If you’ve driven past 27th Street lately, you’ve seen it—Bend’s new Stevens Ranch Library is rising fast. Construction is really moving. The main structure is up, and crews are making steady progress toward what’s going to be a beautiful and much-needed 100,000 sq feet community space. The temporarily closed stretch of 27th Street should reopen soon, which will be a big relief for those of us who’ve been dodging detours for the past several months. While we still don’t have an official opening date, the exterior is looking close to done. And what has me excited? The mass timber design inside. I haven’t seen it in person yet, but judging by the plans and the early renderings, this is going to be one of the most architecturally interesting public buildings in Bend. Read more →

The last couple of months have been tough. Stefanie’s daughter had a serious medical emergency. She was in the hospital, went through multiple surgeries, and needed constant IV meds and antibiotics. It was a lot. Stefanie stayed by her side... Read more →

Fun past project aerial photo of mine that after a monochrome treatment looks like a mind bending MC Escher print. Read more →

I kicked off the new year with a pre-dawn snowshoe hike up Tumalo Mountain. There’s something special about walking in the dark with just a headlamp and the promise of sunrise. I got to the trailhead near Mt. Bachelor at around 5:00 a.m. It was cold, maybe in the teens, and the forest was calm. My plan: climb 1,400 feet and catch the first sunrise of 2025. Read more →

Our recent two-week adventure was everything we had hoped and had planned for—a perfect blend of awe inspiring landscapes, family, and unforgettable wildlife. Starting from our home in Bend, Oregon, we set off on a 2,300-mile loop that took us... Read more →

This weekend was my partners birthday. We went to a nice local Italian restaurant, Trattoria Sbandati. It was an amazing and authentic dinner with excellent service. If you are ever in beautiful Bend Oregon and want amazing Italian food and... Read more →

Fall is in full swing here in Central Oregon, and it’s not just the changing leaves that make this time of year special. Alongside the vibrant yellows and reds of autumn leaves as well as larch pine needles, the region’s... Read more →

Wow, what a crazy couple of weeks it's been! Read more →

This past weekend was all about the outdoors. On Saturday, I kayaked 8 miles on a crystal-clear Cascade lake, where the water was as cold as it was stunning. Then, on Sunday, we hiked 7 miles with a 2,000-foot elevation gain into the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. With a wilderness day permit in hand, We made it to the glacier on Three Finger Jack. The hike was made even better by the intoxicatingly sweet scents and breathtaking views of wildflowers along Canyon Creek and spotting a rocky mountain goat. Read more →

It has been a heatwave where I live in the mountains of Central Oregon and people including myself have been hitting the Cascade Lakes and river to cool off. I have never seen so many people floating the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District of Bend Oregon. Read more →

I used the app 3D Scanner App on my iPhone 15 Pro and scanned in high resolution using LiDAR the sign and tree section to generate a 3D model that you can then export to use elsewhere such as a 3D scene or 3D print, share on Sketchfab, or even use AR to view in your space. Read more →

A few years ago in 2015, I wrote on this blog about the changing of the carpet design in the Portland Oregon International Airport. PDX Carpet Designs in AutoCAD DWG The new design was confusing and not iconic and fun like the classic design. Wikipedia on the PDX carpet design Well, roll forward to 2024 and they have finally heard my complaint, or the many others and are now returning to installing the old classic design carpet.The classic design was based on the airport’s North and South runways as seen by air traffic controllers at night in a nerdy artistic way. Read more →

Last Friday evening, Stefanie, our two dogs, and I embarked on an adventure to Lava Lake in the Cascades, just a short drive from our home in Bend, Oregon. The area had just emerged from winter, was the perfect for our outing, especially with the potential of a spectacular aurora borealis due to a massive solar storm—the largest in over two decades. Read more →

The past two weeks have been filled with unseasonably cold weather with a bunch of snow followed by freezing rain and ice. Here are a few photos of the growing snow at our home and playing in it. Now it’s... Read more →

The local Bend Oregon fire department brought a fire engine and Santa to my neighborhood last night. They were doing a canned food drive. We donated some cans of food to the good community holiday effort and program to help... Read more →

Hey there, friends and Between the Lines blog readers! I just had to share my recent escapades in the heart of the Central Oregon Cascades. If you haven't experienced autumn here, you're missing out on a spectacle of nature. This... Read more →

Fall is that magical in-between season where people are torn between savoring the last remnants of summer and gearing up for winter while also cherishing the memories of the spring and summer adventures. The contrast between the cooler nights and... Read more →

On October 14th in the morning I will be experiencing an annular eclipse from the Cascade Mountains near my home in Bend Oregon. Read more →

Last week, Stefanie and I got out for a few hours just west of town 20 miles to exercise our day permit we had got a few days ago. We got it to hike into the Three Sisters Wilderness to... Read more →

Last weekend we visited a beautiful Central Oregon lake that is formed from a freshwater spring, and gin crystal clear. 360 photo: Photos of this lake could be mistaken for the Mediterranean oceans clear waters. I hope you are having... Read more →

The other day I went with the Deschutes Land Trust to photograph and film some wildflowers starting to appear. It was a very warm and sunny day near the Ochoco National Forest where we spotted many wildflowers like Indian paintbrush,... Read more →

I went alpine skiing, Wednesday at Mt Bachelor. Mt Bachelor is an extinct volcanic cone mountain about 20 miles West of Bend Oregon where I live, and the 6trh largest ski resort in the US. We have received so much... Read more →