a valuable assistant on the hunt.

Since all birds used for hunting are federally listed, there is a rigorous protocol for licensing. In Oregon it can be daunting, but it’s meant to encourage best practices and discourage casual participation.

The ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife) is clear in its regulatory stance saying: “Of all field sports in America, falconry is unique and is the only one that utilizes a trained wild creature. Falcons, hawks, eagles, and owls are essential elements of our native wildlife natural environment.

“The competent falconer takes care to follow sound conservation principles in the pursuit of the sport. The federal government’s environmental assessment states falconry has ‘no impact’ on wild raptor populations, a careless, uninformed individual, attempting to satisfy a passing fancy, can do great harm to one or more birds and cast the shadow of discredit on the sport of falconry itself.”

Minor could not agree more. Entry into the sport requires

a sponsor. There are three levels to attain: Apprentice falconer: requires you to work with a master falconer for at least two years. General falconer: requires experience with raptors and hunting. Master falconer: requires a minimum of eight years of experience.

These birds are finely tuned athletes and as such need near-daily workouts, to say nothing of building a spacious mews, a specially designed birdhouse.

Minor is one of 100 members of the Oregon Falconers Association founded in 1977, a good place to start a falconry quest. Minor is always available to those seriously considering the sport and who are aware of the ethics and rigors of falconry.

Video of Molly in flight can be viewed by scanning this QR code...

His is an engaging story that began in Anchorage, Alaska, expanded across the U.S., and came to rest here in Bend, Oregon in 1983. Weather wasn’t always Shaw’s forte, and his worklife has been full of variety.

Born in Anchorage to parents Shaw describes as “pioneer folk,” the family moved back to the lower 48 to a little farm in western New York state near Buffalo. After graduating from high school in 1967, Shaw had “one disastrous term of college.” He admits to loving college life and having lots of fun, but when his first-term grades arrived, they proved he’d had more than his share of fun.

With service in Vietnam a distinct possibility, Shaw enlisted in the U.S. Navy and immediately was sent to boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Station in Chicago, and then on to Jacksonville, Florida, where he trained as an aviation electrician. When the Navy sent him to the El Toro Marine base in Southern California, Shaw was sure he was on his way to Vietnam. Instead, he spent two years in Sicily at a small naval air facility where he worked on the flight line.

The USS Coral Sea was his next port of call, a 900-foot

BOB SHAW’S sparkling CENTRAL OREGON

By Sue Stafford

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, which was in dry dock in Alameda, California being refitted for combat. Shaw made several 10-day shake-down cruises with the other 5-6,000 sailors on board and, as he put it, “shared a bedroom with 125 other guys.”

While on the Coral Sea, Shaw became friends with several sailors who, he said, “led me to Jesus.” After his active duty, he attended a Billy Graham Crusade, where he learned about the National Encounter for Christ group that had a college ministry. Shaw was recruited by them, which led to his meeting his future wife, Cheryl, who had also been recruited.

Bob got a twinkle in his eye as he recalled meeting Cheryl at their first staff meeting. He still remembers everything about her that first day. On April 20, 1972, they began dating, were engaged on October 20, 1972, and married on April 20, 1973. They lived in California and several other states with the ministry for eight years. Their eldest daughter, Amber, was born in Santa Cruz, followed by Mindy in Baton Rouge

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“Blessed beyond what I deserve,” is the way retired KTVZ meteorologist Bob Shaw describes it. After 24 years in front of the camera, 21 as the “Most Popular TV Personality in Central Oregon,” Shaw plans to do some traveling with his wife, Cheryl, and some teaching.

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and Rene in Laguna Beach. As Amber approached school age, and with a new baby, the Shaws determined it was time to drop anchor, so they left the ministry and settled in the Bay Area, where Cheryl had grown up.

At that time, as Shaw was looking for work, recreational vehicles were becoming more popular. He drove by Hayward RV to have a look. After telling the Lord, “I will do whatever door opens,” he went in, had a wonderful chat with the manager, and started work the next day.

Shaw said, “I was in the business for four years, including three or four dealerships, and selling was fun.”

He became parts and warranty manager for Camino Camper Center and then moved to sales. His 45-minute drive from Fremont to South San Francisco could turn into two hours if there was a wreck on the bridge, so work closer to home found him selling parts again.

Bob enjoyed a fun relationship with the shop guys. One in particular, Ron, who wore “jelly-jar-bottom glasses,” had a huge impact on Shaw’s life later in Bend.

His last job in California was for the Beaver Coach dealership in Hayward. His general manager, Chuck Babler, was hired to be the national sales manager at Beaver Coach headquarters in Bend.

Bob and Cheryl had contracted “Oregon Fever” when they passed through the state on their way to Canada on their honeymoon. For 10 years, they had talked about moving to Oregon.

When Babler got the job in Bend, Shaw told him, “As soon as there is an opening in Bend, call me. We’re moving to Oregon.”

A year later, in 1983, Babler called to say they were adding a warranty administrator position in Bend. Was Shaw interested? He hopped on a bus to Bend for the interview.

One month later, on October 8, 1983, the Shaws moved with their three daughters to Bend, where Bob worked for Beaver Coach for eight years. He also worked as a finance and insurance man for several other businesses. Fourth daughter, Olivia, was born in Bend.

Perhaps Shaw’s shortest employment was as a car salesman for Carrera Motors, where he only lasted six weeks. He could sell large RVs for several hundred thousand dollars but only sold two cars in six weeks.

“The general manager handed me my check, and wished me well in my career path,” Shaw recalled.

As he was driving out of the Carrera parking lot, he sent up a little prayer. “Lord, what do you really want me to do?” The answer came immediately, “Go back to school.”

Here he was, unemployed, 45 years old, with a family to support, and only two college credits to his name. Shaw hightailed it up to COCC and asked, “Who do I talk to and what do I ask them?” He enrolled as a freshman with the intention of transferring. Fortunately, in the mid-1990s, there was lots of financial assistance for displaced workers. Shaw

actually got a pay raise with the assistance, compared to his commission on two automobile sales. During this time, Cheryl worked at Sears and U.S. Bank.

During his two years at COCC, Shaw worked as a waiter. He began at El Burrito part-time, where his oldest daughter, Amber, worked while she was enrolled in a distance-learning accounting program at Linfield.

“She trained me, and it put a whole new spin on our relationship,” Shaw remembered.

He worked for Honker’s, in the Old Mill clock tower building, for three more years as a waiter and assistant manager. Another server named Misty Urbach was making commercials on the side for KTVZ and Fox. One day Shaw asked her, “How do you do that?” She told him to go to the local TV stations and talk to the producers. He did just that, telling KTVZ, “I have no experience but if you ever need an old guy, I’d love to take a whack at it.”

The call came the next day, “Yah, I need an old guy.” Shaw’s first commercial was for Big R in Redmond.

“It was a hoot,” Bob said. “I got $25, and I had the time of my life.”

He was hired by KTVZ to do commercials in November 1999.

Shaw had done plenty of public speaking when he was part of the college ministry, so it came naturally to him. For over a year, he did both voice-over and on-camera work. One commercial for a roof gutter company changed Shaw’s life forever. He was pretending to be a weatherman in front of a green screen. When he was finished, he told them, “I don’t have any experience, but if you ever need a weatherman, I’d give it a whack.”

Turned out they were going to be needing a new weatherman, and KTVZ’s Lee Anderson called Shaw on a Monday, saying, “I’ve been watching your stuff on camera. Why don’t you come in and audition.” Shaw did the audition on Tuesday morning, and that afternoon he was told, “The job is yours if you want it.”

“I didn’t know a low-pressure center from a post hole,” Shaw admitted.

He had always wanted a job involving public speaking and here he was, on television. A year and a half in, in 2003, Shaw enrolled in a distance-learning program in meteorology at Mississippi State University. After two classes a semester year-round for three years, he graduated in 2005. Shaw considers himself an MSU Bulldog who’s never been to the campus.

As he developed his on-screen routine, he came up with a closing line for his forecast. “Have a sparkling day in Central Oregon.” He hadn’t heard “Have a sparkling day” since his time in California working with Ron, the guy with the jelly-jar-bottom glasses, who said it to everyone, every day. It just came out like a bolt from the blue.

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“I’m not leaving meteorology,” Shaw added. “I‘ll be teaching meteorology at COCC this fall in their aviation program on Mondays and Wednesdays for a couple of hours each day.” Although he doesn’t plan to get his pilot’s license, he would like to get his drone certification. That classroom is right across the hall from his.

Shaw talked about the importance of having a good team to make what he did possible. That twinkle returned to his eye when he said, “My wife, Cheryl, is my greatest advocate, cheerleader, and supporter. It didn’t matter what I was doing. She was right there. I don’t think I would have been doing this without her. All the extracurricular activities late in the day, the emcee stuff, the fundraisers. She would work our schedule around them.”

While Bob was doing the weather, Cheryl was working in the Bend School District as an educational aide for special needs students. She has also been a leader for Young Life for years. Bob describes her as a “kid magnet” with young people coming to their house, where Bob said, “She feeds them spiritually. I feed them physically as the cook.”

The Shaws’ four daughters have given them nine grandchildren living in New Jersey, Ohio, and Portland. Shaw said when the four girls and Cheryl get together, he just “sits back and watches the floor show.”

Bob and Cheryl celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year with a trip to Ireland, where Bob got down on

one knee at the Cliffs of Mohr and asked Cheryl to marry him again. Now that they are both retired, plans include some Airstream road travel to Canada, Alaska, and the lower 48, capped off by a “victory cruise” to Hawaii.

In true Shaw fashion, Bob had one parting thought for the people of Central Oregon. “Have a sparkling life in Central Oregon.”

PHOTO COURTESY BOB SHAW

Volunteers give children the gift of peaceful sleep

By Bill Bartlett

“No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!”

That’s the slogan for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a 10-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 330 chapters in 45 states including one in Bend, helping children in need sleep better.

SHP is a Platinum-Level GuideStar charity. They believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs.

All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads, SHP says. Across the U.S. too many boys and girls go without a bed – or even a pillow – to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets,

and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health.

That’s where Sleep in Heavenly Peace comes in. They’re a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling, and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace had its start like many other charities, in a garage. Luke Mickelson founded the nonprofit in 2012, in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was Christmastime, a time of joy and happiness, a time of giving and love, but also a time of bitter cold weather and snowstorms. A project that was started with the build of one bed for a single family developed into something

a whole lot more. With the wood left over from the first bed, another idea was created. “Who else could benefit from this bunk?”

Since then, Sleep in Heavenly Peace has built over 100,000 beds in 330 chapters around the country.

Mickelson says he initially got the idea to start the nonprofit after finding out not all kids have beds.

“I mean, every child has a bed, right?” he thought. “Once I learned that they don’t, and once I learned some of these conditions that kids are sleeping in, and I can solve that problem or participate in solving that problem for them — it’s changed my life.”

Mickelson says kids or teens who received beds from SHP are now among those same volunteers helping others.

“Today, we even have people who have received beds from us helping build beds for the next person,” he said.

The work is entirely volunteer driven. In Central Oregon, several build days have seen as many as 100 volunteers gather in a parking lot or warehouse donated by a supportive business to cut, sand, stain, and assemble the beds. Some of them will be single beds, but all can be turned into bunk beds.

The work in Central Oregon began in 2020 and by September of 2023 — with the aid of 400 volunteers — 1,200 beds have been built and delivered in the tri-county area. In 2023 alone, 580 were constructed by fall while the need — and pace — continues.

“It is unimaginable to me that we have a thousand-plus kids in Central Oregon who don’t have a bed,” said

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NO KID SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR IN OUR TOWN!

Helping Children In Need Sleep Better…

We fully believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. When it was brought to our attention that the need for beds went far beyond our own neighborhoods, we stepped up and took initiative. We’re a national organization answering the call to a national problem.

We’re a group of volunteers from the community dedicated to building, assembling, and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. All your generous donations stay right here in Central Oregon to ser ve our Deschutes Chapter.

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Marianne Cooper, a volunteer. “How is that even possible?” asked her teammate Bev Simmons as each sanded away on lumber at a recent build event.

The Bend Chapter, one of five in Oregon, is headed by Joe Myers, who shuns publicity for himself but is a trumpeter for the program. Myers has seen a lot of hardship in his life having served as deputy sheriff in Los Angeles working the mean streets. He was shot in the line of duty.

Following retirement from law enforcement, he ran a successful steel fabrication business in Southern California before fully retiring and moving to Central Oregon. In 1994, when undecided about his career, he rodeoed and won the steer wrestling buckle at the Sisters Rodeo.

“That’s when I fell in love with Central Oregon, and I told my wife that someday we are going to live there,” he recalled.

Operating SHP is much like his

law enforcement career, because it is putting service before self: “This was a way for me to serve and give back to the community, and really give people a hand up — not a handout, but a hand up.”

Myers and his team added Warm Springs Reservation to their list of beneficiaries having already delivered beds across a dozen communities.

Myers believes supplying kids with beds does more for them than just giving them a comfortable sleep.

“It helps with their schoolwork, it helps with their interpersonal relationships, it helps with anxiety and depression, and all these other things,” he said.

“Imagine being a child without a bed and asking your friend to come over. Their growth plates have a chance to do better and be healthy, their cells actually rejuvenate at night and heal themselves while they’re sleeping.”

To get involved visit https://shpbeds. org/chapter/or-deschutes-co/.

It helps with their schoolwork, it helps with their interpersonal relationships, it helps with anxiety and depression and all these other things.

— Joe Myers

The Metolius River is a wild and scenic place that holds many memories for many people. The river that runs through Camp Sherman is the centerpiece to an area filled with rich history and no shortage of places to escape into the forest.

Camp Sherman, 14 miles west of Sisters, got its name from Sherman County farmers who trekked to the area

MEMORIES ON THE Metolius

By Ceili Gatley

to relax, hunt, and fish after a long season’s harvest. It was settled between 1917-1918.

For many families, it has been a fishing and camping getaway for generations.

The Camp Sherman Store has served countless loyal, local customers over its many years as a business. The sandwich maker at the shop, Mitch

Martin, has been with the store for over 26 years, whipping up sandwiches for locals and those staying for a short visit.

The Metolius River offers a scenic view, whether you’re looking for a long hike from the fish hatchery to Canyon Creek Campground, or just a casual stroll along the banks.

Not only does Camp Sherman offer a rustic getaway, it is also home to

lodges and resorts that offer more of a fancy getaway, a spot for a nice dinner, or a wedding venue in the pines.

House on Metolius is nestled deep within Camp Sherman, right along the Metolius River. According to their website and operators: “Set on two-hundred acres of private land astride the river, surrounded by millions of acres of national forest, House on Metolius has served as a private estate and retreat for over a hundred years. Whether you are planning a wedding, looking for a special place for a family gathering or a business retreat, or just need a place to get away, we look forward to welcoming you to House on Metolius.”

Before House on Metolius was the resort getaway it is today, it was an operating dude ranch called the Circle M Ranch. Debbie Newport, a longtime Sisters local who has been involved with  nonprofits such Circle of Friends and the Sisters Folk Festival, and worked as an educator in Sisters schools, grew up on that ranch.

Newport’s mother’s family settled in

Camp Sherman in the 1930s and never left. Newport’s father worked the Circle M ranch, which was acquired from the Lundgren family. When she was two years old, they moved to the ranch, and Newport lived there until her late teens. Her mother became the manager of House on Metolius, and Newport came back and worked there during the summers between college years.

“I went to school there until sixth grade, and then went into Sisters and Bend for middle and high school. It was amazing to go to school in the trees in such a quiet place,” said Newport.

She grew up riding her horse, Sugar, in the meadow of House on Metolius, through the corridors of the Metolius River to Jack Creek.

“I rode bareback all over that land as a young girl. My brothers and father were fishermen, but I wasn’t quite into the fishing thing, so I rode my horse. I never worried about anything out there. I spent time being on the river and it felt like it was all ours,” said Newport.

A memory that stands out the most

for Newport is riding over to Jack Creek and seeing people fishing along the river. She would then go to work at House on Metolius and Lake Creek Lodge, cleaning cabins and seeing the families gathering every year.

“Families come back there year after year, and I babysat for families and was able to experience House on Metolius as a fisherman’s resort, and Lake Creek Lodge was always family and kid-oriented,” said Newport.

Newport has loved to see the community that has developed in Camp Sherman since the 1970s when Black Butte Ranch opened and people started living in Camp Sherman, many of whom have continued to live there since settling in the ’70s. “Camp Sherman hasn’t changed much in all these years; there isn’t much opportunity for development on that land, some cabins are still the same. The community has allowed for the store and the cabins to keep their character and sense of nostalgia,” said

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Newport. She calls Camp Sherman a place that remains a treasure for anyone who visits, and the area is a favorite for many people.

Newport remembers driving around the Metolius arm on the dirt roads all the way to Lake Billy Chinook. “We drove a ’60s-era army surplus jeep with no top with my dad.

Lake Creek Lodge is another rustic resort that offers cabins for groups to stay in. Many families have a standing reservation in the summer months, making it their second home. The original cabins were constructed in the 1920s and 1930s and the Lodge was passed down from Bud and Roblay McMullin, who were gifted the property in 1937; they owned it up until 1974.

Gordon Jones bought the Lodge in 2003 and has owned it ever since. Jones has done numerous improvements to the area, building new cabins, providing a better habitat for migrating fish. The creek that runs through the Lodge is a major thoroughfare for fish

migrating into the Metolius.

With the effort to improve and modernize, “we’ve tried to keep the honor and value the rustic Lake Creek Lodge,” said Jones.

Recently, Jones and the team at Lake Creek Lodge acquired Chef Paul Mercer who formerly owned and operated the well-known Kokanee Café.

“Paul was the missing piece to freshening up the restaurant at the Lodge. We want a good culture here and there can’t be one bad apple, and Paul is the perfect addition,” said Jones.

Mercer hosted a field-to-table event in August, where they served exclusively Central Oregon-grown food items. It was a four-course meal with all locally grown produce, grass-fed Rainshadow Organics beef, and homegrown strawberries.

Lake Creek Lodge is available for bookings year-round, offering a summer excursion on the river, or a cozy winter cabin sitting by the

fireplace. For more information, visit www.lakecreeklodge.com

Once you experience the Metolius River, you’ll want to go back. You never leave it — and it never leaves you.

“I still hike around the horn of the Metolius today,” said Newport.

“That river is still in me. It’s a part of me, and more than any other river, I feel like I came to this river and I’ll return to that river and on to the next journey. The river doesn’t change and it’s always bubbling up from the ground. No matter where I am, I can always come back there and get grounded again. It’s always there.”

PHOTOS COURTESY DEBBIE NEWPORT

Life on the 21st Century farm

By Sue Stafford

Central Oregon is well-known for its multitude of outdoor activities — hiking, camping, snow sports, fishing, river rafting, biking, horseback riding.

A newer, less-well-known attraction is agritourism, with local farmers and ranchers opening their properties to visitors and offering a wide variety of locally grown products and crafted wares.

The High Desert Food Trail is a year-round self-guided adventure designed to be taken at your own pace through the awe-inspiring landscapes of Central Oregon. You’ll experience the regenerative farms, ranches, and businesses, that support the production and distribution of local food.

The trail features 45 unique businesses, from Sisters Meat and Smokehouse to La Pine’s Legend Cider Company, Prineville’s Wine Down Ranch, Madras Saturday Market, and Tumalo Farm Stand. There is something for everyone to experience while gaining a deeper understanding of the High Desert’s agricultural roots.

A map and listing of tour locations can be found online at www.hdffa.org/hdft. The trail is a program of the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance under the Travel Oregon Food Trails.

Sakari (Sweet) Farms, located at 65060 U.S. Hwy. 20 near Tumalo, is the venture of Sam Schreiner, farm manager, and his wife, Upingaksraq (tribal name) Spring Alaska Schreiner, who are operating a Native-owned (Inupiaq) tribal farm and educational business.

They are growing traditional foods using ancestral tribal seed, native fruits, vegetables, herbs, and specialty plant medicine. The farm also hosts a variety of services for tribal members, including technical assistance, on-farm tribal cooking classes, tribal food events, tribal

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PHOTO BY LOMA SMITH

SAKARI FARMS’ AWARD-WINNING HOT SAUCE.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

LEAH THOMPSON AT STUMPMUNK FARMS.

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, always held the second Saturday in July, is renowned as the largest outdoor quilt show in the world.

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enterprise development, seed-saving classes, and the PNW Intertribal Seed Bank.

In their farm and online stores, available for purchase are massage and body oils, tribal foods, smoked flavored salts and other seasonings, herbal teas, salsas, pesto, and herbs. Their newest addition on the farm is their kitchen — Niqi — which means “eat.” This is where, they say, “the magic happens.”

The propagation house was built using all recycled materials and is where all the seeds are started before being transplanted. They have seven large greenhouses, with both overhead and drip irrigation. They also have a drying shed, irrigation pond and two acre-feet of water, and compost pile, as well as an open area where they hold tribal events.

The Schreiners began their operation July 1, 2018, and that fall they made their first donation of produce and products to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Their farming philosophy is that they donate to the tribes first, sending truckloads to the Burns Paiutes and the Umatillas. They practice trading and sharing at no profit. Spring believes “success isn’t always profit. It’s about how we give.”

Ov er 1,0 0 quilts on display from quilters of all ages and skill levels.

Amidst a festival atmosphere, 10,000+ visitors from all over the U.S. and multiple countries come to celebr ate the creativity, skill, and heritage of quilting ar ts.

Save the date...

Sisters Ou t doo r Quilt Show™

Saturday, July

Open to the public at no cha rge!

www.so qs.org

Sam’s specialty is growing 10 varieties of peppers and using them to craft a variety of salsas and hot sauces. He was raised in Camp Sherman and graduated from Sisters High School. He learned to love gardening from his parents and left being a diesel mechanic to join Spring at farming as the farm manager.

Spring is the owner/principal ecologist and indigenous agriculturist at the farm. She is an enrolled member and shareholder of the Chugach Alaska Native Corporation and Valdez Native tribe. She has received numerous indigenous and agricultural awards and is the creator of the 2023 PNW Tribal Agricultural Guide.

To arrange a visit to Sakari Farms, call 541-647-9604. Their online store is at www.sakarifarms.com.

Wandering through the fields and growing tunnels at Stumpmunk Farms provides a feast for the senses as you take in the surrounding colors, textures, and fragrance of the annuals and perennials.

Leah Thompson and her husband, Chad, started the farm in 2020, growing cut flowers and fillers using natural and sustainable practices. Leah is the grower, harvester, marketer, bookkeeper, and social media specialist. Chad handles construction, irrigation, and tech support, as well as providing occasional emotional support.

The farm’s name originated while the couple was watching a family of local frolicking chipmunks, doing what chipmunks do, including sitting on stumps. Thus, Stumpmunk Farms, which covers five acres. The flowers

cover about a half-acre that is fenced to deter deer. Everything is grown from seed starting in December. There is no downtime as planning is done a year in advance. Compost comes from Harmony Farms Animal Sanctuary. Leah practices no-till farming.

For the summer of 2023, the public was able to purchase CSA subscriptions, which provided 10 weeks of fresh flowers directly from the farm’s fields to a subscriber’s home. By purchasing a subscription, you are helping a local farmer offset initial costs of growing while sharing in a portion of the harvest.

Born in Korea, Leah grew up in California. She has always loved plants, but she never had a garden. She loves flower farming and being surrounded by beautiful things.

Leah also has a store, Flora Deschutes, in Bend at the Winco Center, 150 NE Bend River Mall Dr., Ste. 250, where she carries gifts, plants, and dried wreaths year-round.

She is there Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. for bouquet pickups.

Leah said, “My ultimate goal for the farm is to grow for the floral trade, i.e., florists, wedding and event designers.

Having the store will give area florists and designers a place to do in-person

SAKARI FARMS IN TUMALO HAS ADDED A KITCHEN — NIQU.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

PHOTO BY LEAH THOMPSON

shopping for local flowers. Flora Deschutes will function as a wholesale flower market spring through fall when fresh flowers are available, and then shift to dried flowers and wreaths, plants, and goods that are handmade locally for the late fall and winter season.”

This past season, she partnered with a few other growers to stock the market, and she hopes to add more partners next season and continue to expand their offerings to the florists and designers. Leah will also be collaborating with a designer for wedding florals using Central Oregon-grown flowers.

More information is available on their website and on Instagram @stumpmunkfarms and @floradeschutes. The farm is located on Goodrich Road outside Sisters.

The Lazy Z Ranch at the front door of Sisters, 68540 U.S. Hwy. 20, has been reinvented by current owners John and Renee Herman as a regenerative bee ranch and farmhouse meadery. Mead is believed to be the oldest wine, made using honey.

The Hermans’ philosophy of farming is to put more into the land than they take from it. They utilize no till farming and rotate crops, which is better for the soil. They will eventually have a tasting room on the farm and an outdoor space for small gatherings and music events.

John explained, “Mead is the most environmentally

sustainable alcoholic beverage. Ethically and sustainably produced honey is the result of ecological systems of abundance. At the Lazy Z Ranch, we utilize regenerative practices to foster systemic health by focusing on building healthy soil. We specialize in biodiverse regenerative bee pastures (grazable pollinator habitat), ultra- high-density cattle grazing, and honeybees. The honey and subsequent honey wine is simply the excess harvested from the abundance of the regenerative system.”

The mead can be ordered online and shipped to 40 states, picked up at the Ranch, or is available at local farmers’ markets in Sisters, Bend, and Northwest Crossing. It is also carried at a number of local stores. When purchasing the Ranch Wines, you are supporting regenerative and pollinator-friendly agriculture.

The Estate traditional mead is made from wildflower honey from the Ranch’s apiary. It is semi-sweet mead, pale gold in color, with the aromas of apple blossom, pear, vanilla, and meadow. Flavors include vanilla bean, caramel, orange peel, and cardamom.

Lavender Blossom traditional mead features local single-origin lavender blossom honey produced by Central Oregon bees on a lavender farm just outside Bend. The light, floral, high-desert honey produces a semi-sweet traditional mead with a pale straw color. Its aroma is of oak, beeswax, orange blossom, and bubblegum. It has a delicate, elegant, floral finish with flavors of rose, lemon, and apple.

Lazy Z Ranch Wines is one of the only farmhouse meaderies in the entire country, and the first one in Oregon. Visit LazyZRanch.com for more information about the Ranch and to sign up for updates or order mead.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY MEUDT

PHOTO BY JOHN HERMAN

HONEY PROCESSING AT LAZY Z RANCH IN SISTERS.

CENTRAL OREGON RIDER chases dreams

By Jim Cornelius |

When Sanoma Blakeley and her horse Goober crossed the finish line in the grueling Tevis Cup Ride endurance race in 2019, she fulfilled a dream she’d held since childhood. Recounting the dramatic tale of that exceptional victory has opened up other trails and other adventures to the Terrebonne equestrienne.

Blakeley was 18 years old when she won the 100-mile Western States Trail Ride endurance race that starts in Tahoe and climbs over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to end in Auburn, California. The win made her the youngest woman to ever win the prestigious race and take the coveted Tevis Cup — and she won it in dramatic fashion, catching the leaders at mile 94, and crossing the finish line in the lead by a mere horse length.

She beat a competitor who had won the race three times (now five). And to

make the story all the more remarkable, she did it on the back of a horse she named Goober, who came to her family free from Craig’s List.

The two-year-old Goober had “issues” acute enough for the previous owner to give him away — but Blakeley and her family were up to the challenge of training him. And the horse had heart. They entered the Tevis Cup multiple times before the 2019 epic, most of the time failing to finish. But horse and rider persevered and triumphed.

If that sounds like a story that needed

to be told — it was. And Blakeley had the interest and the skills to tell it herself. She had grown up on horseback at her family’s Terrebonne ranch — and

Photo by David Brownell

she had also grown up telling stories.

“I don’t think my parents ever had to tell me twice to go saddle up my horse,” she said.

Of course, a young girl is going to get attached to her horses — but ranching and horse training is a business, and horses come and go. Blakeley remembers sitting in a treehouse with her brother writing up the tales of departed horses.

“We went through a lot of horses, you know, buying, selling, trading,” she said. “You’d write down their story so you didn’t forget them.”

She realized that she enjoyed writing, and that she was good at it. Someone asked Blakeley to write a magazine article about winning the Tevis Cup. Trying to reduce the tale into a 1,000-word article made her realize that there was a lot of story there to be told.

She wrote an outline for a book, and she discovered that, “You know what, I’ve got a lot here to make a great story. And then it kind of turned into my COVID project.”

While the world locked down, Blakeley got down to writing. Writing the first draft was a pleasure. There was no pressure, because she didn’t have a deadline, or even a clear picture of what the book would be. Writing helped her pull up fun memories of her journey with Goober.

Then it came time to try to get the book out into the world. That proved to be as challenging in its way as finishing a major endurance race. Editing, revising, and seeking publication was work Finding an agent wasn’t easy.

“It was a long process,” Blakeley recalled. “It was difficult. I got a lot of rejection letters. Everybody was positive about it, but it wasn’t for them for different reasons.”

Once she had secured an agent, it was on to collecting rejection letters from publishers.

“That was very demoralizing,” she admits.

The arduous process of publishing might be daunting, but Blakeley had climbed the Sierra Nevada, forded

rivers, endured blazing heat, and frozen at night in her racing adventure. She could handle this.

Eventually, she found a publisher, and worked to get the book into final, sellable shape.

“Chasing Dreams: The True Story of the Youngest Female Tevis Cup Champion,” was published in July. And it’s a hit.

Blakeley signed hundreds of books at packed signings. The first printing was sold out by September. Signings continue through fall. Something in her story and the way she told it has struck a chord.

“It’s a feel-good story,” Blakeley says. “It’s an underdog story.”

She thinks that people just like the idea that “these kinds of stories are still relevant, still happening in 2019-2023.”

Are there more stories in her future?

“I feel like I finally know what I’m doing when it comes to writing, so I’d love to (write another book),” she said. “I just need to come up with the story. I’ve got a few ideas floating around.”

She’s still on horseback. She’s training a couple of horses now, and says she has “strong expectations.”

As for Goober… “Goober’s just living his best life,” she says.

He’s “not quite retired… just fat and sassy.”

PHOTOS BY RON OSBORN

PHOTO COURTESY SANOMA BLAKELEY

PLAYING �ourist IN CENTRAL OREGON

By Sue Stafford

Riding the Rails

There’s something about climbing aboard a historic train that slows the world down, providing the opportunity to truly enjoy the scenery along the rails.

Not far from the High Desert is just such an excursion, on the Mount Hood Railroad in Hood River, located in the scenic Columbia Gorge. The Hood River Valley is famous for its orchards full of apples, pears, and cherries and it’s more recent vineyards.

Hood River is a charming hillside town full of brightly painted old homes and a variety of restaurants. The views around Hood River are breathtaking, with Mount Hood to the south, and Mount Adams to the north, across the Columbia River. There are any number of things to see and do in the Gorge, using Hood River as your base camp. Windsurfing, hiking, biking, paddleboarding, exploring the Gorge by car, experiencing the changing landscape from Multnomah Falls eastward past cliffs with waterfalls to open grassland and wildflower prairies.

The historic railroad depot was built in 1906 by the OWR & N Railroad to serve Hood River’s thriving fruit, timber, and tourist industries. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, the building is now the headquarters

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Whether you’re a local or a visitor, there’s nothing more enjoyable than setting aside a day or two here and there just to take in the sights. Spirit of Central Oregon offers here a couple of off-beat opportunities to touch Oregon history.

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for the Mount Hood Railroad. Reservations can be made on their website www.mthoodrr. com.

The restored train leaves the downtown depot to travel along the east fork of the Hood River, up the valley, through lush forests, orchards, and vineyards, past waterfalls, to a renovated cold storage building called The Fruit Company, where tourists can shop from a huge selection of goods, clothing, food stuffs, and gift items. Across the parking lot is the Mt. Hood Winery tasting room, where wines can be sampled and purchased.

The onboard conductor, replete in an authentic historic uniform, is entertaining while presenting information on history, Hood River, the orchards, the old days of the timber industry, and answering passengers’ questions. After two-and-a-half hours the train is back at the depot.

Besides the scenic train excursions offered April through October on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., there are also guided railbike trips where two people can pedal or e-assist along the tracks up through the same scenery seen on the train, and into the fertile orchards.

Camp Polk Cemetery

On a hill above the lush Camp Polk Meadow, where Whychus Creek has been restored to its original meander, can be found the historic Camp Polk Cemetery, final resting place for many of Sisters’ early residents and some more recent citizens.

The cemetery is older than the town of Sisters. Soldiers from Polk County, Company A, 1st Regiment of Oregon Infantry Volunteers were sent over the mountains in 1865 to establish a camp to protect settlers and travelers from

E-bikes are also available to rent from the railroad, to explore this gorgeous region in an environmentally friendly way.

Special holiday trains are available at Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. This year, for the first time, passengers can take part in “The Phantom of the Rails,” a spooky yet elegant adventure inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Take a thrilling ride by the light of the fall moon through the dark forest to a creepy factory in a valley rumored to be filled with ghosts and spooks. An enchanting cast of characters will lead you in solving the mystery surrounding strange hauntings. The Phantom Train runs at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on October 20, 21, 27, and 28. There are three different packages available, and reservations can be made

online. The event contains content that is geared toward mature audiences. Recommended 13+.

The Christmas Train is a 1.2-hour trip that runs November 24-December 27th. The trip captures the magic and spirit of the Christmas season and is perfect for families. There is music aboard, and Santa joins the train to meet the children. There are three classes of reservations with adult and child prices for each. Reservations can be made online, and there is discounted pricing on Christmas Train tickets in November.

The Easter Train for ages 2+ is tentatively scheduled to return on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at 9 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. The Easter Bunny will be hopping through the train, all the way to The Fruit Company. Joyful music, coloring pages, and valley views will delight families roundtrip. Tickets can be upgraded to include an Easter egg hunt, conductor hat, Easter basket, and more. Tickets will be available online in early 2024.

Indian attacks, which never occurred. The soldiers built eight log cabins in which they spent the winter, but they abandoned the camp the next spring when they could make their way back over the mountains to the Willamette Valley.

Samuel Hindman homesteaded the meadow in 1873 and established a post office called Camp

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A RESTORED FARM TRUCK GREETS VISITORS FROM THE TRAIN AS THEY ENTER THE FRUIT COMPANY.

ELEVATE YOUR BRAND

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Polk in 1875. The Hindman homestead became an important stage stop on the wagon road between the Willamette Valley and Prineville and the first community in the Sisters area. As the number of settlers grew in the area, a place was needed to bury their dead. In 1880, the Hindman family set aside a portion of their homestead as a two-acre cemetery, which also took the name of Camp Polk.

There are currently somewhere between 170-200 gravesites in the cemetery, although there may well be other unmarked graves there also. Nine commemorative markers recognize individuals who are believed to be buried at the site, although their graves have not been located.

The oldest known grave is that of Thomas Summers, who was interred July 8, 1880. No one seemed to know who he was. In November of that same year, 3-and-a-half-yearold Nellie Claypool was buried there. Her family was living at the Fish Lake way station when Nellie became very ill. The nearest doctor was in

horse and wagon. By the time they reached the Hindman place, Nellie was too ill to travel farther and died

soon after they arrived.

The Hindmans cared for the Claypool family at this sad time. They built a little casket, lined it with cloth, and helped the family bury Nellie in the Camp Polk cemetery, where her marker is still visible.

A stroll through the cemetery, taking time to read the headstones and handwritten notes, gives rise to multitudes of questions and amazement at the local history that is revealed. One marker simply says, “COWBOY 19 YRS HORSE KICKED”. The story goes that he was carried into the local Sisters saloon for aid and the bartender thought he was just drunk. He died and no one knew him, so he was buried nameless.

The cemetery is located on Cemetery Road off Camp Polk Road about 4.7 miles northeast of Sisters. Occasional tours of the cemetery are led by members of the Three Sisters Historical Society, but self-guided tours are welcome.

UP TO THE Northern Cascades

By Ceili Gatley

Hood River is a gem of a town located just east of Mt. Hood nestled within the Columbia River Gorge. Mt. Hood looms in the distance, casting its shadow over numerous local farms and vineyards.

Hood River is known for its farm scene, fruits, and wines. Some of the best regional grapes come out of the Gorge, Hood River included.

From Sisters, the drive is gorgeous, through the mountains, up and over the Mt. Hood pass, and lasts around 3-and-a-half hours. It’s an easy day trip or a short weekend trip with plenty of places to stop along the way, most notably, Trillium Lake, which provides a scenic view of Mt. Hood across the lake, especially at sunset.

Driving through to downtown Hood River, you will pass orchards and vineyards.

The town of Hood River has a walkable waterfront area, which is a great way to explore the town. There are restaurants with outdoor patios that look out at the Columbia River,

often jam-packed with wind and kite surfers. Hood River is a popular wind and kite surfing destination due to the high, gusty winds that blow through waters of the Gorge

If you’re a foodie, or just looking to cool off with a beverage, there are many local breweries and wineries in downtown Hood River as well as up into the hills at vineyard tasting rooms. Some of the places to check out: pFriem German beer brewery, located on the waterfront, Double Mountain Brewery, and Full Sail Brewery. All of which have local food options.

Hood River is known for its winemaking along with its perfect climate and topography to grow wine grapes. Mt. Hood Winery offers a tasting room to sample all of their locally sourced wines, as well as a tour of the grapevines by appointment. Stave & Stone Winery is another great place to take in views of Mt. Hood and taste locally sourced wines of all kinds.

For more information about vineyards to visit in the area see

PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY

Fine Minerals & Fossils

Custom Design Jewelry

Rare Agate

Emerald Diamond

Hand- Carved Sterling with Natural Gold Nugget s

Alabaster Lighting

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ Attractions-g51909-Activities-c36t132-Hood_River_Oregon.html.

Spring/summertime in Hood River is probably the best time to visit, with fruits in season, gorgeous weather, and clear skies as far as the eye can see. There are various apple farms and areas just a few minutes outside of downtown that offer tours, fruit picking, and more. It seems as if everything grows in the Hood River Valley due to its climate and soil, so visiting when flowers of every color are in bloom along the Columbia River is a great way to soak in the other side of our Cascade mountains during the hot, dry summer months.

For visitor information on Hood River see www.visithoodriver.com.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

OREGON Spirit Distillers TOUR

By Ceili Gatley | Photos By Jarod Gatley

Part of the spirit of Central Oregon is the enjoyment of actual spirits.

Oregon Spirit Distillers (OSD) is known for high-end spirits, encompassing locally sourced materials and grains from here in Oregon. Their website states, “Our mission is to distill with a commitment to local agriculture and Oregon’s bold, independent personality. To bring quality, premium spirit brands unique, interesting, and outstanding in their class to the world market.”

Owners Brad and Kathy Irwin started the distillery in Bend in 2009. Irwin always had a passion for distilling, and was interested in different styles of whiskey and what made each type different. They have one of the largest whiskey barrel inventories in the state, and they take their craft seriously. With over 25 employees, OSD distills, bottles, labels, and serves its products all by hand with heart and passion.

Hannah Gill, director of sales and marketing, and Brandy

Pieper, production director, led a tour of the facilities of OSD. Pieper walked through the various stages of the whiskey process before it was bottled in their own unique, hand-stamped tulip vase-style bottles.

They offer a facility tour for groups, parties, individuals, or the whiskey connoisseur.

The tour starts with observing the stills and fermenters they use daily to produce batches of what is known as “mash” and then “spirit.” Whiskey is usually made from corn, barley, or rye. Oregon Spirit Distillers is becoming known for its wheat whiskey blend.

They source almost every type of grain from Oregon farmers and distill in pure Cascadian water. They are committed to using the highest level of locally sourced grains for their products.

Each one of the tanks in the facility has a purpose in getting the spirit from its grain form or “mash”: sitting in water,

adding yeast to eat the sugar and create alcohol, all the way down to distilling in copper. Copper is best for distilling spirits because the material removes sulfides from the distillate, which produces a better-tasting-and-smelling final product. It is then drained into a tank in its purest form. Interestingly, all alcohols come out clear and pure with the oils and essences of whatever grains from which they began.

From there they age the alcohol in charred white-oak barrels. The white-oak char gives the clear whiskey grain alcohol its color and smoky flavor. They source the barrels from Kentucky and age the alcohol for four years, and then it takes two months to process the whiskey to be bottle-ready. In any given season, OSD has over 2,500 barrels aging.

They also distill gin, vodka, and absinthe.

The entire bottling process is done by hand, even down to labeling and corking the bottles. The distillery values its team, and each person is integral to creating their products.

You can witness the process of distilling spirits on their tour.

“What makes the tour unique is you get to taste as you go on the tour, you get up close and personal with the product, and everyone around you can answer questions about what’s happening in what part of the facility. Our staff is very well-educated, and the level of knowledge is huge here,” said Brandy Pieper. The 20- to 30-minute tour costs $20, which includes a tasting flight or one of their homemade cocktails using their spirits.

Oregon Spirit Distillers offers a tasting room bar with charcuterie, fancy pretzels, and killer cocktails made with their in-house spirits.

You can visit Tuesday-Saturdays 12-6 p.m., at the tasting room and distillery located at 740 NE 1st St. in Bend.

MAK �rea tive spirit

Fleur De Lux, an 18-foot-tall kinetic sculpture created by KinSculpt, received additional creative energy from visitors who utilized chalk to add drawings and messages to the sculpture. Learn more about KinSculpt at www. highdesertmakers.org/ kinsculpt.

A sunny weekend in early September was perfect for a gathering of the creative, the curious, and the resourceful for an event dubbed "the greatest showand-tell on earth." Central Oregon Maker Fair was held on the grounds of Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room on Simpson Avenue in Bend.

For a cost of entry less than the price of a cup of coffee, festivalgoers witnessed and participated in a wide variety of “making." People shared what they are doing and learning, from art to recycling, science to music, repurposing to cardboard tube fighting.

A chalkboard near the stage captured the spirit of the event: "Making opens the doors of possibility. Making breaks barriers. Making releases the hidden passion in everyone. — Doc [Burnett]."

Jonathan Dailey of Slide Box Guitars creates functional art. But when he completes a piece, it’s really just a beginning. The creative process will continue in the hands of the musician who will make music from the one-of-kind cigar box guitars he handcrafts. Each one is a unique art piece, inspired by found vintage materials.

The instruments make creating music accessible, with their small size and easyto-play three strings set up in open tuning. They are perfect for living room play or around the campfire. To learn more about Dailey’s guitars, visit www. slideboxguitars.com.

Johnathan Daily with one of his "Slide Box Guitars."

Participants added words indicative of their craft, passion, or project to a canvas that subliminal story artist Mark Jamnik would later turn into a unique art piece that can be viewed by scanning this QR code...

Janelle Musson, local radio personality and president of Central Oregon Songwriters Association (a nonprofit organization founded to promote, educate, and motivate members to write, market, and improve their skills as songwriters), coordinated the main stage — a place where a variety of locals shared the music they are creating and songs they are writing. Even impromptu music from instruments just constructed at a nearby booth came to life on the stage. Musicians ran the gamut from seasoned professionals to brave youth — and not-so-youthful — songwriters stepping on a stage for the very first time. Like many of the activities at the Fair, much inspiration could be found in watching everyday people express their creativity, in this case through music. For more information about Central Oregon Songwriters Association, email Janelle Musson at songwritersofcentraloregon@gmail.com.

Hands-on activities included polishing rocks, building elaborate marble tracks, crafting glass mosaics, making cardboard swords, and weaving spun plastic...

At Reuse All Detritus maker Russell Simpson spun strips of plastic bags into "plarn" that he uses to produce useful items like chair cushions, hanging baskets, and flower pots to grow food in. Check out his process and products at www.radllc.org.

To learn more about Central Oregon Maker Fair and how to participate in 2024, visit www.centraloregon. makerfaire.com.

THE AGELESS �pirit OF dance

By Ceili Gatley | Photos by Park West Photography

Sue Leek has been dancing for over 20 years. Leek is the type of person who dances to her own beat in many aspects of life — not only on the dance floor competing in dance competitions at the age of 80, but also as the owner of a thriving Sisters business, Mackenzie Creek Mercantile. She has owned and operated the store since purchasing it in 2010. Leek has been a Sisters resident since 1964 and worked for the Cyrus family at Aspen Lakes.

Leek grew up dancing as a young girl and got back into it at age 60. Once her kids were grown and out of the house, she wanted to do something to occupy her time.

“I love music and dance, and it’s fun to dance to choreography and hear the hits in the music when you are supposed to change,” she said. “I enjoy putting movements to the music.”

Leek has always had a curious mind and loves to learn, and over the past two decades she has put a lot of effort, time, and energy into dance.

“It is a serious hobby for me, and I have a goal of continuing to get better and compete, even at 80 years old,” she said.

Leek dances with Travis Kokkeler of Dance With Travis Dance Studio in Bend. He is Leek’s partner, choreographer, and trainer for all the dance competitions.

As his studio website notes: “Travis Kokkeler, DWT’s Owner / Instructor, was originally taught and trained through the Fred Astaire System and has been dancing and teaching since 1995. He holds an associates dance director certification with high honors. He has performed and competed professionally and with students in and out of the United States in the 28 years he has been dancing. He has taken numerous professional coaching and training classes with top-level ballroom, tango, and line-dancing dance coaches."

He has been at every competition with Leek,

choreographing the routines and dancing as her partner.

Leek has been competing since 2003 at group competitions, against other couples and in solo routines. The competition brackets are based on age and skill level.

“It takes time, money, commitment, and a long time to prepare for them, usually around a year to be prepared for competitions,” said Kokkeler.

Leek has been to countless competitions, showcasing her joyful spirit. She has won numerous top-20 student and solo championship awards and first place for her solo routines at the Columbia Star Ball in Portland two years in a row.

To prepare for competitions, Kokkeler and Leek look at former routines and styles they’ve done before, hear a song, and say, “That’d be fun; let’s do that.”

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I love music and dance...

Continued from page 40

Sometimes they do a medley of five dancing styles, such as the balboa, quickstep, tango, salsa, and cha-cha.

“We incorporate parts of different dances and paint a picture of it, and it usually morphs from the beginning and changes throughout the routine,” said Leek.

Leek dances because she loves it. At 80 years old, she plans to compete in the Aloha Ball in Hawaii in February.

“I am blessed to have good health, and it is important to keep moving at my age, and dancing helps me do that,” Leek said. “It has been a great way to stave off Alzheimer’s because you have to remember the routine based on the music and then execute and convey it to a partner. And it’s all a whole lotta fun and is good for you.

“There must be a joy and a want to do it because you have to work at it; you have to have that desire to excel because it takes work, and you work at it daily. It’s never gotten old for me in 20 years.”

Leek dances with Kokkeler once a week for four hours, and works on different routine elements every time.

“She will do whatever she needs to, to be here dancing every week,” said Kokkeler.

Her instructor and partner takes Leek’s spirit and drive for dancing and incorporates that into their routines, allowing the judges and everyone to see Leek’s infectious joy.

Leek’s passion for dance is one she doesn’t plan on giving

up anytime soon, and she says she will continue to compete as long as she can. She will always make room in her life for the spirit of dance.

Leek is the type of person who dances to her own beat in many aspects of life...

PARASOL MUSHROOM (MACROLEPIOTAPROCERA)

Mushrooms — fungi to the enthusiast — are all around us. Aficionados of all ages delight in hunting the sometimes otherworldly looking organisms, many of which are edible for humans (some are deadly). A few are prized delicacies served in the world’s finest eateries.

A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Toadstools are generally poisonous to humans.

In Central Oregon, mushrooms are a big business. Dozens of commercial hunters gather in the Deschutes National Forest under permits. For a few months every May and June, dozens of professional mushroom pickers comb the Forest rounding up chanterelles, matsutakes, morels, and oyster mushrooms, with morels being the dominant variety by far.

Morels fetch up to $100 per pound in restaurants. Most of our Deschutes

’Shrooming IN CENTRAL OREGON

By Bill Bartlett

harvested mushrooms will end up in Asia by way of Washington, where buyers camped with the pickers will send them once dried.

The vast majority of Deschutes permittees are of Asian descent. Sam Sene, whose family origin is Lao, has been buying and drying area mushrooms for 20 years. Notwithstanding their high value, Sene describes the camaraderie among pickers and buyers.

“We all know and trust each other,” he said. “There’s plenty for everybody.”

In order to maintain good data and best management practices, you need a permit — albeit free — to hunt mushrooms in the Deschutes National Forest. Help yourself (with permit and harvest area map in your possession) to two gallons per day for 10 days of picking. Commercial picking is $2 per day per picker with a 10-day minimum or $100 for an annual permit.

For local enthusiasts there is almost no month that they will not be out, but August, September, and October are

best. Morels are still around in August. Chanterelles — white and yellowfoot — are in their splendor as are 20 other varieties in the fall.

As with any food, there is debate about which are the best tasting. The good news is that we have a number of mushrooms that will thrill the palate.

Mushroom identification takes time and dedicated study. Certainly many mushrooms have look-alikes but there are plenty that are unique, and these are the mushrooms to learn first. You can safely handle any mushroom but be sure to keep your hands away from your face. Generally, non-gilled mushrooms are safest for beginners and include many edibles, so advises the Central Oregon Mushroom Club.

The Bend-based Club, founded in 2010, has around 150 members. They hold regular meetings with informed presenters, but it is their field trips that are the biggest draw. They welcome

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folks to check them out.

Down the road a bit you can find the annual Sunriver Fungi Fest, held in October each year. 2023 is their seventh such gathering held at the resort’s Nature Center & Observatory. It’s a great place to slake your mushroom curiosity. There are displays, cooking demonstrations, a marketplace, and guided walks.

This being Central Oregon, where all good things related to farm-to-table happen, Rob Glenney runs Deschutes Gourmet Mushrooms in Redmond. Located on 2-1/2 acres along the Deschutes River, the delicate caps and stems are kept in pristine condition on their short journey from farm to table.

The mushrooms are cultivated indoors on different combinations of sawdust, bran, whole grains, and Avion water. They thrive in the fruiting room, where temperature and humidity are closely monitored with a descending fog from a humidifier system that gives the mushrooms the additional moisture needed to grow.

“As a cancer survivor I am always looking for superfoods with antimetastatic properties. I especially like nutritional superfoods that also taste great. I was drawn to mushrooms for these reasons and I encourage everyone to

research the health benefits of these miraculous fungi,” Glenney said.

When you look at all the different types of foods that end up on our plates, mushrooms are truly unique. They aren’t plants. They don’t come from animals. They are basically the only multi-celled fungus we eat that doesn’t play a part in fermentation.

While there are dozens and dozens of edible mushrooms, there are some that are potentially lethal, especially to dogs. It might be best to leave Rover

at home when ’shrooming if he’s the curious type.

The Central Oregon Mushroom Club has a handy-dandy mushroom gallery on their website (www.centraloregon mushroomclub.com) with pictures and details of the most commonly found varieties in our area. Otherwise, pick up one of the several popular books, like “All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms” by David Arora.

Over 200 edible and poisonous mushrooms are depicted, with simple checklists of their identifying features celebrating the fun in fungi with the same engaging bend of wit and wisdom, fact and fancy, that has made Arora's comprehensive guide “Mushrooms Demystified” the mushroom hunter’s bible.

Both are available at Paulina Springs Books in Sisters.

YELLOWMOREL (MORCHELLA)

ARMILLARIA MELLEA (HONEYMUSHROOM)

It’s the classic entrepreneurial scenario: a man with a certain set of skills sees a need and sets about filling it.

It was all Ginger’s doing. Ginger was John Acree’s English Bulldog. She went through a lot of dog beds.

“Ginger was just so hard on them,” Acree recalled.

He knew that there had to be a way to make dog beds durable enough to stand up to Ginger.

“I started tinkering with them and taking the bed apart,” he said.

Acree had a background well-suited to improving an existing product. Since

1998, he had been a specialty drapery contractor; he knew fabric and he had sewing skills.

“I think at my largest, I had a staff of 15,” he recalled.

With that background, tinkering led to the creation of a bed that is far more durable — and comfortable — than the run-of-the-mill dog bed.

Acree is quick to acknowledge that he’s not reinventing the wheel here.

“I’m not Edison,” he said. “I didn’t create them, I just figured out how to make them better. The donut style I make, that’s a style that’s been made

By Jim Cornelius

for a long time.”

The key to durability is in the materials — upholstery-grade fabrics and zippers, auto/marine monofilament

JOHN ACREE

with high tensile strength, and fill made from recycled water bottles (a point of pride for Acree).

Acree’s sewing skills are brought to bear in sewing channels into the cushion, locking the fill into place. The result is a comfortable bed that keeps its shape and prevents the fill from migrating to the corners of the bed, creating dead spots.

The beds are completely washable.

Acree launched Ginger Beds out of his fabric workroom in Portland in 2016. A few years ago, he and his wife, Kadee, moved to Bend in search of “a slower pace of life.”

We’d been coming to Bend to play a lot, like people do in Portland, and it really appealed,” he said.

Ginger Beds are catching on. Highend pet-friendly hotels have helped with that. One hotel, The Headlands in Pacific City, ordered 25-30 Ginger Beds.

“They approached me out of the blue as they were opening up,” Acree said.

The quality and comfort were what they were looking for as part of their amenities for pets.

Hotel clients — and their dogs — have been so impressed with the beds that individuals contact Ginger Beds to place an order.

That’s the kind of referral business that has provided Ginger Beds with

35 to 40 percent annual growth. Acree operates out his garage in Bend, handcrafting each dog bed as orders come in. He’s a one-man operation, and anticipates that things will remain that way for some time, even as Ginger Beds catch on.

“I still have a decent amount of runway before we’d have to take somebody on,” he said.

That’s good for Acree for now, because anyone he hires will have to have sewing skills — and that’s hard to come by.

“It’s a dying art,” he said. “There’s not a lot of people who sew.”

Acree finds a lot of satisfaction in the way his business operates now.

“Eventually, I would like to move out of my garage — but at the same time, I’m not going to complain about my commute,” he said. “My hope is just steady, continued, manageable growth.”

As a dog lover, he finds deep satisfaction in making the lives of animals better and more comfortable.

“There’s a purpose to it, I guess is the way I think of it,” he said.

That sense of purpose is enhanced through Ginger Beds’ support of K9s For Warriors. Based in Ponte Vedra, Florida, K9s For Warriors provides

therapy dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD. They offer this service at no cost to veterans and host the veterans for an extensive training program to get to know their support animal.

Acree notes that 95 percent of the dogs placed are rescues.

Ginger Beds contributes a portion of each sale to the program, and purchasers often enhance that support with a donation.

“I would say 50 percent of our sales, people donate a little bit more and tack that on to their purchase,” Acree said.

The work gives the dogs a valuable sense of purpose.

“They’re pack animals, right?” he said. “They want to be part of something.”

All the work really comes down to love for dogs and the great value they bring to our lives.

As Acree says, “The love that you get from having an animal in your home is really irreplaceable, in my opinion.”

GINGER BEDS ARE HANDCRAFTED IN BEND WITH DURABILITY IN MIND.

TAPPING THE SPIRIT OF adventure

Epic T ravel, Epic M emories!

HANDCRAFTED ITINERARIES

BY SUSAN WAY MIRE

CTC, TravelStore, 33 Years Experience, Chairman’s Club Elite Level

My specialty is private, customized travel for families, couples, small groups, and guided expeditions.

T his year’s top dream vacations:

Galapagos Islands, Active Hiking, Eco Ventura Yacht Charters, Wildlife Tours & Safaris

541-719-8997

Central Oregon is a dream destination for people from around the world. Paradoxically, the region is also full of people who love to travel. Maybe the spirit of adventure is what brought them here in the first place — and it continues to burn brightly.

When we think of “adventure travel” we tend to imagine zip-lining across mountain canyons, or trekking into deserts and rainforests in some remote part of the globe. And if climbing mountains, rafting streams, and trekking in remote places calls to you, more power to you. But perhaps we should use a more expansive

By Jim Cornelius

Omodt

definition of “adventure travel,” one that is less synonymous with “extreme,” and more open to all.

If we think of “adventure travel” as a deeper, more profound experience than the standard tour or cruise might offer, it opens up possibilities that can be relaxing, comfortable, and yet still thrilling — creating lifelong memories.

Susan Waymire is a certified travel consultant in Central Oregon. She specializes in creating and facilitating travel opportunities that create life-changing experiences. She’s had plenty of adventures, from the Arctic to the Amazon. She’s trekked in the

Photos courtesy Jeff

Dolomites, ridden camels in Egypt, and hiked the Highlands of Scotland. She’s sent hundreds of clients on similar action-packed adventures. For all that, she recognizes that it’s not just getting a rush of adrenaline that makes for lifetime memories — it’s depth of experience.

To create those experiences, Waymire works with smaller outfits and skilled guide services — people she’s traveled with and vetted herself, and with whom she’s worked for years. Traveling with a guide who knows the history, geography, geology, and natural history of the places where you are going greatly enhances the experience. A guide can become a boon companion, making an adventure much more pleasurable.

“I try to promote more unique-experience guide services,” Waymire said. “I take pleasure in matching the right guide service with the people.”

She’s got long-established partners from France to Istanbul. It’s all about “finding the right people worldwide.”

Anyone can find a travel guide online — but you’re relying on reviews to tell you what you’re getting. Waymire has personally vetted her partners and guide services.

“It’s one thing to fish around on the

Continues on page 52

Continued

internet, it’s another to have a vetted guide,” she says.

Intergenerational travel has become an important way for families to bond and create lifelong memories. Families are seeking that intersectional moment when kids are old enough to appreciate a rich adventure, and grandparents are still young enough to swing it.

“It’s not just you anymore, it’s for your kids and your grandkids,” Waymire said.

She recalls booking a Galapagos yacht charter with a family of 10 adults and 10 children (the youngest was 2 years old). One of the children developed a special relationship with the captain.

“The captain took him under his wing, and that kid had a blast,” Waymire reported.

The ship naturalist made a big impression, and the family witnessed things they could never experience the way they did on this trip — including seeing a sea lion give birth.

“A 7- or 8-year-old will never forget that, ever,” Waymire said.

Jeff Omodt of Sisters loves to travel.

“Initially, it was photography,” he said. Gradually, his interests widened and deepened. “I enjoy just the experience of new things and… I guess it’s living history. If you go where it happened and you see it in context, then history is interesting…. It’s just a fulfilling experience to see other parts of the world.”

Recently widowed, Omodt was resigned to traveling alone. Then he met Berni Huggett.

“A little lightning bolt hit, and we thought this is cool, maybe the rest of this could be together,” Omodt recalled.

That meant traveling together. They booked a trip to Europe, and wanted to include a Rhine River tour. They sought Waymire’s services, and she advised them not to go mass-market, and connected them with a guide.

“She kind of configured it as we needed it to be to do the things we wanted to do,” Omodt said.

It was magical — a much deeper experience than a commercial tour would have provided. And, though they were not yet officially married, Jeff and Berni decided that they were on their honeymoon.

Jeff decided to make it as official as he could — with a “wedding” atop the Eiffel Tower. Problem was, there was very limited access to the tower. Waymire found a way for them to get there.

“Without an officiant, we did our wedding vows on the top of the Eiffel Tower with a rainbow on this side and the sunset on the other,” Jeff recalled with a smile.

Travel in service of a cause can also be deeply compelling and satisfying Omodt noted that he and Berni — now officially wed — made a three-week mission trip to Kenya.

“It transformed my view of things,” he said.

Gary Calicott, a photographer in Bend, is traveling to destinations he’s always dreamed of. When he decided to pull the trigger on a dream tip to El Calten and Mount Fitzroy in Patagonia, he figured he would get some expert help making arrangements.

“I saw photos of the area, and I decided I wanted to go there someday,” he said. “For some reason, I thought it would probably be a good idea to get a pro involved.”

He turned to Susan Waymire and “she knew exactly where I wanted to go and she knew exactly how to get there,” Calicott recalled. “When she called me back, everything was dialed in and all I had to do was say OK.”

He was glad he did, when a delay in leaving Seattle blew out his connection and threatened to derail his whole air travel schedule. He texted Waymire, and when he landed in Dallas, Texas, an alternative was already set up.

“She just handled it,” Calicott recalled.

He didn’t even have to stand in a line.

JEFF AND BERNI OMODT LOVE TRAVELING.

Mount Fitzroy was everything the photographer had hoped. He and his travel companions hiked and took photographs and “saw some beautiful country.”

Travelers don’t have to seek out the exotic or unusual to have a deep experience. Alaska travel is a very accessible adventure for folks from Central Oregon, and you can enjoy the amenities of a cruise to do it. Waymire simply recommends seeking out a small ship experience — it’s more intimate and personalized.