We spent some precious time with Dawn and her husband over the next few days. Including a brief walk at the Trail of the Molten Lands that showcased the volcanic geography of the area with fabulous views all the way to Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters Mountains topped with snow, a lovely, leisurely stroll along the Deschutes River, just a few steps from their gorgeous home, we had a lunch of memorably delicious tacos, Henry's favorites, and then, the cherry on top of the parfait, I took a bath in her deep tub. Heavenly!

Thank you so much Dawn xxxx

When Dawn retired from Intel, she moved to Bend in Oregon and built her dream home with her husband. She has lived in Bend for a good few years now and considers it home.

The day after our arrival, Dawn popped over to visit us at the trailer and to make some plans. She brought with her two loaves of banana bread and the most delicious English Muffins. Made from scratch!!!! Not only were they delicious, I mean really delicious, I was mightily impressed with the uniformity of all the muffins. They were utter perfection in every way. Dawn could definitely be a professional baker. I'm kinda embarrassed to say that between the three of us, we ate everything by the end of the following day. Everything. We are officially greedy pigs! Sorry, not sorry!

It was lovely to see Dawn. Clearly life in Bend agreed with her. I was once again struck by her thoughtfulness, kindness and gentleness. She is a truly beautiful human being.

Together we made plans to meet up and visit the High Desert Museum the following morning.

Celebrating the local wildlife, history and culture, the High Desert Museum was a gem, sprawling over 135 acres, with exhibits both indoors and outdoors. We began outside and headed straight for the otters exhibit. We saw three of them playing very briefly before they scampered inside to rest. They were so cute. We continued to walk outside on a trail that celebrated the native tribes indigenous to the area and the early pioneers that arrived in Oregon in canvas covered wagons, seeking a better life.

We enjoyed seeing the birds of prey, native to the region, including hawks, eagles and owls of different varieties. At least one of the owls winked at me ;) I was struck at the size and majesty of the bald eagles. They were huge! We tested our own wingspans, but nothing could compare to the condor or albatross. 

Inside there were more animals; small rodents, lizards and snakes. A friendly snake hissed his hellos, but unfortunately I don't speak pareselmouth so I didn't understand the rest of his message. 

One of my favorite exhibits was the wildlife photography of the wolf by world famous photographer, Ronan Donovan.

You can check out his exquisite work at www.ronandonovan.com

The wolf is Kim's spirit animal. Always has been. I enjoyed the artistry of the photographer, particularly the shots taken in my beloved Yellowstone. I could have stared at those images for a loooong time. They were incredible. The drama, the scope, the packs, the survival of the species, all captured beautifully. 

We finished up with a cuppa in the cafe and I bought a topographical, contour map of the Three Sisters Mountains.