Winter Wonderland and Birds of Pray

I am sitting in my camp chair, snuggled with no fewer than 3 blankets and watching large, fluffy snowflakes pour from the sky. Welcome to spring break in Bend, OR. 37 degrees at 4 pm and snowing for an hour now.

We started the morning with rain and clouds, but were excited to spend most of the day at the High Desert Museum. They didn't open until 10 so we had to entertain the troops with a trip to the local coffee and donut shop (Hot Lava) first.

When we got to the museum, there were only a few cars in the parking lot and the weather was ominous. We ran through raindrops to get to the entrance, enjoying the numerous bronze sculptures of wildlife along the way.

After checking out the exhibits and show times, we set off to explore the museum. First gallery had an impressive collection of native artifacts, crafts, headdresses, etc. We saw a lot of bead work, saddles and baskets. Impressive collection and well displayed.

We then went to a live talk about Birds of Prey. On the way, Grady commented, "I think we have to pray so that they land on our fingers..." Birds of Pray. The talk was great, with a volunteer who told us all about the rescued Great Horned Owl named McKenzie. Colby asked some good questions (how old is the owl, how old do they live, etc).

We explored other exhibits that included how the settlers "tamed" the land, Sins of the West (i.e. gambling, women, whiskey, etc.) and more wildlife exhibits that included a lynx and bobcat. Unfortunately, the weather put a halt to any live historic displays. We got to walk around the historic homestead but it was empty.

the boys really enjoyed the museum. Grady especially liked the hands-on play area where you could climb into a giant nest and slide down into a badger home. Colby's favorite part was the soft shell turtle and snakes (yikes!) we got to visit. I especially enjoyed the lynx and corresponding talk. Steve's favorite part was Sins part (gambling, whiskey and women - what's not to like?).

On the way home, amidst rainfalls, we saw a sign for the Lava Cast Forest (indicating a 9 mile drive). Being adventurous and not really wanting to go back to the trailer at 2, we set off in search of adventure. After a mile the pavement left and we were climbing up a hill on extreme washboard dirt road. Fun times. As we neared closer to the 9 mile mark we encountered snow on the road and coming from the sky. While we were close to the top, we decided to turn around and talked with a forest worker who happened to be on the road. he confirmed that the travel was not really worth it as the lava casts were covered in snow, impossible to see and exposed to the weather. So much for that adventure.

We have spent the remainder of the afternoon doing chores (laundry, supplies, etc.) and watching the rain turn to snow. I do not know what tomorrow will hold but it undoubtedly is going to be an adventure. Steve is laughing right now - because the other option is to be pissed about the weather. What good does that do? We will be dry and warm for the night and take tomorrow as it comes. I think we will always remember that spring break is a risk - no guarantees!